Hey guys, did some searching but couldn't find any answers.

I have a 95 Dakota 318 V8, auto, 4x4 with 190k. The truck has been great to me, pulled in the driveway today and came to a complete stop and when I hit the gas to drive forward the engine just revved up. Checked the trans fluid and there was nothing on the dipstick. When I removed the dipstick it was smoking and smelled burnt. I filled it back up with trans fluid and now I have 1st gear and reverse but no D or 2. I tried putting it in 4x4 High and Low but it did the same thing. Think I burnt the transmission up? The truck has been used as a personal use plow truck for the last 25k miles or so. Looking for some help! Thanks in advance, guys!

EDIT: sorry, just realized I out this in the 97+ Dakota section.

 

I moved your thread to the proper forum.

 

Think I burnt the transmission up?

I think so too! no quick fix from what you described time to go the the wrecking yard just make sure you get the correct one.

 

From the way it sounds at a minimum you burned up the clutch packs and bands in the transmission running the transmission fluid to completely empty of fluid. Yes, either rebuild the transmission or find a suitable donor from the local salvage yard.

 

Uhm. . .before you start throwing money at it, have a trannie shop look at it (you'll have to have it towed if it won't move.) Find a local indie shop that will diagnose it for free (some shops will.) Stay away from anything that looks like it's a chain/franchise shop, they are scarey imho.

I sort of went through this recently, in my case it was an electronic problem. I was looking for a replacement trannie, looked at Ebay, watched the local and regional Craigslist. Was planning a trip to the wrecking yard. All are expensive crapshoots, the trannie you buy second hand may not be much good--they're all getting along in years, ya know.

If it's just a matter of replacing the bands and the pump, it may be a lot cheaper than you might expect, especially if it can be done without removing the trannie. If you buy a sketchy replacement, you still have to remove the old one and install the new--it ain't light, and it ain't a waltz in the park.

Yours is a 46RH, I believe. The last of the mechanical trannies. A 96 wouldn't work without a lot of futzing with it.

 

Honestly I had the total opposite experience... I went to a local indie shop when my tranny started slipping between gears and would shift right past second gear almost instantly after shifting into it.. free diagnosis.. was quoted 1500 to 2200 to repair .. I dropped and told the guy hes on crack... being I can buy rebuilt tranny for the 318 for under a grand (after core return) and install myself ....

went to a *big box shop* Mr. CrapTransmission for free inspect/diagnostic.. figured had nothing to loose, and I didn't, turned out to be the TV cable, so costed me 0.00 to repair but I tossed the mechanic 50 bucks for his time anyway ..