48RE Pressure Control Solenoid 1996, new and ready to install. Fits the 48RE. Ships fast from the USA.
A Dodge truck with a 46RE, 47RE or later 48RE that starts off in second, hunts back and forth between gears at a steady cruise, or bangs the 2-3 shift is usually pointing at the electronic governor circuit. This listing is a new governor pressure solenoid assembly catalogued for 1996: the governor body with the solenoid valve and pressure sensor installed, plus the body gasket and mounting bolts shown in the photo. It is listed under our 48RE heading because the RE family shares this design, but the 1996 fit date tells you it belongs to the earlier 46RE/47RE trucks, since the 48RE itself did not replace the 46/47RE in heavy-duty Rams until 2003.
Older Chrysler automatics used a spinning mechanical governor on the output shaft. The RE units replaced it with an electronic governor that sits under the pan. Chrysler's 1998 Ram service manual describes the pieces: a governor body bolted to the underside of the valve body transfer plate, a duty-cycle governor pressure solenoid valve mounted in that body, and a governor pressure sensor that reads the solenoid's output and reports it to the PCM.
Line pressure enters the solenoid's inlet and the solenoid trims it down into governor pressure, which the valve body uses to decide when to upshift and downshift. The control is inverse: the manual states that one amp of average current produces zero governor pressure and zero amps produces maximum pressure. The PCM powers the solenoid through the transmission control relay and controls the ground side. Because the sensor is the feedback half of the loop, a drifting sensor and a sticking solenoid produce the same bad shifts, which is why this assembly includes both.
Start with a scan tool that shows governor pressure live. At a standstill it should sit near zero and then climb smoothly with road speed; a reading that jumps around or starts high condemns the circuit. Back it up with a real gauge on the governor port. Sonnax points out that governor pressures are low enough that you need a 0-100 psi gauge to read them accurately, and Transmission Digest contributor Jeff Parlee gives a rule of thumb of about 1 psi of governor pressure per mph. If the scan tool and the gauge disagree, the sensor is lying; if both are wrong, look at the solenoid, its inlet screen and the gasket under the governor body. Our governor pressure solenoid symptoms and fix guide walks through the full test sequence, including the unplugged-connector check.
This listing is catalogued for 1996. That points to the 1996-era 46RE and 47RE rear-wheel-drive Dodge trucks and vans, not to the 2003-2007 Ram 2500/3500 Cummins 48RE. Chrysler revised the governor sensor and its connector over the years, so do not assume a 1996 assembly drops into a later truck. Hold your old governor body next to the photo, compare the sensor shape, connector style and bolt pattern, and match any part number stamped on your original. If you are unsure, send us the year and VIN before ordering. You can see every governor and solenoid version we carry on the 48RE parts page, including the separate 2000-year governor solenoid listing for later trucks.
The assembly comes out with the pan and filter off; no valve body removal is needed. Per the Chrysler procedure, unplug the sensor and solenoid connectors, remove the solenoid retainer screws, pull the solenoid, then unbolt the governor body from the valve body and remove the old gasket. Clean the gasket faces, lubricate the new O-rings with transmission fluid, push the sensor and solenoid fully into their bores, install their retainers, set the new gasket behind the body and bolt it back to the valve body. Reconnect both connectors, install a new filter, refill with ATF+4 and road test to confirm smooth upshifts.
If the old fluid is dark or the solenoid inlet screen is packed with debris, fix the source before you button it up. A worn front end often goes with tired RE units, and the 1994-1999 overhaul kit covers the seals and gaskets if you are going deeper. If the complaint is no fourth gear or no converter lockup rather than bad shift timing, that is the separate overdrive/TCC solenoid assembly; see the 1996-99 solenoid kit and our overdrive and TCC solenoid guide.
| Fits | 48RE 1996 |
| Part type | Pressure Control Solenoid |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Not by date alone. This assembly is catalogued for 1996, which is the earlier 46RE/47RE era. Chrysler changed the governor sensor and connector on later trucks, so compare your old governor body, connector and part number to the photo, or send us your year and VIN before ordering.
Yes. The photo shows the governor body with the solenoid and pressure sensor installed, along with the body gasket and four mounting bolts. Replacing both together is the right move because they work as one feedback loop.
No. The governor body bolts to the underside of the valve body transfer plate and comes out once the pan and filter are off.
Refill with ATF+4 and install a new filter, since the pan is already off. Check the level hot in Neutral as the service manual describes.
Check the output speed sensor signal first, because the PCM will not build governor pressure without it. Also look for a clogged solenoid inlet screen, a leaking governor body gasket or worn governor plug bores in the valve body.
