46RE Solenoid Kit 1996-97, new and ready to install. Fits the 46RE. Ships fast from the USA.
If your 1996 or 1997 Dodge Ram with the 46RE (A518) or 47RE (A618) starts in first and refuses to upshift, holds second gear to a stop, or shifts at the wrong road speed with a governor code stored, this is the kit built for that job. It is a complete governor service package for the first two years of the electronic governor: the governor pressure solenoid, the governor pressure sensor (transducer), the output speed sensor that the governor logic depends on, plus a new filter and the gaskets to close the pan back up.
1996 is the year the 46RH became the 46RE. The older unit made governor pressure with spinning weights on the output shaft; the RE replaced them with a small governor body bolted under the valve body, holding an electrically controlled solenoid and a pressure transducer. First, second and third gear are still shifted hydraulically. Governor pressure pushes the 1-2 and 2-3 shift valves up against throttle pressure, so if governor pressure is wrong, every shift point is wrong.
The solenoid works backwards from what most people expect. Per Chrysler's Ram service manual it is inverse-acting: full average current gives zero governor pressure and no current gives maximum. The PCM grounds it with a duty-cycled signal, the transducer reports what pressure was actually made, and the computer corrects the duty cycle. The PCM also needs a road-speed signal from the output speed sensor before it will build any governor pressure, which is why this kit includes that sensor too. A dead speed sensor can look exactly like a dead governor.
Use a scan tool and compare governor pressure desired with governor pressure actual while driving. Then put a 0-100 psi gauge on the governor port: Chrysler's governor test calls for no more than 3 psi at idle in D with the wheels stopped, rising about 1 psi per mph to 30 mph. A gauge that disagrees with the scan tool points at the transducer; a gauge that agrees but reads wrong points at the solenoid. For a P1762, check charging voltage and the sensor's 5-volt reference and ground first. Our 46RE governor pressure solenoid guide walks through every test, and the 46RE speed sensor guide covers the output sensor side.
This listing is for 1996-1997 Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep applications with the A518/46RE or A618/47RE. It is not for 1993-1995 trucks with the mechanical governor, and it is not for 2000-up units, which use a later rectangular plastic pressure sensor instead of the early oval-connector design. Sensor generations do not interchange, so compare your old transducer and connector with the photos, or send us your year and VIN before ordering. See every part for this transmission on the 46RE parts page.
The solenoid and transducer are an in-pan job: drain and drop the pan, pull the filter, unplug both connectors, remove the retainer screws and pull the parts out of the governor body. Lube the new O-rings with ATF before pushing each part into its bore. If the governor body comes off the valve body, clean both faces and use the new housing gasket. Install the new filter and pan gasket and refill with Mopar ATF+4, checking the level hot. The output speed sensor mounts outside the case and changes separately.
After the swap, clear codes and make several full stops with the fluid warm so the PCM relearns the transducer zero offset. If the old solenoid screen was packed with debris, look harder at the rest of the unit; a 46RE shift kit and a fresh overdrive and lockup solenoid harness are common additions while the pan is down. If new governor parts do not fix the shift timing, worn governor plug bores in the valve body are the next suspect, covered in our 46RE valve body testing guide.
| Fits | 46RE 1996-97 |
| Part type | Solenoid Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Reference | A518 |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
This listing is written for 1996-1997 units. The 1998-1999 trucks also use the early oval-connector transducer, but part numbers were updated during the run, so send us your year and VIN and we will confirm before you order.
The PCM will not command governor pressure without a valid output shaft speed signal. A failed output speed sensor produces the same no-upshift complaint as a failed governor solenoid, so replacing both at once removes the guesswork.
Chrysler tech tip TT9000042 points at the governor pressure transducer for P1762, not the solenoid, and says to check the harness near the solenoid pack for misrouting. Transmission Digest also lists a bad sensor ground and an overcharging alternator. Check those before replacing parts.
Mopar ATF+4 or a fully licensed ATF+4 fluid. Check the level hot with the engine running in Park after the road test.
There is no scan tool procedure, but the PCM learns the transducer zero offset each time the truck stops. Clear codes, warm the fluid and make several full stops before judging shift quality.
