Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) automatic jerking

[dseabaugh]

I've posted before about wanting to upgrade the transmission in my pickup but 3 years of endless medical bills have kept me from doing anything. Now when i drive around in town at an Idle ( It will cruise along about 25 mp hr at an idle) the transmission seems to be engaging and disengageing. The truck just jerks and jerks in a constant jerking motion. When i speed up it drives fine, and other than the torque converter not going into overdrive till 50-60 miles per hour ( even 65 if it has a trailer behind) it seems to work fine on the highway or pulling a trailer. I've serviced it regularly and run synthetic to try to stretch all the life out of it I can since I really can't afford a rebuild. Anyone have any ideas what might be going on? It has been getting a lot worse the last 2 weeks.

 

[tp0d]

Have you checked out the TPS at all?

If not, might want to do a search here on it. Loads of good reading. I had kind of the same problem that you do, until I cleaned mine with TV tuner cleaner. It still does some weird stuff when it rains, but I live with it. .

good luck

-j

 

[HBarlow]

You may be describing a common problem that occurs with a lot of the automatics. It is caused by driving along slowly in town, somewhere around 20 - 25 mph. At that speed the transmission shifts repeatedly up into second gear then downshifts back to first. If my guess is correct, it is not anything wrong with your truck and is nothing than can be repaired, it is just an issue of programming and variables.

My '06 Ram with full DTT 48RE did it at a certain speed. It was annoying but nothing to worry about.

 

[fox]

My first guess is the fluid level is low. Are you sure it is at the full line? Any chance the dipstick is wrong? Try adding 1/2 quart to see if that has an effect.

Second, the converter goes into lock-up, not OD. So what is it doing, as the diagnosis is different.

It may be time for some guages and a scanner to really do it right.

 

[dseabaugh]

fluid level is fine, The only time I noticed a problem with the Throttle position sensor was about 6 years aro and I drilled a hole in it and flushed it out with electric contact cleaner. At that time it was shifting up and down around 45-50 mph. This is a new problem that it has never done in 11 years. It is just like the transmission is engaging and disengaging and jerks the truck in about the same speed sequence as when you would read the words jerk jerk jerk. Ad a couple hundred rpms and it doesn't do it any more. Yes you are right about lock up. I just think of lock up as a small increment OD in comparison to the slip of a 3rd gear unlocked. Just used to my manual trucks that do have a genuine OD.

 

[WilsonF]

Some people have had a problem with a broken spring on the throttle linkage, some kind of double spring and one of them brakes. It gives them a jerking problem.

Floyd