41TE vs 62TE: Differences, Compounder, Limp Mode and Parts

A 2008 Grand Caravan can come in with either transaxle. Chrysler kept the four-speed 41TE on the base engine and put the new six-speed 62TE behind the 3.8L and 4.0L, per Transmission Digest. So the first job on any Chrysler minivan, Journey or Sebring is knowing which one you have. The two units look alike from the pan side and share a lot of gear train. The parts that make them different are the ones that fail.

The short version: the 62TE is a 41TE with an underdrive compounder bolted into the back. That one assembly brings two more clutches, a sprag, a third speed sensor, a different solenoid pack, a different valve body family, a different limp gear and a list of failures the 41TE never had. This guide covers each difference using Chrysler's numbers, ATRA's 62TE seminar and webinar material, Sonnax and Transmission Digest. Sources are numbered at the bottom.

Recommended 41TE and 62TE parts

A 2007-up 62TE master rebuild kit, an A604/40TE/41TE master kit, and the 62TE solenoid block pack. The kits are not interchangeable, so confirm the unit first. Secure checkout on our site.

62TE Transmission Master Rebuild Kit, Dodge/Chrysler 2007-Up

$214.99View part

A604 40TE 41TE Master Rebuild Kit w/ Frictions & Steels

$228.99View part

62TE Transmission Main Solenoid Block Pack, Chrysler/Dodge

$145.99View part

Quick Answer: 41TE vs 62TE

• Speeds: 41TE is a four-speed. 62TE is sold as a six-speed but has seven forward ratios, because a "4th prime" ratio is used only for the 6-4 kickdown (ATRA).
• Gear train: the 62TE keeps the 41TE main centerline (2.84, 1.57, 1.00, 0.69, 2.21 reverse) and adds a compounder with two states, 1.45:1 reduction and 1.00:1 direct.
• Clutches: 41TE runs UD, OD, Reverse, 2/4 and L/R. 62TE adds the Low Clutch (LC), Direct Clutch (DC) and an overrunning clutch (sprag).
• Limp-in gear: 41TE defaults to 2nd. 62TE defaults to 3rd (2.28:1).
• Sensors: 41TE has input and output speed sensors. 62TE has three: input, transfer and output.
• Controls: 62TE uses an RFE-style solenoid and pressure switch assembly with a 23-way connector, six shift solenoids, a line pressure solenoid and a line pressure sensor.
• Valve body: 41TE is the rectangular casting (Sonnax branch 1). 62TE is the L-shaped casting (branch 2, the 45RFE group).
• Fluid: both take ATF+4. The 62TE takes 5.5 qt on a service and 9.0 qt after an internal repair (ATRA).
• Interchange: converter, pump, valve body, solenoid pack and case are all unit-specific. Do not cross them.

Same Main Box, Plus a Compounder

ATRA's 62TE update webinar (Mike Souza, ATRA Senior Research Technician) describes the design simply. Chrysler took the proven 41TE four-speed and split the transfer and pinion drive with an underdrive/direct clutch assembly. That drives a double ratio to the final drive. ATRA calls the 62TE "basically a 41TE" plus the underdrive compounder. The compounder is made of the Low Clutch, the Direct Clutch, the overrunning clutch and a planetary gear set.

The compounder has two modes. In reduction (1.45:1), the LC side holds and the sprag carries the load in drive. The LC applies on coast so you still get engine braking. In direct (1.00:1), the DC locks the compounder and the main box ratio passes straight through. A blocker valve, which ATRA calls the direct clutch switch, stops the DC and LC from applying at the same time.

Multiply the 41TE ratios by 1.45 and you get the 62TE ratios. FCA's 2015 Journey specifications show both units in the same vehicle. The 2.4L got the four-speed 40TES at 2.842, 1.57, 1.0, 0.69 and 2.21 reverse. The 3.6L got the 62TE at 4.127, 2.842, 2.283, 1.452 (1.570 on WOT kickdown), 1.00, 0.690 and 3.214 reverse. ATRA's 2008 seminar ratio chart says 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th use the same ratios as a 41TE. The other ratios are the 41TE main box plus compounder reduction.

The final drive changes too. On the 2015 Journey, FCA lists a 4.28 final drive for the 40TES, which gives a 2.95 overall top gear. The 62TE gets a 0.95 transfer ratio and a 3.16 final drive, which gives a 2.06 overall top gear. So the six-speed starts lower in first and cruises at noticeably lower rpm. That is the reason Chrysler built it.

Shift Strategy: Double Swaps and 4th Prime

A 41TE shift is always one clutch off and one clutch on. The 62TE can't always do that. ATRA lists three shifts that need a double swap: the 2-3, 3-2 and 4-2. Two elements release while two others apply. On the 2-3, for example, the main box goes from 1st to 2nd while the compounder goes from direct to reduction. ATRA puts the clutch-to-clutch sync at 40 to 70 milliseconds. If the compounder shifts too early compared to the main box, you get a shudder or harsh shift. If it shifts too late, the driver feels a "double bump."

That gives you a quick road-test check that has no 41TE equivalent. If the 1-2 and 4-5 are clean (compounder only) and the 3-4 is clean (main box only), but the 2-3 is rough or bumps twice, the two halves are out of sync. Look at the compounder clutch circuits and adaptives before you condemn the main box clutches.

A 6-4 kickdown would be another double swap. Chrysler avoids it by dropping into 4th prime instead: it releases OD and applies UD for 1.573:1, with the compounder staying direct (ATRA). The sprag also helps. ATRA notes the overrunning clutch holds in 1st, 3rd and 4th, which smooths the 1-2, 2-1, 4-5 and 5-4. Those are the compounder-only shifts.

Controls, Sensors and Codes

Speed sensors

The 41TE uses two speed sensors. The 62TE uses three, per ATRA. The input speed sensor moved to the top of the case and still reads turbine speed off the input clutch hub, like the 41TE. The old 41TE output speed sensor moved to the back of the case and is now called the transfer speed sensor (TSS). It still reads the front annulus/rear carrier. The new output speed sensor is unique to the 62TE and reads the compounder output carrier. The TCM compares TSS and OSS to confirm the compounder is in the state it commanded. If they don't agree, it sets P0792, compounder speed ratio error.

Solenoid pack and valve body

On a 41TE, the solenoid and pressure switch assembly bolts to the outside of the case. The 62TE uses an RFE-style solenoid and pressure switch assembly with a 23-way connector (ATRA). Pressure switch pins are gold and solenoid pins are tin. Transmission Digest lists what's in the pack: six shift solenoids, one line pressure solenoid, a temperature sensor and five pressure switches. The six solenoids and their default states are:

• Low/Reverse: normally closed
• 2/4: normally open
• Low Clutch: normally closed
• Underdrive: normally open
• Overdrive: normally closed
• Direct Clutch: normally closed

The six solenoids look the same. Air-check them: if air is blocked, the solenoid is normally closed. The line pressure sensor and the TCC (EMCC) variable force solenoid bolt to the valve body and are not part of the pack. Pin 10 feeds power to all the solenoids.

The valve bodies are different families. Sonnax's "All in the Family" article puts the 41TE in branch 1, the rectangular casting group (40TE, 40TES, 41AE, 41TE, 41TES, 42LE, 42RLE). The 62TE is in branch 2, the L-shaped 45RFE group that started in 1999. Both families use a solenoid switch valve, and both changed it from a 0.420 in large spool to 0.453 in. The 41TE branch changed around the 2006 model year. The 45RFE branch, which includes the 62TE, changed around 2010. Measure the valve before you choose a reamer or plug kit. ATRA adds that the 62TE valve body has nine non-removable check balls used as plugs, four check balls in the shift circuit, and a low clutch switch valve the 41TE never had.

Codes only a 62TE sets

ATRA's 2008 seminar DTC list shows the compounder in the code list. You will see these on a 62TE but never on a 41TE:

• P075A LC solenoid circuit and P076A DC solenoid circuit
• P083A / P083B LC hydraulic pressure test and LC pressure switch rationality
• P084A / P084B DC hydraulic pressure test and DC pressure switch rationality
• P0791 transfer speed sensor circuit and P0792 compounder speed ratio error
• P0729 gear ratio error in 6th and P0735 in 5th

Both units share the L/R, 2-4, OD and UD solenoid circuit codes (P0750, P0755, P0760, P0765) and the pressure switch rationality codes.

Limp Mode: 2nd vs 3rd

Wayne Colonna wrote in Transmission Digest (January 2003) that the 41TE (A604) was probably the first unit with a limp-in mode that puts the transaxle in one fixed gear, 2nd, after a fault. The 62TE defaults to 3rd instead, per ATRA's 2008 seminar chart. Third is UD and 2/4 with the compounder in reduction, for 2.28:1.

This matters on the phone. A customer with a 62TE that "only has one gear and takes off slow" is in limp, not slipping. The fault code tells you why. ATRA's webinar also warns about a common builder error. If one seal is installed upside down, it blocks the 2/4 circuit and the unit loses 3rd in limp, plus 4th and 6th. Install that seal with the slot facing up.

Where Each One Fails

41TE

The main 41TE weak spot is the solenoid switch valve bore in the valve body. Sonnax lists bind-up, failsafe, no lockup, TCC apply and release complaints, and engine stall at stops. Related codes include P0841, P0868, P0871, P0988, P1775 and P1776. These codes often get blamed on the solenoid pack when the wear is actually in the valve body bore. Vacuum test the bore before you buy a pack.

62TE

Most 62TE trouble comes from the compounder. ATRA's webinar names these failures:

• Low clutch drum sealing ring land wear. ATRA calls this the most common failure and shows a "100% failure rate" slide. Normal ring clearance is about 0.005 in. Aftermarket drums with a steel insert are available. ATRA ties it to P0792, P0735, no line rise and a 1-2 slip.
• Direct clutch housing snap ring groove wear.
• Direct clutch piston delamination (split rubber seal). Lightly damaged pistons can still air-check good, so look closely at the seal.
• Cooler bypass valve. ATRA calls it a high-risk part and recommends a new one on every repair.
• P2764, TCC stuck on. This was a new hotline failure. ATRA's fix is the TCC solenoid, part 5169313AA.

The 2008 seminar adds one more: if the LC fails, there is no engine braking and no reverse. On a 41TE, no reverse sends you to the reverse or L/R clutch. On a 62TE, check the LC and its sealing rings too.

Bench Specs That Do Not Cross Over

ATRA's webinar gives the compounder clearances, checked with 30 psi of air through the compounder feed hole:

• Direct clutch: 0.037-0.056 in (measured with the clutch hub removed)
• Low clutch: 0.018-0.029 in

There is an adjustable shim between the compounder sun gear and planet. Miller tool 9908 makes compounder removal much easier. Pull the valve body and the three added feed tubes first. The 62TE converter and front pump are a "squished design" to fit the space, and ATRA shows them next to the 41TE parts to make clear they are different. The 62TE pump gears have assembly dots that must face up. Face-to-gear clearance is 0.0008-0.0018 in (check with plastic gauge), outer gear to pocket is 0.0035-0.0079 in, and inner gear to crescent is 0.0036-0.0151 in.

Fluid and Service

Both units take ATF+4. ATRA lists the 62TE at 5.5 qt (5.2 L) on a service and 9.0 qt (8.5 L) after an internal repair. Check the level with the scan tool reading transmission temperature and Miller 9336 dipstick, marked every 10 mm. Shift quality depends on getting the level right. FCA bulletin 21-046-15 (July 2015) covers 2015 Grand Caravan and Town and Country 62TE units (sales code DG2) that left the plant low on fluid and shifted harsh. The fix was a measured top-off with ATF+4, part 05013457AA. On both units, run a Quick Learn after any valve body, solenoid or internal repair so the adaptives start clean.

Can You Swap a 62TE in Place of a 41TE?

Not as a bolt-in repair. The 62TE needs its own converter, a 23-way solenoid pack harness, a third speed sensor circuit, a line pressure sensor, and a TCM calibration that controls the compounder and double-swap timing. Final drive and transfer gearing also differ. Treat it as a platform conversion, not a transmission replacement. If a 41TE vehicle keeps eating transmissions, rebuild the 41TE correctly. That means a vacuum-tested valve body, the right switch valve size, and ATF+4.

Which One Is Better?

The 41TE is simpler. It has fewer clutches, one fewer sensor and a valve body problem that is well understood and fixable. The 62TE gives a lower first gear, a lower cruise rpm and better fuel economy. The tradeoff is a compounder that adds known failure points: the LC ring lands, the DC piston and snap ring groove, and the cooler bypass valve. Build either one with the parts made for that unit and both last. The rebuilds that come back usually have mixed parts, a worn LC drum that was reused, or an upside-down 2/4 seal.

FAQ

Is the 62TE just a 41TE with two more gears?

Mostly. ATRA describes the 62TE as a 41TE with an underdrive compounder added: a Low Clutch, a Direct Clutch, a sprag and a planetary set. The compounder gives 1.45:1 reduction or 1.00:1 direct, and those two states multiplied by the 41TE ratios make the 62TE's seven forward ratios.

Do 41TE and 62TE parts interchange?

Not the major parts. The torque converter and front pump are a different squished design, the valve body is a different casting family, the solenoid pack is an RFE-style 23-way assembly, and the 62TE has a third speed sensor. Order by unit, not by vehicle.

Why is my 62TE stuck in one gear?

The 62TE limp-in gear is 3rd, at 2.28:1, so it takes off slow and never shifts. The 41TE defaults to 2nd instead. Read the codes first; compounder codes like P0792, P083A or P084A point at the Low or Direct Clutch circuits.

What fluid and how much does a 62TE take?

ATF+4 only. ATRA lists 5.5 qt (5.2 L) for a service and 9.0 qt (8.5 L) after an internal repair. Set the level hot with a scan tool reading transmission temperature and the Miller 9336 dipstick.

Can I put a 62TE in a van that came with a 41TE?

Not as a bolt-in. The 62TE needs its own converter, harness for the 23-way pack, a third speed sensor circuit, a line pressure sensor and a TCM calibration that runs the compounder. Rebuild the 41TE correctly instead.