hey all...

i have a '97 ram 4x4 1/2 t with a 360 and automatic. trans was rebuilt and a new torque converter was installed 4,000 miles ago by a reputable shop, at the time they checked the shift solonoids and they tested ok so were not replaced.... around the same time, the plugs, wires, cap and rotor were also replaced.

i noticed this about a month ago but didn't think about it until it again happened yesterday...i was driving at around 60 in overdrive, had to pass a car, pushed the gas pedal down, the trans obviously downshifted when i did that, the rpms raised, but there was zero acceleration...it stayed at 60 until i backed off the accelerator and the trans upshifted, then it started gaining speed but obviously not like it should have. it has zero acceleration on/under kickdown.

is this an internal shift solonoid problem? or am i looking at something else being the culpret, like the distributor itself?

any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

 

Im really confused here. Did it Downshift out of O/D, where there was no acceleration until it shifted back into O/D?

What was your cruising speed and then what did it rev up to when it downshifted?

 

"... Im really confused here. Did it Downshift out of O/D, where there was no acceleration until it shifted back into O/D? ..."

yes, it downshifted out of od and there was no acceleration whatsoever until i backed off the gas to allow od to resume, then it accelerated.

cruising speed was 60 when i tried to pass, i don't have a tach but i heard and felt it drop out of od and it never accelerated at all, rpm's went up but no acceleration at all while in downshift mode.

best way i can explain it: think of a turbo 350 or turbo 400, u wanna speed up so u mash your foot to the floor, the trans kicks down and accelerates then upshifts...well, my elec dodge trans shifted down but didn't accelerate until it came out of kickdown...no acceleration whatsoever in kickdown mode.

 

Try adjusting the TV cable to stock setting first, https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-in-trans.html


Then try this , http://www.bionicdodge.com/Download/...Adjustment.pdf


And read the plenum sticky, I'm thinking that's ur prob anyway.

And BTW, if that shop was reputable , they would have installed new and upgraded solenoids and switches. How much did you pay for the rebuild?

 

That makes no sense. That's the opposite of what it's supposed to do.

 

ok, update...it will not accelerate in downshift mode at any speed...if you push the throttle all the way to the floor, it does not accelerate, in fact it almost dies...i can feel it downshift but zero acceleration...and this means from a dead stop as well...mash the pedal to the floor and nothing. no forced downshift and it will accelerate.

sticky plenum? i only have dialup and it won't download either of the threads you gave, times out...zman...can u please explain sticky plenum and what i can do to fix that?

aamco rebuilt it, i consider them as reputable for a stock rebuild, which was all i needed...initial problem was a bad torque converter, stuck in lock up...i bought the truck that way...cost to rebuild trans and new converter with updates was $1,300. would have been $1,800 if it needed the solonoids replaced.

and no warranty is out now, was 1yr or 12,000 miles but trans was done 3yrs ago...and yes mileage is right, only 4,000 since rebuild.

 

The"End-all Be-all plenum thread " at the top of the 2nd Gen Ram Tech page.

 

called my local dodge dealer at 7:30am today, and told them what i needed...they said $110...i said, no...that sounds awful cheap for plenum gaskets, torque to yield bolts and labor...they called back 2hrs later, $146...he said they spray some sort of stuff in the plenum and it comes out the exhaust and its clean...i said what takes care of the vacuum problems caused by bad plenum gaskets...he said well its just a throttle body, i said its multiport fuel injection...i had to literally explain to him what needed done, and he said he would call back...at 4:45pm he called back again, this time $518 to do the job....i kept wondering all day if the reason for the multiple price increases was that they found a new and better spray to use each time...

i could seriously understand this if i would have called the ford or chevy or even hyundai dealership service advisor to get this job done, but no i actually called my local dodge service advisor and still had to explain the process to him...TWICE!!! sad.

 

I'm not surprised. I'm amazed by how many mechanics I've come across that have never heard of things like that, across all makes/models I've owned. I always know from then on never to take my car there.

In the case of the plenum, we have a family friend who is a huge Mopar guy. Live. breathe , sleep Dodge. To be honest, he's proven to be a pretty competent mechanic. He's never heard of the plenum gasket. He'll never touch my truck. I really need to change mine but haven't found the ambition. Such a PITA when I cant even add oil without a stepstool lol,

 

A fair few service advisors are NOT mechanics. Nor do they play one on TV.....

I did that job for a while. It was fun...... kinda.