OK ... just drained my transmission fluid & changed filter. Put in new filter & fluid. Started it up, ran it through the gears, then put it into reverse to back off ramps and NOTHING. Hooked up code reader and got 1st gear ratio incorrect & 2nd gear ratio incorrect. Any suggestions on what it could be? All I did was drain it / replace filter and put it back together.

It's a 2000 Dodge Dakota, 4.7 v8 4x4 auto.

 

any tranny fluid leaks. i just finished changing mine(tranny),small leak on the lines from a plastic clip.no pressure,rough shift between 1st&2nd.

 

Nope. No leaks. When I put it in any gear, it seems likes it's in neutral.

I thought I had read somewhere that it takes 5 quarts of fluid ... is that correct? I do have the towing package with the trans cooler. Since it's up on ramps, I can't get a real accurate reading on the dipstick and wanted to double check.

Thanks,

 

did you get the filter back in correct and everything maybe knocked something outta place when you did it? checked the fluid to make sure it was up to level you gotta account for the fluid in the tc that doesn't drain out and stuff maybe its too full

 

Yes, I double checked to make sure the filter was seated in there correctly. As for checking the fluid, that's my problem right now. It's still sitting up on the ramps so I can't get an accurate reading since it's sitting at and pretty steep incline. That's why I was wondering how many quarts it would take. I didn't drain the tc, just dropped the pan and changed the filter.

 

Find a jack that's tall enough and jack up the truck off the ramps, then take the ramps out then drop the truck down.
A tall enough jack may be hard to find though.

You can also put it in neutral, have a friend hop in, then push it off the ramps. Make sure your friend stops it (thats what he's for).

I can think of all sorts of ways to get it off the ramps if you need more ideas.

But i have no idea what would cause the codes your getting. I'll ask my Chrysler master tech at school today.

 

Thanks CSCustomCars, I thought of that as well, but since I'm actually already in town at work, I didn't feel like driving home (20 miles) getting the truck off the ramps, then having to drive another 20 miles back into town to get more fluid, then driving back home. I figured if I could find out how much fluid it should take I could just pick up the extra (if needed) before I drove home. I will probably just stop by the parts store after work and pick up another 4-5 quarts. I suppose I could always use extra in the shop.

I'm driving my backup vehicle (95 suzuki sidekick w/290,000 mi) and HATE driving the stupid thing. Want my dakota back

 

Okay, I asked my teacher at school today for some ideas. The main thing is you have no reverse and no forward gears, which means the low forward clutch is not engaging. The low forward clutch is used for both forward and reverse gears.
Lots of questions for you.
1. When you get it off the ramps, make sure you didn't overfill the transmission. If you overfilled it, it can cause the pump to die.
2. Did you buy an OEM filter? If not, get an OEM filter. Aftermarket filters can be clogged straight from the factory which would cause the fluid to get get pumped and then you would have no fluid pressure to engage the clutch plates.
3. Are you sure the o-ring on the filter is properly in place? If the o-ring is not in place, this can cause fluid leakage, again starving the pump, preventing fluid pressure from engaging the clutches. The leakage would not be present outside of the transmission. It would be internal.
4. When you put it in gear, can you hear the solenoids clicking? If not, the solenoids may have gone bad.
5. Again, make sure the fluid is not overfull, but also make sure there is enough fluid. Not enough could starve the pump and again, no fluid pressure, no clutches.

If none of this fixes the problem let me know.

 

I guess the third time is the charm. Dropped the pan again tonight and checked everything over. Noticed the new filter was slightly different so went and got different one ... put everything back together and low and behold .... IT WORKS ... woohoo was worried I would have to spend tons of $$$ to get this fixed.

Thanks all for your help.

 

It's always the simple things.... Glad you got it fixed.