68RFE Pressure Control Solenoid 2004

If your early Ram 2500 or 3500 with the 6.7L Cummins is banging into gear, flaring between shifts, or logging a line pressure code, the part most people search for is the 68RFE pressure control solenoid. On every RFE transmission that solenoid is built into the solenoid and pressure switch assembly, so what you replace is the whole pack. The pack in this listing has the white 23-pin pass-through connector you can see in the photo, which is the design the 68RFE was launched with.

Why this listing says 2004

There was no 68RFE in 2004. That year is when Chrysler moved its RFE units to a quieter solenoid assembly with a white pass-through connector, according to Transmission Digest, which also notes that this white-connector pack was used in the 45RFE and 545RFE and is what the 68RFE began with. Sonnax describes the white pack as very reliable and says it stayed in production until 2009. In practical terms, this is the pack for a 68RFE built before the 2010 running changes, plus the earlier RFE units that share the white connector.

What the pressure control solenoid does in a 68RFE

The 68RFE has no shift valves or hydraulic governor; the controller decides every shift. To set clutch clamping force, it reads a line pressure sensor and adjusts a variable force solenoid inside this pack. GEARS Magazine explains the logic: the solenoid feeds oil to the end of the pump pressure regulator valve, so a high duty cycle pulls line pressure down and a low duty cycle, or a dead solenoid, sends it to maximum. Behind a diesel that makes a lot of low-speed torque, a lazy pressure solenoid shows up quickly as slip under load, and a stuck one as shifts that rattle the cab.

The white pack also carries six solenoids, including the overdrive solenoid that the later gray pack dropped, along with the pressure switches the controller uses to confirm each clutch applied.

Symptoms that point to the pack

• Hard garage shifts and firm upshifts with line pressure reading high: P0869, or P0933 when actual pressure is well over desired
• Slipping, soft shifts or slow engagement with P0868, which sets when actual pressure runs more than 10 psi below desired
• Pressure switch rationality codes such as P0871, often alongside a shift that feels wrong
• Limp mode that clears after a key cycle and comes back when towing

How to confirm before you buy

Check the fluid level hot and make sure the filter is seated, then watch desired versus actual line pressure on a scan tool in park, drive and under load. If actual pressure follows desired, the pack is probably not your problem. If it does not, check the solenoid and its circuit at the pack, and confirm with a mechanical gauge. Good electrical readings with low pressure send you toward the pump or valve body instead. Our 68RFE solenoid testing guide walks through the meter checks, and the 68RFE P0871 guide covers what the pressure switches in this pack are telling you.

Fitment

Drop the pan and look at the connector on the pack you have now. White means this pack is the right family. A gray connector means your transmission received the 2010 running changes; Sonnax notes white packs were used to service those later units when gray packs were back-ordered, but the safer match is the gray-connector 68RFE pack for 2010-2018. A blue connector means a 2019-up unit, and this pack will not work there. If you are unsure, send us your year and VIN before ordering. Everything else we carry for this transmission is on the 68RFE parts page.

Install notes

• Drain the fluid, drop the pan, remove the filter and unbolt the pack from the valve body front plate. The Sonnax/Transend install sheet lists 53 in-lb for these bolts.
• Use the white/gray style silicone-beaded gasket. Transmission Digest warns that the later blue-pack gasket blocks the overdrive solenoid feed on a white pack and causes a neutral 2-3 shift.
• Refill with ATF+4 and set the level at operating temperature, then clear codes and run the quick learn before a road test.
• On an early truck that has been slipping, inspect the 2007-2010 68RFE internal harness while the pan is off, and if the clutches are already burnt, an 68RFE overhaul kit for 2007 is the real repair.

Is there really a 2004 68RFE?

No. The 68RFE arrived with the 6.7L Cummins Ram trucks from 2007. The 2004 date reflects when the white-connector RFE solenoid pack design came in; the 68RFE started out using that same pack.

Will this fit my 2008 Ram 3500?

If the pack on your transmission has a white connector, it is the same design. Check the connector color with the pan off, or send us your year and VIN and we will confirm before shipping.

Where is the pressure control solenoid on a 68RFE?

It is a variable force solenoid built into the solenoid and pressure switch assembly that bolts to the front of the valve body. It is not sold or serviced separately, so the pack is the replacement part.

What codes does a bad line pressure solenoid set?

The common ones are P0868 for line pressure low, P0869 for line pressure high and P0933 for a pressure sensor range problem. Confirm with scan data and a gauge, because a pump or valve body problem can set the same codes.

What else should I replace with the pack?

A new solenoid gasket of the correct white/gray style, a filter, and fresh ATF+4. Run the quick learn after installation.

• 68RFE Shift Solenoid Symptoms, Testing and Replacement
• 68RFE P0871: Overdrive Pressure Switch Rationality - Causes, Diagnosis, and Fix
• 68RFE Valve Body Problems: Symptoms, How to Test, and Replacement
• 68RFE Ram 2500 Cummins Common Problems and Fixes