KJ Transmissions going bad...

Hi all
Have any of you heard of '04 thru '08 KJ automatics giving up the ghost?
I was just reading the Australian Jeep site and there seems to be a trend developing there especially with CRDs and the 5 speed auto.

How is it on your side of the pond?

Oliver

nzoliver said:

Hi all
Have any of you heard of '04 thru '08 KJ automatics giving up the ghost?
I was just reading the Australian Jeep site and there seems to be a trend developing there especially with CRDs and the 5 speed auto.

How is it on your side of the pond?

Oliver

Click to expand...

The 545RFE, IMO, should have been "beefed up" more for the 2.8L CRD . It produces too much violent torque (not smooth) for the guts of the transmission, especially the torque converter, which is the main problem. There's a torque converter fix... and you can purchase a shift kit for it I think.

Even people with the 5.7L HEMI have issues with the torque converter in the 545RFE.

Hi,

Interesting. So a warranty is needed then!! Any issues with V6's?

nzoliver said:

Hi,

Interesting. So a warranty is needed then!! Any issues with V6's?

Click to expand...

Nope!

Wicked. eek2dance.gifeek2dance.gif
Thanks

The 545FRE does have issues with the Hemi.....tell ya that much

Not really heard of any issues with the 545rfe behind the hemi.

Not that anyone said anything about it but the 45rfe is good behind the 4.7 also.

Weve got both and so far so good.

JeepJeepster said:

Not really heard of any issues with the 545rfe behind the hemi.

Click to expand...

You haven't been reading many Dodge forums then. (I sadly had the pleasure of reading them for about 9 months last year. They're NOTHING like a Jeep forum... )

45RFE/545RFE is good behind the 4.7L.
But things start getting bad behind the 5.7L Hemi and 2.8L CRD.

I hear the same thing about the Chrysler trans, they can take the HP, but the Torque Converters are the weak spot. The Avenger was the same way, someone made a 11.x" replacement, for the 10.x" that was in it, was a better converter.

i have been through 1 trans at 190,000 klm's the hard facing of the gears came away and clogged up the trans

No problems with mine. I have 85K miles driven everywhere from the highest roads (and trails) of the rockies to the deserts of SE UT to the swamps of FL.

The spark-infested guys are just haterz.

To the one mentioning the clog, what was your fluid change interval? That sounds like a preventable unless you are talking about a chunk of a gear.