i have read a few threads here about the Vehicle Speed Sensor..
it can cause random stalls, loss of cruise control and irratic to no use of overdrive..

Question i have is otherday while driving it shut off with no warning but wouldnt start up for about 20 minutes, but now ir has no isssue since.

I have lost overdrive with irratic shudder(like a standard in to high a gear) to no overdrive engaging atall (so i shut off once i start up and all is fine.)

Also i have lost my Cruise control.. Now another thread had similar issues but is it the VSS? Wiring is good no corrosion.

I just Dont wanna waist the money on a part and it being something else

also note, when truck is cold and driven it idle perfect, has alot of power etc.... once warmed up it rougher idle and slight stumble on exceleration

 

When my VSS went bad it also caused my daylight running lights to malfunction. The running lights rely on the VSS because are designed to turn on when the vehicle begins to move forward. So check them, if they no longer work, that's one more sign that points toward a bad VSS... in addition to your cruise problem.

 

A bad VSS could cause those problems as well as many other possibilities. Did you check for any codes?

 

no codes.... it just started this so i leave OD off when in use so i dont damage the converter or clutches , i read another thread here about it and had same issue as me and it solved the problems..

I have HID lights so DRL still exsists, but is not used since all lights come on when vehicle is started now..

 

okay well this is pisssing me off.. today beautifull weather above freezing, i got all 4 gears, but torque lockup shudder , still runs like crap after hit temp, and no cruise .. disabled my auto on lights and DRL still kick on but take almost length of driveway before they engage , so abnormally longer then should ..

assuming the possibility can i temporary disable the lockup so i can still use the final gear as the overdrive switch shuts off the use of that gear

Or is it like the newer 46RE and torque locks up then shifts to 4th gear and in reality its 4th gear (over drive) thats the isssue ..


also based on what you said here Crazy: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...or-wiring.html

and here: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...-sensor-3.html

 

okay so what i did so far was manually control the Torque lock and OD with a ground switch box i made to run inside the cab.. in 3rd gear OD switch turned off so the PCM can go to hell, lol i get up to 80km/h and hit the Torque lock. and it smoothly drops down about 400 rpms and drives like a dream... yet when i hit the switch for the OD, man its Shudder is so bad so, even tho oil is clean, i think im going to drop the tranny pan and change the filter, and have a look in the pan , maybe the solenoid in tranny , since OD hasnt been used in 4 or so months..

 

okay step 1.... Dynamite.... Step 2... light.... step 3... run far from the dodge dakota....

okay finally recieved the speed sensor form rockauto ... 11 friggen days from California to ontario canada.... thats unexceptable, i get stufff out of china in 3 days.
Anyway i changed the VSS , got cruise control back.... transmission shifts better truck runs like ****, still overdrive shudder, so fixed one issue... figured since its missing il change the spark plugs, try that simple cheap things first .

Pulled all 4 on drivers side of engine all light brown burning good Thank God
Passenger side pulled all 4 then got to back one, boot was full of oil,(valve cover leakingslight leak) (tomorrows job) , pulled plug out plug was soaked, DEAD plug so ive beeen running on 7 cylinders for gawd knows how long, figured oh man is cylinder toast... no codes tho.

installed new plugs and BAM! truck idles smoother then my 2008 G6 hell i cant even hear it idling or feel it no more inside the truck.

Take it out on the highway, /facepalm

runs like a champ, although now truck has more power and i noticed if im hard on the throttle on take off tranny slips so im still gonna pull the pan and adjust the bands...

Now what it seeems to me is it wasnt directly the transmission but probabbly infact engine misfire at high speeds which dont make sence since high revs it was fine... anyway tomorrow is another day and gonna pop the pan and check bands adjustment.