The tranny in my '02 durango (4.7L, 4wd, 122,000 miles) started acting up a few weeks ago. Shifting hard enough into 3rd to make you feel like you were going through the windshield. The codes pulled were p0700, p0734, and p1790. Discovered that the problem didn't occur when the overdrive is manually turned off, reset the codes, and only drove it in short low speed trips. Finally got in to the shop today, where the fluid and filter were changed and the transmission speed sensor was replaced. We thought it may be that sensor, since a rough idle started around the same time as the shift issues. The transmission fluid was clean, no metal debris.The problems is now WORSE...any thoughts as to what my next step should be?

 

You already know where this is going. If you took it to the shop for a simple-ish thing like a fluid changed, you seem to not want to fix it yourself. With that, just take it to a trans shop or two for some opinions. They will do better assessing the problem than by whatever you can type here and us replay from a thousand miles away.

 

Wow...that was helpful. It would be wonderful if I could fix it myself, but unfortunately, not all of us can be mechanics. This seems to have my mechanic, who is not a "Dodge guy" stumped, I'm already several hundred dollars in, and not too keen on the prospect of having to take it to the Dodge dealer and give them several hundred more for a diagnosis. I was simply hoping for some suggestions on what to have the local "mom and pop" garage I use whenever possible to check for, from people who are more familiar with Dodges and their quirks. Thanks anyway.

 

I wasn't blasting you for not being a mechanic, just saying that if you are not planning on tearing it apart yourself, digging into whatever you think you can get here won't really help. Your only choices likely aren't 'the dealer' or 'the stumped guy' either. Assuming you're not in a town of 1000 people 100 miles from anything larger, there are likely other trans shops to let have a test drive and give a recommendation.

I was in your shoes 20 months ago, and I am a decent mechanic. I just choose not to dig deep into automatic transmissions, and in my limited experience, a rebuild is the only way to reliably fix them. I danced around here and digging elsewhere on the internet too, no joy. I now have a kickass rebuilt trans, better internal parts than OEM, that tows my 6000lb Jeep on trailer all over the high desert and above like a walk in the park.

 

Check different shops all my tranny shops around here do free diagnosis. see if any of yours does. keep us posted to what is found.

 

I only bring my vehicles to places that k ow, my trucks. My favorite shop has 2 guys with Dakotas and one with an R/T Durango. I own both! Assuming they work on their own trucks, they probably know more than I do about mine

Chad - 03 Dakota Sport Quad Cab, 01 Durango R/T, 98 Ram Quad Cab

 

Took the Durango to another shop for a second opinion...small town, not a lot of transmission only shops. It was determined that the engine is actually downshifting and trying to go into passing gear at inappropriate times. If you hold steady pressure on the throttle at about 35mph, it will kick into passing gear several times before finally shifting like it should. The second opinion was that this is not a tranny problem at all, but possibly a clogged catalytic converter. Quckly eliminated that solution by having the cat removed (WV emissions laws are very lenient). No surprise that it didn't help at all. Googled some on my own, and decided to change the throttle position sensor. The shift problem may not be quite as bad, but since I changed the tps the idle is very rough, and if I rev with it in park it quits. Anybody have an idea for the next step?

 

If it dies at idle then IAC idle air control valve possibly may be sticking a bit or worn out? I am in no way familiar with the 4.7 I am just trying to help. Also do you have a 44re tranny if so have you switched out the shift servos. I have had a few to many brews tonight I may have my wording off a tad. so I apologize if I mistakenly spell or incorrectly call a part.

 

Remove and clean the throttle body. The IAC and it's operation channel are very prone to accumulating crud.

 

Thanks for the suggestions regarding the rough idle. I cleaned the IAC and throttle body yesterday, and the idle is a lot better. Which just leaves me with the transmission problems. The first thing that was done when the problems started was a fluid and filter change, and a new speed sensor. I asked my mechanic (former mechanic, I think) specifically about how many speed sensors there were...he said just the one. I questioned him about the abs/wheel speed sensor on the rear axle, and he said mine didn't have one, and I asked if my tranny had one or two speed sensors. He assured me it was just one. Over the weekend I noticed that the ABS and Brake warning lights on the dash are staying lit a few seconds after I start it, and I remembered someone saying that is a pretty good indicator that the sensor on the rear axle was going bad. I called the parts dept. at my local dodge dealer this morning, acting like I needed prices...but really just wanting some free info. Turns out, after running my VIN, that there are TWO on the tranny, and one on the axle. It's going in to the shop this afternoon for those two. Fingers crossed, will update when it's done.