2005 Dodge Ram 3500 w/dealer towing package; 545RFE trans; 125,000 mi
I recently had my transmission serviced before leaving on a fishing trip in the Sierra Nevada. On the trip I was towing a 2000 lb boat and going up some long, steep grades to higher lakes (ex. 15 miles of 6% to 9% grade). Several days after the steep grades I started noticing a 1 or 2 second delay when accelerating from a stop and that night, while parked at a rest stop, fortunately, the transmission just quit. No response in any gear. I ended up being towed 50 miles to the nearest mechanic.
This mechanic found that the transmission spin-on filter had come loose and was rolling around in the pan. He also discovered that the filter was a Napa ProSelect 27712, an OIL FILTER FOR A SUBARU. (I also discovered later that the first mechanic had added 6 qt of Havoline Synthetic ATF Multi-Vehicle Dexron-VI as part of the pre-trip fluid exchange -- but that's a subject that I'll post in the proper forum.)
My questions are:
1. Could the use of this improper filter have harmed my transmission given the challenging towing I was doing?
2. Could the use of this improper filter have caused the slippage I was experiencing?
3. Should I be concerned about a shorter life on my transmission because of this episode.
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Dan
I recently had my transmission serviced before leaving on a fishing trip in the Sierra Nevada. On the trip I was towing a 2000 lb boat and going up some long, steep grades to higher lakes (ex. 15 miles of 6% to 9% grade). Several days after the steep grades I started noticing a 1 or 2 second delay when accelerating from a stop and that night, while parked at a rest stop, fortunately, the transmission just quit. No response in any gear. I ended up being towed 50 miles to the nearest mechanic.
This mechanic found that the transmission spin-on filter had come loose and was rolling around in the pan. He also discovered that the filter was a Napa ProSelect 27712, an OIL FILTER FOR A SUBARU. (I also discovered later that the first mechanic had added 6 qt of Havoline Synthetic ATF Multi-Vehicle Dexron-VI as part of the pre-trip fluid exchange -- but that's a subject that I'll post in the proper forum.)
My questions are:
1. Could the use of this improper filter have harmed my transmission given the challenging towing I was doing?
2. Could the use of this improper filter have caused the slippage I was experiencing?
3. Should I be concerned about a shorter life on my transmission because of this episode.
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Dan