47RE Ram 2500 Cummins Fluid Change: Type, Capacity and Cost

A 1996-2002 Ram 2500 with the 5.9L Cummins and a 47RE is usually a truck that works. It tows, idles at job sites and sits in July traffic with a trailer, and all of that lands on the fluid. The 47RE is an old-school hydraulic four-speed with two adjustable bands and a lockup converter, and the fluid is doing three jobs at once: hydraulic medium, friction modifier for the clutches and bands, and coolant for a unit that sits behind 400-plus lb-ft of diesel torque. When we tear down a burnt Cummins 47RE, the fluid history almost always explains it. Wrong fluid, long intervals, a level that was never checked hot, or a cooler that stopped flowing.

This guide is the fluid service the way Chrysler wrote it for the diesel truck: which fluid, how much it holds, how to fill it without overfilling, the diesel-specific service interval, the band settings you do while the pan is down, and what the job costs in parts. The factory numbers come from Chrysler's 1998 Ram Truck service manual. The fluid history comes from Transmission Digest and a fluid maker's ATF+4 spec sheet. The cooler checks come from Sonnax, ATRA's GEARS magazine and an NHTSA recall. Everything is listed under Sources at the bottom.

Recommended 47RE parts for a fluid service

In stock, ships same day from the USA. Secure checkout.

Castrol Transmax ATF+4 Full Synthetic ATF 1qt, Case of 6

$59.99View part

46RE 47RE 48RE Transmission Oil Pan with Drain Plug and Filter Kit

$92.99View part

47RE Transmission Cooler Line Kit for 1996-2002 Ram 5.9L

$103.99View part

Which Ram 2500 Cummins Trucks Have a 47RE

The 47RE is the electronic-governor heavy-duty four-speed used behind the 5.9L Cummins and the 8.0L V10 in 2500 and 3500 Rams. Chrysler's 1998 service manual lists it under its own sales code, DGP, "4-speed Automatic (47RE)," separate from the gas 42RE and 46RE. On the Cummins side that covers the late 12-valve trucks (1996-1998) and the 24-valve trucks from mid-1998 through 2002. The 1994-1995 Cummins automatics were the hydraulic-governor 47RH; the fluid service is close, but the governor and some specs differ, so confirm what is in the truck before you order parts. Our 47RE identification guide covers the tag and case differences.

47RE Fluid Type: ATF+4, Even if the Sticker Says ATF+3

Pull up the 1998 Ram service manual and every 47RE fill instruction calls for Mopar ATF Plus 3, Type 7176. That was the factory fluid when these trucks were built. It is not what you buy today.

Transmission Digest technical editor Mike Riley summed up the history in a March 2014 article on fluid usage: Chrysler went from Dexron to its own Type 7176 and then Type 9602 fluids, which became ATF+3 and ATF+4. ATF+4 (Chrysler material standard MS-9602) replaced ATF+3, and Chrysler's later fluid-usage bulletin (21-014-07, October 2007) made ATF+4 the recommended fluid for transmissions that originally specified ATF+3, ATF+2 or ATF+. AMALIE's ATF+4 spec sheet, for example, says its fluid is formulated for Chrysler transmissions recommending ATF+4, ATF+3 or ATF+2 and is covered by MS-9602 and MS-7176E/D.

So the rule for a Cummins 47RE is simple:

• Use ATF+4, Mopar or any brand that states MS-9602 on the label. Full synthetic or conventional both meet the spec.
• Do not use Dexron or Mercon. The 1998 manual lists the wrong fluid as a cause of contamination and says non-recommended fluid leads to erratic shifting, slipping, abnormal wear and eventual failure from breakdown and sludge.
• Be careful with "multi-vehicle" jugs. Some say "suitable for" ATF+4 applications without being licensed to MS-9602. On a diesel 47RE that already has marginal holding capacity, we do not gamble on friction properties.

If you inherit a truck with unknown fluid and a lockup shudder at cruise, service it with ATF+4 and set the bands before you condemn the converter.

47RE Fluid Capacity on the Cummins

The fluid capacities table in the 1998 Ram service manual gives the 47RE a dry fill of 14-16 liters (29-33 pints, about 14.5-16.5 quarts). For comparison, the same table lists the gas 46RE at 9-11 L (19-23 pints). The 47RE carries the extra fluid mostly in its larger converter and cooler circuit.

Chrysler adds a footnote that matters on a diesel truck: the dry figure varies with the type and size of the cooler, the length and inside diameter of the cooler lines, and whether there is an auxiliary cooler. A Cummins truck that tows usually has the biggest cooler setup of any 47RE application, and many have an added aftermarket cooler or a deep pan on top of that. That is why the manual tells you to fill by procedure and dipstick, never by the capacity number.

What comes out at a pan service is far less. A stock pan drains roughly 4 quarts. With 14.5-16.5 quarts in the system, one pan service changes only about a quarter of the fluid. The rest stays in the converter, cooler and lines.

Step by Step: The Factory 47RE Fluid and Filter Service

Everything below is from the 47RE service section of the 1998 manual. Chrysler bundles the fluid, filter and band adjustment into one job because the rear band adjuster is inside the pan.

1. Drain, pan and filter

1. Bring the fluid up to temperature, raise the truck, and drop the pan. Most stock 47RE pans have no drain plug, so loosen one side first and let it drain over a wide catch pan.
2. Look at what came out before anything else (more on that below).
3. Remove the filter screws and filter from the valve body. Clean the pan and magnet, and scrape all old gasket material off the case and pan flange.
4. Install the new filter and torque the screws to 4 N·m (35 in-lb). These thread into the valve body; do not lean on them.

2. Adjust the rear (low/reverse) band with the pan off

1. Loosen the rear band locknut 5-6 turns and make sure the adjusting screw turns freely in the lever.
2. Torque the adjusting screw to 8 N·m (72 in-lb).
3. On the 47RE, back it off 3 turns. The 46RE is 2 turns, which is why mixing up the two procedures causes problems.
4. Hold the screw still and torque the locknut to 34 N·m (25 ft-lb).

3. Reinstall the pan and adjust the front (kickdown) band

1. Use a new gasket and torque the pan bolts to 17 N·m (150 in-lb, about 13 ft-lb).
2. The front band adjuster is on the outside of the case, so this one does not need the pan off. Back the locknut off, make sure the screw turns freely, and torque the screw to 72 in-lb. If you need Adapter C-3705 to reach it, Chrysler says to tighten to only 5 N·m (47-50 in-lb), because the adapter changes the effective torque.
3. On the 47RE, back it off 1-7/8 turns (the 46RE is 2-7/8). Hold the screw and torque the locknut to 41 N·m (30 ft-lb).

4. Fill it the Chrysler way

The manual calls this the procedure "to avoid overfilling," and it works:

1. With a clean funnel in the fill tube, add the initial quantity: 3 pints (1-1/2 quarts) if only the fluid and filter were changed, or 12 pints (6 quarts) if the unit was overhauled, the converter replaced or drained, and the cooler flushed.
2. Set the parking brake, start the engine and let it idle. Hold the service brakes and shift through every range, then back to Neutral.
3. Check the dipstick and add only enough to reach the MIN mark. If one side of the stick reads higher than the other, it picked up oil from the tube; let it drain and recheck.
4. Drive until the fluid is fully hot, then finish the level as described in the next section.

Yes, about 4 quarts come out and only 1-1/2 go in to start. Skipping the add-a-little-and-recheck step is how these end up overfilled.

How to Check the Level Hot

The 47RE is checked in Neutral, engine idling, at normal operating temperature of 82°C (180°F), per the 1998 manual. Park on level ground, set the brake, shift momentarily through all ranges and back to Neutral, wipe off the top of the fill tube, then read the stick. In the crosshatch is acceptable, the MAX arrow is the correct maximum, and at or below MIN is low.

Two Chrysler details matter on a working truck. First, the manual says to check the level monthly in normal use, but weekly if the truck is used for trailer towing or similar heavy hauling. Second, it warns against overfilling: excess fluid can push out of the pump vent and look like a pump seal leak. We have seen 47REs come in for a "front seal" that only needed a quart taken out. Overfilled fluid also gets churned into foam by the geartrain, and foamed fluid gives you the same low pressure and slipping as low fluid.

Service Interval: Chrysler's Diesel Schedule

This is where the Cummins truck differs from the gas Rams. The 1998 manual has a separate maintenance schedule for diesel engine vehicles, and the 47RE service on it is much tighter than on the light-duty gas schedules:

• Diesel Schedule A (normal use): drain and refill the automatic transmission fluid, replace the filter and adjust the bands every 24,000 miles or 24 months.
• Diesel Schedule B: the same service every 12,000 miles. Schedule B applies to frequent trailer towing, extensive idling, frequent short trips under 5 miles, frequent dusty driving, or more than half the driving at sustained high speed in weather above 90°F.

A Cummins Ram 2500 that tows or idles at job sites is a Schedule B truck by Chrysler's own definition. In the shop we run 12,000-15,000 miles on any towing 47RE and change it sooner if the fluid is dark or smells burnt.

What the Old Fluid Is Telling You

Look at the drained fluid and the pan before you clean anything:

• Red to light brown, light fine paste on the magnet: normal wear. Service it and move on.
• Dark, burnt smell, clutch material in the pan: the 1998 manual says burnt fluid contaminated with friction material means the transmission needs to be reconditioned. A fluid change will not save it, and on a band-equipped unit fresh fluid sometimes makes a slip worse for a while.
• Milky or pink foam: coolant in the fluid. The cooler inside the radiator has failed. That means a radiator and, in almost every case, an overhaul.
• Burnt fluid but little debris: suspect the cooler circuit before the transmission.

Sonnax's technical article on 46/47RH-RE cooler and converter flow calls cooler restriction "by far the most common issue" in this family. A restricted cooler or drainback fitting does more than run the unit hot: back pressure acts on the switch valve and can stage it mid-circuit, further cutting converter and cooler flow. Sonnax notes this can become a problem as head pressure nears 80 psi. Their recommended first check is to temporarily bypass the cooler and retest. ATRA's GEARS magazine adds one exception: a restricted cooler return inside the transmission acts just like a plugged cooler. Their test is to blow no more than 40 psi of air into the rear cooler fitting; it should take air with little resistance.

On 1996 and 1997 trucks, also look at the cooler line connectors at the case. NHTSA campaign 97V084000 covered about 960,000 1994-1997 Ram trucks because under high-load conditions the transmission fluid could get hot enough to melt the connector that holds the line to the case, letting fluid spray onto the exhaust manifold. The remedy was a hot-side connector with a stainless steel retainer. If an old truck still has the original connectors, or the lines are rusted at the crimps, replace them while you are under there. Our 47RE cooler line replacement guide walks through it.

Pan Service vs Exchange on a High-Mileage Cummins

Since a pan drop replaces only about a quarter of the fluid, old dark fluid takes either two or three pan services a few hundred miles apart, or a cooler-line exchange after the pan service (pump old fluid out the return line at idle while adding new at the same rate). Plan on 16-20 quarts of ATF+4 for an exchange. What we do not do is pressure-flush a high-mileage unit with burnt fluid and friction material in the pan and hope; that fluid is telling you the packs or bands are already damaged.

What a 47RE Fluid Change Costs

On parts, a Cummins 47RE pan service is not expensive. Here is what goes on the bench for a do-it-yourself service:

• ATF+4: 6 quarts covers a pan service and top-off with some to spare. A full exchange is 16-20 quarts.
• Filter and pan gasket: buy them as a kit so the gasket matches the filter and pan. If the truck still has the stock pan, a replacement pan with a drain plug makes every future service cleaner.
• Tools: a 5/16 socket and inch-pound torque wrench for the bands, and a funnel that fits the fill tube.

In our shop a pan drop, filter, both band adjustments and a hot level check is about an hour and a half of labor, longer if the pan bolts are rusted or the front band adjuster has never been touched. An exchange adds fluid cost and about half an hour.

Compared with what a burnt Cummins 47RE costs to rebuild (see our 47RE rebuild cost breakdown), a fluid, filter and band service every 12,000-24,000 miles is the cheapest insurance this truck has.

FAQ

What transmission fluid does a 47RE in a Ram 2500 Cummins take?

Use ATF+4, a fluid licensed to Chrysler's MS-9602 standard. The 1998 Ram service manual originally called for Mopar ATF Plus 3, Type 7176, but Chrysler later made ATF+4 the recommended fluid for units that specified ATF+3. Do not use Dexron, Mercon or a generic multi-vehicle fluid.

How many quarts does a 47RE take for a fluid change?

A pan drop and filter change takes about 4 quarts out. Chrysler's procedure starts the refill with only 3 pints, then you add in small amounts until the dipstick reads right hot. Dry from an overhaul, the factory capacity is 14-16 liters (29-33 pints), depending on the cooler and lines.

How often should a Cummins 47RE get a fluid change?

Chrysler's 1998 diesel maintenance schedule calls for a drain and refill, a new filter and a band adjustment every 24,000 miles or 24 months under normal use. Under Schedule B, which covers frequent towing, extensive idling and sustained high speeds in hot weather, it is every 12,000 miles.

Should I flush a high-mileage 47RE?

A pan service only replaces about a quarter of the fluid, so a cooler-line exchange or two pan services close together gets more of the old fluid out. If the fluid is burnt and full of friction material, a flush will not fix anything; the manual says that condition means the transmission needs to be reconditioned.

Do you have to adjust the bands when changing 47RE fluid?

Chrysler lists the band adjustment as part of every scheduled 47RE fluid service, and the rear band adjuster is only reachable with the pan off. On the 47RE, both bands are torqued to 72 in-lb, then the front is backed off 1-7/8 turns and the rear 3 turns.

Related 47RE guides

• 47RE Fluid Type and Capacity
• 47RE Ram 2500 Cummins Common Problems and Fixes
• 47RE Ram 2500 Cummins Slipping: Causes and Fix
• 47RE Overheating Prevention
• 47RE vs 48RE Differences