Second gear starts

[Turbo Terry]

Having second gear start problems. How much damage have I done to my transmission already? I have towed only small loads 2000 lbs. up to this point and will get this fixed asap. Yes I already called Bill at DTT.

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99-24V-2500-Laramie-SLT-A/T-LSD-355
All Options except cab lights and carpet-Rino- Prime-Loc-Alcoa wheels-Lund cold front-Factory Tows-DSG Electronic Fast Idle-Mag-Hytec transmission Pan+Rear Diff. Cover -Tekonsha Voyager- VA CPC -Rancho 9000-5000 steering stabalizer - BD exhaust brake - Auto-loc - Astroflex autostart -Bill K. T/C and V/B in tranmission -Prime-Loc removed and hanging in garage-Alaska

 

[Turbo Terry]

Gear ratio is 2. 45 for 1st gear and 1. 45 for 2nd per book so I,m starting out a 7500 lbs. truck plus 2000 lbs. at a considerable different gear level which should be hard on the second gear band right. What do you think? I think its time to go talk to the transmission people here in Anchorage who did not set this transmission up right in the first place.

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99-24V-2500-Laramie-SLT-A/T-LSD-355
All Options except cab lights and carpet-Rino- Prime-Loc-Alcoa wheels-Lund cold front-Factory Tows-DSG Electronic Fast Idle-Mag-Hytec transmission Pan+Rear Diff. Cover -Tekonsha Voyager- VA CPC -Rancho 9000-5000 steering stabalizer - BD exhaust brake - Auto-loc - Astroflex autostart -Bill K. T/C and V/B in tranmission -Prime-Loc removed and hanging in garage-Alaska

 

[Bill Kondolay]

Terry,
2nd or 3rd gear starts on a Dodge Ram is a real pain for the consumer and the technician. It takes a bit of patience to and an understanding of why you are putting in a resistor in the first place.

On my last road trip to Texas i realized that i was telling guys to put in a resistor without explaining why. I had the opportunity to see first hand that guys would faithfully do what i asked without understanding why they were doing it . While i appreciate the faith of you guys, i need to explain why a resistor is added. It is not necessary for every truck and there begins the confusion.

There is no one resistor value that works for every truck.

The resistor is put in to fool the PCM into thinking the transmisson line pressures are still within factory specs. If you use a volt meter before the resistor, you should have approx 5 volts, after the resistor you should have approx 4. 67 - 4. 9 volts.

Here is where the fun begins, 1996-98 Dodge rams, may not need a resistor regardless of the voltage.

1999-2000 Dodges may or may not need a resistor, on my own personal 2000 i use a 230ohm resistor, otherwise i get 2nd gear starts. On some other 2000 model trucks i have had to use as little as 30 ohm resistor.

2001- 2001 1/2 Dodge rams on 50% of our installs do not require a resistor.

As you can see above there are many variations that can make proper setup take a little while to achieve.

Take all the above into consideration and then throw in the transducer that could be faulty, which can give you the same symptoms.
No matter which resistor you use will help if you have a faulty transducer.

To answer your original question, its highly unlikely that you damaged your transmission 2nd gear band unnless you are feeling it costantly slipping.

Most 2nd gear band damage is done by guys manually shifting their transmissions.

Everyone in the industry struggles with this resistor issue, and it occured to me there had to be a better way of doing this adjustment. While the resistor is rather cheap to pick up from Radio Shack or any other electronics store, it still takes a lot of time trying to figure out which is the right resistor for your application or whether you even need one.

Anytime you increase transmission pressures by either vb, sift kits, pressure locs , ect. this resisor issue becomes a factor.

The technololgy being used for this resistor issue needed to be improved, it was too un predictable and time consuming with all its variations.

Per our phone discussion we now have a new system to eliminate this resistor adjustment pain in the butt.

As i mentioned we still have one week of testing left before we release it to the general public.

Guys please keep this in mind, if your truck is not having 2nd gear starts leave it alone.

Bill Kondolay
Diesel Transmission Technology

 

[Piers]

Hey Bill, What about the 94-95 trucks??? #ad

 

[willyslover]

Hey Piers. . that OLD teck stuff doesn't matter right. . #ad
#ad
now that your a properly valved model you too can admit it LOL

 

[Turbo Terry]

More information- Normal driving sometimes I can get 1st downshifts and 1st gear starts but when the road and traffic permits and I load this baby up (as in step into it) the transmission really hooks up and I get a very definite 1st to 2nd shift etc. and of course moving at a rapid rate YAHOO whoops I got carried away but then you guys know tne feeling. Anyway this is from a dead start. Its almost like in normal driving its not enough to make the 1-2shift very notieable (feeling or on the tach RPMS. this is empty no towing. Do you think this is a bad TPS or some valve body adjustment other than what Bill is talking about? How does your DTT TC VB shift under light loading in 1st to 2nd?Can you always feel the shift? Thanks

 

[Turbo Terry]

I just adjusted the front bands. My truck no longer has a 5/16 bolt but a 3/16 hex witha 3/4 locknut. The transmission shop must of changed from stock when doing upgrades? The need to make it a little more impossible to get to the front band adjuster. My question is what happens when the screw goes in all the way and the locknut is out of threads. Seems either a longer or the bands are wore out? I noticed another interesting thing-when I shift to neutral and back to drive the transmission always starts out in 1st gear and shifts to 2nd.

 

[Bill Kondolay]

Terry,

In 1998 1/2 - 99 Dodge switched over their band adjustment bolt to a # 47 torque bit.
This bolt was shorter than the one they used in the earlier models. I have seen some where there is hardly any threads showing on the jam nut,although it is unusual not to see any threads showing at all.

It is best to drop the pan and check the band adjustment by pulling on the apply lever,you should have about 1/4" play. If there is more than that, the odds are your 2nd gear band is worn out.

The 2nd gear starts sound like the wrong resistor value. If you want we can send you the new product we developed and are presently testing. It eliminates the need for a resistor since every truck is different and it is impossible to predict the value of resistor needed every time.

If your 2nd gear starts is caused by the resistor the voltage regulator system will eliminate it.

How it works is that it simply supplies the voltage instead of relying on the pcm. The resistor method presently being used in the Diesel Industry we found has too many variences depending on the transducer and the pcm supply voltage.

Give me a call and let me know what you decide.

Bill Kondolay
Diesel Transmission Technology

 

[Fred Swanson]

Turbo Terry, I did a 96 that did the exact same thing. Checking the voltage readings, a lower value resistor did the trick. Bill's newer style regulator will make adjustments faster,easier and you'll once again be shifting out of 1st from a dead stop.
Way to go Bill.

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Fred Swanson
Co-Owner
Canyon State Components, LLC
www.canyonstatecomponents.com


'00 QC,SB,4x4,Auto,3. 54 w/LSD,Trailer Package,Tow Package,DTT's
TC(91%)&VB(80psi),DD2's,EZ,HOT PE,K&N RE-0880,Cummins RED Valve Cover

 

[CumminsAholic]

Turbo,
How did you know you have 2nd gear starts? Does it do it if you hold it wide open from a dead stop, or only if you take off slow? If I can mine from a dead stop it definately makes a 1 to 2 shift, but if I take off slow I dunno if it does... . I'll have to pay attention when I drive it next time. Maybe I have 2nd gear starts too and I just don't notice it. I never added a resistor when I installed Bill's VB.
Bill, should I add a resistor? I don't remember it being in the instructions otherwise I think would have done it. What wire do I put it on? I think I remember an orange wire being discussed before, but that could be from some other topic. Maybe I'll just wait for your new item.
Thanks,
Corey


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1998. 5 2500, 4x4, SB, Red Sport, Agate Interior, Quad Cab, O. H. Console, Auto, 4. 10 LSD, Trailer Tow and Camper Special Packages, Mopar Aluminum Nerf Bars, Spray In Bedliner, Pioneer/Jensen System, 255/85's, Bd Adjustable Preformance Box w/boost module, Boost Elbow, 4" Exhaust Split Into Two 3" w/5" cans, K+N Scotty Style, Exhaust Blanket, Bill K's Valve Body, Mopar Tow Hooks, Factory Fog Lights, Front Bumper Step, 55 watt Back-up Lights, Etc, Etc... .

 

[CumminsAholic]

Figure it out yet Turbo?

 

[Turbo Terry]

I have not but will post when I do.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Well someone has to confess, and he sure is not going to do it so it's time for the WIFE to speak up! Yes - I am his little 'assistant'. Whenever he gets stuck, I have to come and help him find his way through the morass. Well, yesterday he was quite stumped. He looked and looked but could not find the in-line resistor that Bill Kondolay assured him was in the wire bundle. I slid under the truck on the creeper and had the telltale bulge in the wire sock spotted in a New York second. Once again, the WIFE saves the day...



[This message has been edited by Turbo Terry (edited 04-10-2001). ]

 

[Turbo Terry]

Well all I can say is none of the above is true. The real Turbo Terry