Did an end to end full service a couple weeks ago on my 2010 Dodge Hemi 1500 and today I started it and noticed a puff of blue smoke at initial start.

The cab fan is sqealling like a bearing or brush is going bad, been progressively getting worse the last 6 months.

Since I serviced the tranny I notice it is slow to built tranny pressure at initial startup and shift into gear. Wondering if the aftermarket filter came off or loose It has 2 internal filters the standard sump and a spin on TC filter on the cooler line with a cheesy plastic filter stud. If I put it in neutral for a few seconds before going into gear it is ok but let it idle for about 10 seconds in park and go into reverse it has a couple second lag before it is in gear, same with drive. This just started after the service.

Then it sounds like i have an idler or one of the belt driven items making noise under the hood now too, all this developed within 2 weeks except for the fan. If things keep going this way this Hemi is going down the road real quick.


The blue puff at start up and the laggy tranny both concern me.

 

And of course no more warranty, only came with 3 year 36K.

Edited January 14, 201411 yr by Wild and Free

I think you are rite-on about maybe sellin' that puppy. IMHO, you are getting the early warnings about it.

 

There's nothin like having my 1st gen for so long (over 400k) it starts running like a tired ol' dog. Then do a couple simple minor things to it and she comes alive like a brand new truck. There's nothing like it  can't believe it   It's like it grew old with me, part of the family and saved me from buying at least two other trucks.

 

 

Am I bragging about that truck again?...sorry about that

Edited January 14, 201411 yr by JAG1

I will replace the fan motor and find the under hood belt driven noise and deal with it. Then I need to monitor this engine start up smoke puff over then next service interval and see what happens or if it is using oil or not.

 

The tranny I think I will drop the pan just to double check the filters if it keeps doing it over the next week or so now that it warmed up a bit, I have read about issues with other than OEM spin on filters coming loose or off all together.

 

Thing was trouble free for 2 years and then bam everything hits at once.

Whats even funnier, is that its almost as if the manufacturer spend more on R&D to figure out how long to make a warranty for so they don't have to cover it right before it falls apart!

did you use OEM or aftermarket filters?

I hope it's all minor stuff and the truck's worth keeping. .......

 

it's almost like putting your future at at stake when you buy a new one..

Both of the tranny filters are aftermarket filters from a parts house.

Jag I know what your sayin, I am very particular so every little thing bugs the heck out of me and its even worse when I buy something different I nit pick the heck out of them.

I only buy used and it has to have at least a years worth of full bumper to bumper warranty left for me to even consider buying a different rig so I can nit pick it.

But I will monitor this one for a few more months and see what happens.

Typically the little blue puff of a smoke would be like valve seals leaking. So like a intake can drip a few times in the cylinder causing the blue puff.

That's what I am thinking and from the recent extreme temp changes could have played into it a bit too I hope.

I did do a couple of start and shut off after moving it a couple times over the weekend as well without warming it up.

I did do a change in oil weight too this last service, The 1500 hemi recommends 5w20 which is what I have been using but had some 0w30 I wanted to use up and the 2500 and 3500 Hemi's recommend a 30wt oil so it was all good, the only reason they don't on the 1500 is they claim it messes up the MDS which I didn't see any issue over my 7500 mile service interval. I switched back to the 5w20 again so with the temps and different oil weight might be playing into things............time will tell.

Thing runs awesome and strong other than this.

Dag nammit!!!!!!!!!!!  Rig almost left me sitting today, tranny started doing real funny things on the way to work this afternoon, started shifting erratically and slipping, let off it and feathered the throttle to feel it out a bit and it finally settled into first gear and wouldn't upshift past first, got to a spot I could pull over and checked for leaks and fluid and all looked ok, fluid had a smell of beginning to get hot but looked good and the temp gauuge for the tranny was normal, took off and it was slipping until I got to about 20-30 mph in first and it held strong once there but it took a couple miles to get to that speed.

 

No MIL or any other warning just no tranny functon, now to see what happens at 2 am on the way home in the middle of the country. :banghead:

 

 

But hey I didn't see any blue puffs when starting it today.

Edited January 15, 201411 yr by Wild and Free

Hope you make it home.

 

I'm beginning to think no more dealers.. just go to the nearest car/truck restoration outfit and make a deal on a 64 Chevy pick up...... 283 and three on the tree.

Funny you say that, my first vehicle was a 66 GMC with 3 on the tree.

 

My wife is going to be a sport and come pull me home in the wee hours of the night with the cummins. Decided against driving it any further and potentially destroying a tranny in case it is a stupid simple thing like a filter and there is still life left in it.

 

Hey one can hope right?

 

Not sure what you mean by no more dealers though, its ever been to one outside of 2 minor warranty issues right after i bought it 2 years ago. Driver side heated mirror didn't work and a very slight right front axle seal leak and one rear axle pinion nut recall update to prevent it from loosening up.

My first truck was a 68 Chevy with 3 on the tree. Cost me $600.

sounds like it low on trans fluid to me...

 

My wife is going to be a sport and come pull me home in the wee hours of the night with the cummins. Decided against driving it any further and potentially destroying a tranny in case it is a stupid simple thing like a filter and there is still life left in it.

 

Hey one can hope right?

 

Not sure what you mean by no more dealers though, its ever been to one outside of 2 minor warranty issues right after i bought it 2 years ago. Driver side heated mirror didn't work and a very slight right front axle seal leak and one rear axle pinion nut recall update to prevent it from loosening up.

 

 

Smart thing to do...

Killer the fluid level is actually a tish high.

The reason I asked about the filters is because I know a guy with a Dodge/68rfe that he did a service on and used aftermarket filters. He immediately began having problems with the trans and ended up taking it into the dealer. Turned out to be the aftermarket filters he used did not meet the OEM specs. I do not know what exactly the problem was or the type of filters, but all the dealer did was replace the filters and top off and problem solved. This was several yrs ago when the 68rfe was still fairly new so this may not even be an issue anymore.

Hopefully it is an easy fix.

I meant go the the restoration guys for a vintage rig instead of a newer truck at a dealer.

 

My first was a 60 chevy with granny low 4 speed and limited slip.

 

I hope its just filters   

I am really hoping it is simple too, got home and got her in the shop around 2:45 am "Ain't shift work great" , good thing I had the wife come, started it at work and there was nothing when I tried to put it in gear forward or reverse all like being in neutral revved it up a few times to see if it would grab and then the CEL came on.

 

Got the coffee brewing and am headed out to get the pan off again and see.

I have a thread going over at Ramforumz and there is a tranny gurur over there helping me out with some pointers here is the link if anyone wants to follow it.
I go by Toon tugr over there.

http://www.ramforumz.com/showthread.php?p=1296597#post1296597

 

Update :

 

Got the pan off and all looked in good shape and clean and oil looked and smelled ok yet.....other than the spin on filter fell off just like I have read about so off to town for new OEM filters and see if she comes to life again.

 

Several codes all relating to low trans line and main pressures and 3-4 gear ratios not right. cleared them, off to town.....

 

Update 2.o....

 

Back in business again and she runs strong................only needed I quart of ATF to do the job, was able to carefully recover most of the oil and keep it clean since it only had a thousand miles on it, two new OEM filters and a carefully threaded on spin on filter to make sure it wasn't over tightened.  Now to see how it performs over the long haul again.

Edited January 15, 201411 yr by Wild and Free

This sounds very familiar to the issue my friend had. I will have to call him and ask, but I remember for certain aftermarket filters were at the center of his failure and the problem never returned once he had OEMs installed.