VLP-Line Pressure Too High
A 2014 Dodge Journey 2.4L with a 41TES transmission came in to Electronica & Transmisiones in Buenos Aires Argentina. It had code P0869 set for Line Pressure High. Leonardo Luercho went out with the vehicle using his scan tool to begin his diagnostic approach.
The Variable Line Pressure Solenoid
The 41TES and the 42RLE-VLPS are known to produce a “Line Pressure to High” code P0869 due to defective TCM/PCM’s immediately after a 2-3 shift. When this call comes in on our help line, we ask the tech involved to run some tests so we can be certain that a defective computer is the cause. Being a pattern failure, a repair tech can be as costly as buying a computer that doesn’t fix the problem and makes for a bad day.
Know Your Patient
One would think the easiest part about working on transmissions would be identifying the model you are working on. Nowadays, unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. I was helping via e-mail a technician on a transmission forum who reported having issues reaming a late-model Chrysler FWD valve body. Both he and I were thinking 41TE (A604), but that turned out to be incorrect. What he was working on was actually a 41TES, also known as 41TE VLP.
Clever Engineering
Starting with the 42RLE in 2005, followed by the 41TE in 2007, the engineers cleverly redesigned the valve body to accommodate a variable line-pressure-control solenoid and transducer. Figures 1 and 2 shows how these additional components are situated on the valve body with the 41TE transmission. This also required an additional pass-through case connector, resulting in changes to the case as well.
