Long Drawn out shift from 1 to 2 AUTO

[JRRacing]

Underpart throttle conditions it seems to take forever to get into 2nd gear. I have a new t-tag truck driving down my quiet street with a cold marbled filled can thrashing about at 2500RPM. Is this normal?





Also as an added bit of humor:

My ball bustin pal from north jersey(ford boy) asks be if I remember the time gm put chevette transmissions in the cadillacs and if I remember when iaccoco had dealers roll back demo and company cars odometers to sell as new cars. Then for the dropper. . He says "Did ya hear dodge jacked up the price on their gas trucks by 4 thousand bucks and sold them as diesels?. . Yea they pulled a plug wire and bolted a coffee can full of half-inch marbles to the valve cover"



I commended him on his creativity and praised him for his originality and warned him that if I hear it again I'll drag his ford around the parking lot til the tires pop.

 

[zimman20]

Mine has done this since new, much more so when cold than not.

I can't stand the stinkin' Dodge transmission, checked trans fluid levels, tried accelerating and letting off of the throttle to try and force a gear change but no dice. The thing seems to shift when it's good and ready, not before. Don't have this problem when it's warm.



I've driven many Dodges (Ramchargers, Dakotas, Power Rams) all of the automatics seem to have the same problem, sloppy/ill-shifting trannys. The one manual transmission Dodge I used to drive had a gearbox tighter than... . fill in your own.



Anybody else have these problems? Suggestions? Other than to blow up the Dodge transmission and start over? I wouldn't own this vehicle if it weren't for the Cummins, Ford products have a much better fit and finish and ergonomics than the Dodge or any GM, all IMHO, of course... ... ... ... .

 

[Tomeygun]

i have noticed the same manor when my truck goes for the 3-4 shift, waits till about 2000 rpms = 42 mph ...



happens when warm and more when cold, i think theres a TSB out there for it, requires take out and drill a little on the V. B.



Just another reason i like to pick my own gear thank you very much!, (cant' wait till i find a 5-spd)



BTW- would a DTT ungrade fix this?!



If i find the TSB #, i will post it

 

[JRRacing]

With all dude respect

I gotta say something to the fit and finish. I have an 02 that has an incredible paint job. Actually the best of any vehicle I have ever owned and is tight and all seems right. I always look at 2 year old used units when shopping for a new one and see how they wear. The Ford interiors always look like the seams are unraveling and the cushions flattened out and saggy. The dodges all looked like new and there weren't many which means people keep them forever.



Now mine was made in Mexico. It really PO's me but maybe they have burros and donkeys pulling the cars/trucks slow enough down the line to increase the quality level.



Maybe we won't have jobs to buy new Trucks and Cars and the Donkeys will get hungry and die. .

 

[cullyguy]

One DTT valve body and about 3 hrs of your time and your shifting woes will be gone. I only had mine 2 months before I did the upgrade. Well worth the time & $$ even if your do no other mods to your trucks.

 

[zimman20]

FYI I did a quick lookup on Dave Fritz's Ram page and could not find a TSB relating to the shifting problems we're talking about.



jringler: Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful truck, but there are certain things I don't like about it and never did like about the Dodge products. The way the doors close is a good example, I think they're clunky and never did like the way they felt when operating the doors. I also don't like the instrument cluster or feel of the dashboard on the Dodge products. May sound petty but it's a matter of personal preference, I guess. Again, it's a beauty and I love the Cummins (who here doesn't) and this truck surely turns heads everywhere I go but I woudn't own it without the Cummins in it. I'm just a big fan of the Ford ergonomics, fit and finish.



Cullyguy: Thanks for the info, but the DTT is expensive, isn't it? With a new house I'm operating on a limited budget for now, unfortunately.



zman

 

[DaveN]

Correct me if I'm wrong.....

but I believe that the shift points in the transmissions change in cold weather or when the transmission fluid temperature is below a certain point. I've noticed this on mine, I believe it's an attempt to raise the temps more quickly. I don't necessarially have a problem with it, they need all they can get to warm up quicker... .

 

[Bill Kondolay]

It is quite normal for the Dodge rams to shift later when cold.

The PCM software uses a transmission temp sensor inside the transmission to decide when to change up to eariler shifts.

The difference between hot and cold should be between 300-400rpms.



All that being said , the two culprits that can cause later shifts under light throttle is 1) your kickdown cable adjustment may be too aggressive. I have noticed on some 2001 and 2002 trucks the kickdown cables were being set too agressivly by approx.

1/8".

You can check it with someone in the cab with their foot to the floor(make sure engine is off and transmission in park).

You should have approx. 1/8" movement at the transmission.



2) Is the adjustment screw on the vb that stops the kickdown lever from moving forward is screwed in too tight.



Chrysler techs have a gauge they can messure that with.

I also have run in to lots of 2001 & 2002 trucks right from the factory with a bad governor solenoid.

 

[zimman20]

Thanks for the input, Bill, always nice to get your Yoda-like input on transmission issues.



My biggest concern is that when the engine is cold I try to keep the R's down until it comes up to operating temp and all fluids are nice and warm, baby it if you like. This is hard to do when the motor is screaming because it won't shift to the gear until it's good and ready, or so it would seem. Driving the truck yesterday I'd amend my earlier statement to shifting from (2-3? 3-4? can't remember) and as tomeygun said, I'm doing just over 40 mph and know a shift should have taken place in the auto by now, only to have the RPM's continue to climb until the truck is ready.



I'll check the other possibilities you mentioned though, thanks again.



zman

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by zimman20



My biggest concern is that when the engine is cold I try to keep the R's down until it comes up to operating temp and all fluids are nice and warm, baby it if you like. This is hard to do when the motor is screaming because it won't shift to the gear until it's good and ready, or so it would seem. Driving the truck yesterday I'd amend my earlier statement to shifting from (2-3? 3-4? can't remember) and as tomeygun said, I'm doing just over 40 mph and know a shift should have taken place in the auto by now, only to have the RPM's continue to climb until the truck is ready.

zman [/B]

Mine does the same thing when it is cold. All of the new and used ones I have driven do the samething. Nothings wrong just the personality of the truck. Like Bill said that is the way they are designed. It protects the transmission when it is cold. I drive mine at around 1800 rpms take about 1/2 mile before it is warm enough to shift normally every morning in the winter. Later in the day when I get home and then go out again and the truck is not cold it shifts normal from the get go. Don't worry about it.

 

[JRRacing]

Thanks for replies!

Bill,



Thanks for your time... . JR

 

[rbsullivant]

I put a BD Power Valve Body and PressureLoc in my '99 Ram transmission and now it shifts like a truck should shift. It even downshifts when you slow down without tromping on the throttle.

 

[JRRacing]

New info,



I actually watched the tach. 1800 would be nice. I am getting 2200 warm at part throotle and 2600 medium throttle before shift into 2nd gear. cold is about 2200 but i usually have very light throttle applied since I am sneaking out by the neighbors.





I will schedule a trip to the squealers for my ntf ticket.





Thanks for info all.