TSB #: 21-020-06

Date: December 20, 2006

Subject: Flash: SRT8 - Delayed Or Rough 1-2 shift at Wide Open Throttle After Kickdown

Overview: This bulletin involves selectively erasing and reprogramming the Transmission Control Module (TCM) with new software.

Models: ALL 2005-2006 SRT8 models of the 300C, Charger, Magnum and Grand Cherokee (North America and International Markets).

Symptom/Condition: The customer may experience a delayed 1-2 shift at wide open throttle after a kickdown. This is often referred to as a harsh or jerky shift which is the result of the engine reaching the maximum engine speed fuel cut off prior to the transmission shifting.

Note: This flash will also change the strategy for the “Autostick” feature. This version will allow the transmission to upshift when the maximum engine speed is reached. The previous version would not allow the upshift unless the driver selected the next gear. Once the flash is performed, all of the changes are permanent and cannot be reversed.

PDF file TSB 21-020-06 (http://www.wkjeeps.com/misc/LX/TSB/TSB_2102006.pdf)

--RS@300CForums--

I see that this does not apply to the 2007 model year. Do the 2007's not suffer from the same problem?

SRTJEEP - Is this the TCM flash that you have had for a while? I will be bringing this printout to my dealer, they can't say it is not for my Jeep this time!

Even though I have never experienced the 1-2 shift problem with my 07, I have heard some folks do experience it with the 07.. What gives?

If anything, I may have experienced a 4-5 shift hesitation. Seems like sometimes between 4th and fifth, at WOT, the computer can't decide between rev limiting, or shifting. Not sure if this is really a problem though..

So, I've heard this improves the whole transmission program. If you aren't experiencing this problem, can you still get the upgrade?

I know if I try using the autostick to shift from 1st to 2nd, if I don't shift early enough, then it hits the cut-off due to a lazy shift. Is this the problem? I just chalked it up to myself not shifting soon enough.

ok i have an '07 w/ that problem... will it work for me?

Thanks ResumeSpeed

I will take my '06 in and get it fixed. Really timely info for me.

The TSB says it is for '06 only, so I guess they will not apply it to '07s.

I guess this means that the 07 has a different program to manage the shifting compared to the 06 models..

I just got mine done and the hesitation is gone, I never had the hard shifts from 1-2. Seems to be shifting alot better now, alot smoother.

I just got mine done and the hesitation is gone, I never had the hard shifts from 1-2. Seems to be shifting alot better now, alot smoother.
Did you just ask for that TSB # to be performed on your ride?

My dealers is so small (and dumb), any chance of asking for this update and they don't have it yet or know of it yet since it's so new?

I just got mine done and the hesitation is gone, I never had the hard shifts from 1-2. Seems to be shifting alot better now, alot smoother.
Would you say the new flash produces firmer/quicker shifts? Especially in manual mode? Less lag once the shifter is bumped up a gear?

Would you say the new flash produces firmer/quicker shifts? Especially in manual mode? Less lag once the shifter is bumped up a gear?
The shifts are definatly smoother and quicker. A BIG improvement.

Mine goes in Wednesday morning for the flash, cant wait.

I know if I try using the autostick to shift from 1st to 2nd, if I don't shift early enough, then it hits the cut-off due to a lazy shift. Is this the problem? I just chalked it up to myself not shifting soon enough.

I think what you're experiencing is a seperate issue that may also be fixed by this flash. I test drove three 06's and had problems auto sticking from 1st to 2nd in all of them. Hit the rev limit almost instantly every time. My 07 has never had that problem, it revs much higher before hitting the limit giving you more time to shift. However I do have the 1-2 shift hesitation intermitantly in auto. It occurs only at wot and feels like a stall or pause just before the shift. I was interested in having this flash done until I saw that it will also change auto sticking. Don't really want that to change so I may have to get used to the shift hesitation. If the tcm shifts for you in manual mode when you get close to the rev limit why even have the feature?

If the tcm shifts for you in manual mode when you get close to the rev limit why even have the feature?

This is a change they made for the 2007s and although you'd think it would be counter to what you would want (the car automatically shifting in autostick mode), it actually shifts the car at exactly the point I would want it to shift at. It's almost like the car now has "regular" auto, and "super racing" auto, where all the shifts occur at about 500 rpm into redline in each gear. I suppose if you want to push the tranny really high into the redline and keep it pegged, this might not be something you like, but since I'm not looking to kill my car, and it lets me keep a little more focused on the road, it's a small trade off that I'm more than happy to make.

But will they flash our 07s is the question? Are you gonna take yours up to Shaver and see if they'll do it for ya? I do get the hesitation when I peg the gas. Initially I take off, it hesitates for a fraction of a sec and then really launches me. At least that's what it seems like to me.

So I still have the question.....does a complaint have to be present in order to get this flash or can I just call up the dealer and ask for it to be done?

So I still have the question.....does a complaint have to be present in order to get this flash or can I just call up the dealer and ask for it to be done?

Technically you need to have a problem before they will apply the update. Some dealers are hard nose about that and others will just do whatever you want. I always call the dealer and tell them I saw the TSB and I have the problem it refers too, and they do the update.

Tell the dealer you have a hesitation in between shifts, and you have a tsb number for a new flash. My understanding is that they have to do it. If they dont bring it to another dealer.

I don't have the flash yet since my car was at the dealer 2 days before the TSB was released. I don't know if my opinion about autostick will change when I have the flash done next week but right now I think it's totally useless as it is. For me the benefit of the "manual" mode is for downshifting not upshifting (road racer mentality VS a drag racer mentality) and autostick doesn't downshift thru the gears quickly enough and when it does finally respond to your input the engine braking is terrible at higher RPMs, so the vehicle doesn't slow as you might expect. Then when it gets under 3K RPMs it really has great engine braking (too much). I also hate that you can't drive in an automatic mode with a lower gear selected as the highest gear. This is first autotranny I've had had that won't let you do this and I hate it shifting into 5th when I'm driving around town or in traffic. Now I haven't owned that many automatics but I happen to own three right now and the Jeep is the most annoying. I typically drive my SL (also an MB 5-speed tranny) in 3rd or 4th around town and my 4-speed Chevy in 3rd around town (this one is most annoying around town if you let it shift to overdrive/4th but overall it's my favorite of the three auoboxes I currently own - positive firm shifts, appropriately quick downshifts and will downshift to a lower when you think it should, goes from reverse to drive very quickly where neither MB tranny is "safe" in this regard).

I think I/we need to get some clarification as to what this flash actually fixes - seems to me that everyone and their mother has a different definition of what this 1-2 shift hesitation really is. Is it the down shift hesitation some have described when at 25-30 MPH and then flooring it. Also, WTF is kickback, downshift?

welll........ that's my problem... i have an '07 btw... when i floor it on a roll (usually 25-35mph) it does NOTHING!! feels like a 4cylinder car. (basically it doesn't downshift) so is this flash for this purpose?

I have the same issue at psycho...hope thats what it fixes

welll........ that's my problem... i have an '07 btw... when i floor it on a roll (usually 25-35mph) it does NOTHING!! feels like a 4cylinder car. (basically it doesn't downshift) so is this flash for this purpose?


I don't think the flash fixes the "not downshifting" problem. I know it fixes the pause on 1-2 upshifts where the rev limiter kicks right before the shift and adds the manual mode upshift at redline. I'm thinking that the aftermarket software guys will have to be leveraged to get this thing to downshift in some way that seems correct since it's definitely NOT OK right now.

I don't think the flash fixes the "not downshifting" problem. I know it fixes the pause on 1-2 upshifts where the rev limiter kicks right before the shift and adds the manual mode upshift at redline. I'm thinking that the aftermarket software guys will have to be leveraged to get this thing to downshift in some way that seems correct since it's definitely NOT OK right now.

But if the flash forces an upshift at redline when in manual mode, we should be able to autostick it down to force the down shift and now no need to worry about not upshifting at redline or trying to time the manual shifts, correct?

But if the flash forces an upshift at redline when in manual mode, we should be able to autostick it down to force the down shift and now no need to worry about not upshifting at redline or trying to time the manual shifts, correct?
Thats correct. And no it doesnt fix the "no downshifting" at 25-30 mph. The upshift to 2nd gear when in the autostick mode is excellent with the flash. All around shifting is also much smoother.

But will they flash our 07s is the question? Are you gonna take yours up to Shaver and see if they'll do it for ya? I do get the hesitation when I peg the gas. Initially I take off, it hesitates for a fraction of a sec and then really launches me. At least that's what it seems like to me.

I just got off the phone with my dealer (Shaver) and they said they'd plug my car into their R2 unit (or whatever the heck it's called) and see what flash version I have. If the version available on the new TSB is different from what's already on my 07' then they'd do the re-flash if I wanted it. They even went so far as to say that if the change caused any problems, they'd switch it back, even if they had to replace the hardware.

But if the flash forces an upshift at redline when in manual mode, we should be able to autostick it down to force the down shift and now no need to worry about not upshifting at redline or trying to time the manual shifts, correct?

Sounds logical but manual mode downshifts are somewhat slow, especially if you need to drop down more then one gear. Since it is an automatic tranny it should downshift to the lowest gear possible based on if the lower gear would be below engine redline (not some artificial speed like it is now) when you go WOT. If first gear goes up to 30mph (not sure where it really is) then if I punch it at 25mph then I should get a downshift to first but the reality is that if you are over 10mph it won't find first again on it's own and by the time you grab the stick and try to get to first manually you are in the power band and don't need first anymore. I'm editting this part because I was confusing some of the way upshifts work with downshifts in manual mode...really I was trying to do too many things at once like talking on the phone with my totally gorgeous married GF while working on three different systems at work and creating this post. I also find that in manual mode it's very difficult to gauge what gear you are in without looking at the dash since the system doesn't respond to multiple taps everytime you attempt a multiple gear downshift...now the last thing I want to have to do is look at the dash when I'm making an agressive move. DCX should make this work correctly. What I mean by that (in addition to what I already said above about auto mode downshifts) is that downshifting when on the gas picks the gear that auto mode would pick and usually you can grab a lower gear with another tap (as long as you don't do it too fast). Now it ONLY works that way if you are on the gas, if you are off gas it drops one gear at a time (this really sucks when you trying to shave off speed without braking while quickly catching the car in front of you. Sometimes on gas and off gas downshifting gets confused and work backwards from what I just stated. If I'm going slow enough to grab first without an overev then dammit put the tranny in first, not second!!!

I just got off the phone with my dealer (Shaver) and they said they'd plug my car into their R2 unit (or whatever the heck it's called) and see what flash version I have. If the version available on the new TSB is different from what's already on my 07' then they'd do the re-flash if I wanted it. They even went so far as to say that if the change caused any problems, they'd switch it back, even if they had to replace the hardware.


Yea that'd be great to know if the 07's have have a TSB from the factory that is an earlier/not as aggressive fix to the problem as the new tsb... Obviously everyone with an 07 wants to know if upgrading to the new tsb thats listed only for the 06's will make the shifts noticebly tighter and not as sloppy.