after spending some time on the internet looking up what type of tranny fluid to use i settled on atf-4 for my 89. every thing out there says that dexron II is the wrong fluid to use and that the manual and dipstick is wrong. atf-3 and 4 are better and recomended. you need to go to a place that can flush the system. with the dexron i remember reading that the trannys were having problems going from 2nd to third but dont know which dodge trannys those were.

 

I have a 91 dak and the owners manual recomends ATF Plus. Then goes on to say that if that is not available then Dexron II may be used.

 

i have a 92 dodge dakota with a 318 magnum and it requires in the manual ATF-4 transmission

 

All of the overdrive trannys A500 A518s need at least the mopar atf 3. i think around 2000 maybe newer you need to run the atleast ATF 4. If you use just regular dextron it doesn't have the proper friction modifier and will take out your tranny with in months if not weeks. same with cars. the shift problem could be the bands..i would check all you're linkages. put the tranny in netural. loosen the adjustment screw disconnect the linkage from the tranny arm move the shifter arm forwards and then clear back and then two clicks forwards and thats neutral. reconnect the arm tighten the adjustment screw. and make sure everything works..also you might make sure the rearwheels are supported that way if something isn't connected right then you won't drive off. also you're neutral safty switch might be out of adjustment. if that doesn't fix it...then try the bands..

 

I have a '95 dakota which does the same thing. I 'm thinking in my case I caused it by helping a friend tow a car on a trailer. Before this problem showed up it would rev high when first started and moving. About 2500 RPM in first, second was a little higher but by 3d gear things would fall into place and work OK. I usually drive my truck with O/D off, could this have aggravated something into what it's doing now? Tranny fluid is a nice red color and isn't thinned out. I don't drive like I stole it and I take it easy most of the time even in 4WD. Is there a torque converter solenoid or could it possibly be something wrong with the tranny itself? In OD driving in 2WD the truck jitters like something is going to fall out when I stomp on the gas or when C/C is on and going uphill. Oh yeah, One thing it's starting to do is not wanting to cut loose what gear it's in when I have to come to a fast or abrupt stop so it kills the engine. Slow stops are OK but getting worse as the tranny hesitates downshifting sometime making the truck lurch before letting go. Any ideas on what this could be? I hear of a neutral safety switch could be causing this problem, but how could it? What about it influences what the tranny does? Does this switch disable the vehicle from being started in neutral? What exactly does it do? My truck has always started in neutral and it has never affected my tranny before.

 

The park/neutral position switch you speak of is used for 2 things: provide a ground path for the starter relay in: park and neutral positions (if you can start in any gear BUT park and neutral, you have a problem, or if you CANT start in park and neutral) and provide positive power to the reverse lights in reverse gear.

The torque convertor solenoid, overdrive solenoid, and variable force solenoid are all powered by the electronic transmission relay (the relay occupies the same spot on the 3.9 and 5.2 trucks as the radiator fan relay is in the 2.5 trucks) (Don't ask me what the variable force solenoid is for). I suppose you should be able to remove the relay and see if the problem goes away (doubt it will go away though).

Is the transmission fluid at the proper level (not too high or too low)? Do you know when it was last serviced, and if they used the correct fluid (ATF+3 or ATF+4, preferably ATF+4)

It could definitly be that your transmission is going out. However, see what you can find out before you jump on replacing it.

 

I have no idea what the maintenance schedule was on this vehicle as it is used and no records came with it. From what i have gathered, the previous owner treated the truck like a baby. Engine nice and clean, Body taken well care of, very little rust, decent - looking fluids, etc., etc. Engine is top - notch and would run like the dickens if the tranny was not troubled. All fluids are Ok and the tranny was the first thing I thought of when the shifting thing started. I warmed it up (185-209 F), ran the shifter through all gears, set in neutral, set the E-brake and left it running while i checked the meter stick. Could there have been anything I missed?

 

ok, what it seems to be doing is in reverse it is going into first gear not drive, in neutral it is in drive, drive it is also in drive, park i'm not too sure what it is in, but i know it is not in park. I am letting the computer reset thinking that maybe after the fluid flush the computer has not been retrained, and i am also going to check the linkage

 

wow, soory for some odd reason it posted here, weird

 

If it is possible, could you post those band adjustment procedures? My Haynes manual is more confused than I am. I have a 1990 Dakota 3 spd. automatic w/ overdrive. Thank you, this is my first time on this site and I am impressed.