Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) No Power Towing from a Stop

[cwsoules]

My transmission may be toast. I recently had a DTT mechanic check my transmission. It had started to lock up in 2nd and refuse to shift to 3rd, and a month or so ago it hung up in 1st for a time.



Now when towing a 10. 4K 5er there is no power when I floor it from a dead stop. It will move the load but very slowly. The only shift I can feel is the shift from 3rd to O/D at 57 mph with my smart box on. It is as if I was starting off in third.



Any ideas? I will call Bill K. after I discuss Herb at Kustom TRruck tomorrow.

 

[DavidC]

Did you try manually pulling it down to first? Before my rebuild that is what I had to do or it would start out in 2nd gear (slowly). When this would happen the trans temp would move faster than the speedo (sending unit in trans. line). It would peg the needle on the guage.



Dave

 

[EricBu12]

looks like it is time for the ATS tripple lock system... Earthroamer did it and he loved it... .



I'm a stick man, had to get a better clutch and since then, no problems.....

 

[OL RATLR]

It sounds like you are in limp mode and probally you are starting out in 3rd

gear which will burn up your transmission in short order I would call Bill K. imediately

hope I am wrong. OL Ratlr:{

 

[gsmith1]

mine too......

Mine has been doing the same thing, locking up in 3rd and not shifting up or down. This does not happen all the time. When the smartcontroller is turned off, the t/c locks and unlocks consistently. Bill K. feels it is an electrical issue and has hooked me up with a guy who will work on that. Dodge does has a TSB about the t/c locking-unlocking issue, which is electrical related. They offer a re-flash to fix the problem. Evidently the re-flash doesn't always last or work.



Personally, I wonder if the diodes in the alternator are failing and cause the electrical output to spike at certain times. On our desk computers, electrical spikes play havoc with them. I would suspect our trucks would respond the same way.



I will have the work done in a few weeks and will be glad to let share results.