I have a 1997 Dodge Dakota Sport 4x4 with the 3.9L V6 engine and auto transmission. In the last week the truck has been losing power and doesn't want to pull up hills now. At first, it wasn't too bad, but now it basically comes to a complete stop when going up a decent sized hill, and even struggles on level ground. The codes came back for the torque converter, shift solenoid A, O2 sensor, and Pres Cntrl Sol A.

I'm not sure where to start, as I have had the truck to a couple mechanics already and they tell me to take it somewhere else because they aren't sure where to start to pinpoint the problem either. The problem is that I'm not sure the truck can make it to where I need to take it, and I can't really afford to have it towed plus get the repairs done. I have read several threads about Dakota tranny problems and can't really find the info I need.

The transmission linkage is loose, and has been for a while now, but the truck still ran fine. I just have to start it in neutral and shift first to second to drive on takeoff. But now as soon as I put it in first it starts sputtering and doesn't want to pull. Out on the road every now and then, it does pretty well once it gets to about 40 mph. But it runs smoother in first gear than in drive, still not good in any gear, but better in first. The truck idles fine in park or neutral.

Sorry for the long thread, but I just wanted to try to give all the necessary info. Any help, tips, or suggestions would be much appreciated. I am just trying to pinpoint the problem as best I can without unnecessarily spending money on parts or repairs which may not be needed. Thanks to all who can help.

BTW, the error codes I received were: P0743, P0753, P0132, P0748.