my 1999 durango 4x4. for some reason feels really heavy.when i put it in drive it feels really heavy on the gas pedal i have to floor it for it to run . but when i put it in reverse it reverses fine with no pressure on the gas. but when i put it in 2 speed it runs fine i dont have to floor it to run .. idk whats going on with it?

 

How many miles on the transmission? Has it been regularly serviced or recently rebuilt?

It sounds like you could have slipping clutches. Any codes come up?

Have you checked compression?

Have you checked or replaced plugs/wires/cap/rotor?

Dumb question: if you're unfamiliar with 4WD vehicles, could you be in 4WD LO?

If all of these things are obvious, just know I'm not being smarmy, you just never know what someone's experience with these vehicles may be.

Best,

Heekma

 

yeah its regularly serviced and it has a rebuilt tranny since 2 years ago. i havent checked codes. all the caps and wires etc. are all new.. but i havent cheked the compression either. and no its not in 4x4.... it feels like it lost power in the acceleration..

 

So it's fine in reverse and every position other than drive? If so it sounds like the problem isn't the engine. Maybe in the drive position the transmission isn't starting out in first gear, but rather 2nd or 3rd. Try starting out in 1st and manually shifting it up and see if it's any better.

 

if im reading it correctly, it sounds like it could be the governor pressure solenoid and switch,
a month befor i bought my d it had its tranny rebuilt, and they didnt replace the solenoids or the switch. i was told my a transmition mechanic after a rebuild when the bands are replaced they tend to wear and flake a little and the flakes and shavings get caught in the pressure solenoid which causes it to stick and not shift properly when in drive. thats why they dont replace them till a little while after so you dont ruin a brand new solenoid.
thats when i found out i needed to replace mine. because my "d" was doing the same thing that is yours is.
and if i didnt throw out my old solenoid i could post a photo of the plastic mesh surrounding the end of the solenoid completely plugged up with shavings.

 

krupaeric- can u send me the pic please... yeah when i put it on drive i have to push really hard on gas for it to run. so u think its the solenoid.

 

if i had kept my solenoid i would be able to send you a photo. but if you look it up on ebay it goes by its technical name. governor pressure solenoid. so you can see what i mean there being a mesh piece that catches metal particles and cloggs. and the part of it that attaches to your valve body allows fluid to flow thru it. it measures the fluid flowing thru it to allow for acceleration and shifting. if its clogged it wont allow for proper measuring. i got mine right at the dealership. its one of those rare instances when its cheaper to purchase a part thru them as opposed to a normal parts store. i beleive it was like $85. and at autozone it was around $100 or so. also when you do this your going to want to get the pressure switch as well.
they have em both on ebay together for a decent price. just looked it up and its $90 for both. with free shipping. if you dont mind waiting a week for the parts, otherwise you will have to go to the dealership. at autozone its called a "transmission control solenoid" and its $102.99. your also going to want to get the filter gasket kit $5.99, and atf+4 tranny fluid $6.99 for each qt and you will need at least 5qt's. you can save alot of money by doing it yourself. just get a xtra large turkey aluminum pan from walmart to catch the fluid, it will take about 30 to 45 min depending on how quickly you work.
so i wish ya the best of luck jab101!

 

also when you do this job, im not saying you dont know how to check your tranny fluid level and most ppl dont, but, in order to get a proper level check, your vehicle must be up to normal operating temperature and you have to put vehicle in nutral when its running and apply the parking brake. if its not up to temp and running and in not in nutral you wont get a correct reading.
most ppl think you can just turn off your vehicle and pull the stick and get correct reading, its not your oil, lol,
so remember that. for after you do this, to drive it around and get it nice and hot, put it in nutral and then check it.
good luck.