Transmission Problems

[JCasadonte]

I'm having several problems with with transmission.
(1) When cold, can't get the truck to move in forward or reverse unless I have the RPMs very high. After it warms up a bit it does better.
(2) When on an incline, transmission is drive, the truck rolls back.
(3) Tranmission leaks sporatically. Sometimes small drips, other times big puddles, sometimes nothing.

I had thought the problem (1 and 2) was related to low transmission fluid due to #3. I replaced the filter and pan gasket last week but still see drips. Funny thing is that the transmission is registering full when checked. The fluid seems to be only coming off the passenger side/front of the transmission pan. Can't really tell if the fluid is travelling from another source.

Any insight to the source of the problem? Could it be a problem with the torque converter? Any recommendations?

Your time and advice is much appreciated.

Regards,
John Casadonte
Raleigh, NC

'96 2500 Club Cab, long bed

 

[Joe G.]

John,

Kind of hard to diagnose from a distance. Are you checking it in N after it's warmed up? How many miles on it? Is it a 4X4? I think the next thing to check would be the line pressure. If you don't have a service manual, you should get one ASAP!

------------------
Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,DTT TC/VB,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver, KDP 160,000-NM-WT Insurance

 

[Dieselnerd]

Do you still have the old style quick connectors on your cooling lines? If it's leaking intermittently that's what happens with the old style. If they are the old ones check to see that the little nylon clips haven't melted or gone bad where they plug into the connectors. Passenger side could be at the cooler on the engine. Follow the lines and get under there and shine a light on it and wiggle the lines to see if they are in tight. Drivers side, the front or "hot" line coming out of the transmission is the one that usually goes first because of the heat. Best solution, but expensive, upgrade to the new style lines.

 

[Work2play]

My 1st reply, Auto Trany Problem Post

Hello Guys,



This is my first reply/post. I've been reading threads now for about a year. This is one great sight and I've learned alot here. My wife laughs at the pile of stuff that I have printed out. Any way I'm attempting to reply to a auto transmission problem post. I have had the exact same thing happen to my 96 auto. It was mentioned that there is a fluid leak from the right front region of the pan. It was there before and after fluid and filter change. It was also mentioned that the trany seems to slip. Here is what I found was my problem



1) The leak was caused by a bad o-ring on the dip stick housing (fix was jack right side of truck up clean/remove dip stick housing. Clean housing and area around hole real good. Remove/install new 0-ring ($4 dealer) and apply RTV around sealing surface. Let it set overnight.



2) Trany slip (worst than normal)... mine turned out to be low fluid level ~ 2qt low ( very bad Don). I made the mistake of checking fluid level with hot fluid, engine running, "trany in park". I did this after changing fluid and filter. However, I later checked fluid in drive (help me out guys is it in drive or neutral) with parking brake on and found the fluid to be way low. Added the additional fluid and she pulls fine now hot or cold. It's got 135K miles on it now. And Yes Bill K. when it's time I must have your DTT VB & TC.

 

[Strick-9]

I've had quite a few transmission problems, so I hope I can help out here.



I'm surprised no one has mentioned fluid drainback. There is a checkvalve in your transmission fluid line that prevents fluid from draining out of the TC and into the pan. A lot of transmission shops remove these to eliminate the risk of it getting plugged by debris and ruining your transmission from lack of oil. The only drawback to this practice is you will occasionally have to wait for the TC to fill with fluid after the truck has sat for a while. The problem seems to be exaggerated when the nose is parked uphill. I don't know if you've recently had transmission service or recently changed parking habits to magnify the problem, but transmission drainback isn't a problem to worry about. The next time you crank your truck, immediately shift it into neutral. This pumps more fluid than 'park' and will fill the TC faster. Wait about 15 seconds then place the truck in 'reverse' or 'drive' and see if this helps your slipping problem.



Low fluid level is usually related to a slip or neutral condition followed by a slam back into gear. This usually occurs when leaving a stop sign or some other maneuver where the oil in the pan can't quite reach the pickup in the filter and then suddenly does again. This doesn't seem to be the problem you've described.



As for rolling back on a grade. How is your idle speed? Increasing your idle speed would help transfer more power at an idle. I think my stock convertor would allow the truck to roll backwards on a steep enough grade. Are you sure this is a new problem? You could buy a new convertor if it is a serious annoyance to you. Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned, but we all have our own expectations and there may be a safety concern or a steep driveway or some other problem that I don't know about.



I too have a sporadic leak. Sometimes a puddle, sometimes nothing. If you figure it out, let me know. For now, I'm blaming it on my transfer case, but I can't explain why I needed to add 2 quarts of transmission fluid last week.



I hope this helps. Let us know what you find.

Chris

 

[JCasadonte]

Thank you all for the advice.



Filler tube 'O' Ring makes sense so I plan on attempting that this weekend.



Oddly enough, the truck had been sitting for 2 plus days without a leak. Then yesterday, I found about a quart of ATF running down the driveway. The trunk hadn't even been started all week. .



Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed for a quick/inexpensive remedy.



Best Regards,

John

 

[Extreme1]

Leaked afer sitting?

That sounds more like the the transmission line issue mentioned above. Look at the rear line on the block mounted heat exchanger.



W2P-suggested (Welcome W2P) that you might not be checking the level correctly. It is in neutral, engine/trans warm (engine running). If the level is correct, try overfilling. *EDIT* see below!



You can overfill these to overcome slight internal leaks. The problem could be described by your truck's symtoms. How much overfill? you ask - until it comes out of the breather which is located above the input shaft inside the bellhousing. Add 1/2 quart at a time until you get up to 2 quarts, you should see some improvement by then.



An idea to consider: If it leaks sporadicaly, the former owner may have hurt the transmission by running it low. If you do end up looking at major repair, I recommend replacing with a NEW trans from Dodge (you could have a reputable shop install it) to get all the updates.



I did this, thought it was a mistake until talking to some trans shops.



Edit: After thinking about this on the way home, the filler tube makes more sense. After sitting, the coolers and TC drain back and the level raises above the o-ring and it leaks.



I just had mine out for the new TC a couple weeks ago. A mirror might help you clean the area. Start cleaning before you remove the tube to keep the big chunks out. Don't rinse down with cleaner as if it is leaking, you will get some inside. Don't be shy with the sealer, either. When I removed mine (wasn't leaking) it was covered from around the o-ring up to the raised stop. Assemble it wet, reinstall the bellhousing bolt and let it sit to cure the RTV. It would help if your fluid level was where it belonged so do this before trying the overfill method.



Good Luck!

 

[JCasadonte]

Again, thanks for all the suggestions/pointers.



This weekend I replaced the 'O' ring on the transmission dip stick tube. I took all the advice into consideration. Even thoroughly cleaned around the base of the tube before extracting. The old 'O' ring didn't seem to be in that poor of condition, although when compared to the new one it was apparent it had worn down. Put the new 'O' ring on, applied ample amount of RTV-ATF above the 'O' ring to the point were the paint began. Let it sit about 5 minutes, installed it and waited about 8 hours.



The transmission fluid was down about 1. 5 quarts. This morning - no drips and pick-up is back to expected performance. I haven't had a chance to check the idle speed but will get to that this week.



All in all, $3 for the 'O', $5 for the RTV, 30 minutes to repair and finally - great advice from the members of the TDR (priceless!).



Many thanks... ... john