Hi Everyone! Your "PRICELESS" knowledge is needed again!! I have an '01 Dakota Quadcab and it sounds like it's driving in low gear all the time. It shifts fine, runs fine, no loss of power, no engine smoke and transmission fluid is full. The truck is in drive and it goes right along, no problem, but it sounds exactly like I'm driving around in low gear. Any thoughts on what this might be? I have no idea and don't know anything about truck mechanics but I'm learning! I know there are experts out there who could help me alot and I'm hoping y'all will! I know the ladies drive some of you crazy but can you blame us for contacting the experts??? Really!! A friend of mine mentioned it might be the fan clutch? Thanks for any info/help with this problem. I appreciate it very much!!

 

No. you would definitly notice it if it was in low gear all the time. It would shift very rough and jerky and you wouldnt be able to drive on the highway. (the engine rpms would be at red line doing 45 in overdrive 0-o

 

Not really, your OD can go out, and the tranny will still run in 3rd just wont shift to 4th witch is the overdrive gear if he has the 4 speed auto...

3rd will redline at about 110 without OD, so you can drive it highway, but your rpms will be at almost 3500 going about 70mph.

It sounds like your od went out, meaning you have no overdrive gear, and your shifting probably is at about 3k for each gear.

Take it to a dealership and have them read the Tranny codes, there is a plug on the top of the tranny they can plug a reader into. Have it checked out.

What type of Tranny do you have and truck?

 

there is a thing on the dash board next to the speedometer that tells you what RPM's you're at. Its called a tachometer and when looked at and analyzed properly can tell you if you are in a low gear in relation to your speed.

Sorry to be a dick but it seems pretty simple to tell whether or not you aren't in the right gear. Now, you probably have a problem with the transmission and as User suggested, shoud probably take it to the dealership to get checked out.

Cheers.

 

Okay, I didn't ask, "how do I know if I'm in low gear?", I stated that my truck SOUNDS like it's in low gear. It drives fine but it's loud and SOUNDS like it would IF IT WERE in low gear. (Big.Bryant, you weren't very nice!!!!!!!) Everyone seems to be reading my post wrong. My question is, "why would my truck sound like it's in low gear when it isn't?" Big.Bryant, I'm not an idiot! I wasn't asking you to identify what gear I was in, read the post again.........

 

In defense of big.bryant your original post is vague in that you just say that the truck "sounds like it's in low gear" after saying that "feels" like it's low gear in your subject line. Since it appears you've settled on "sounds" instead of "feels" do you mean the exhaust sounds like you're in low gear, or the transmission sounds like it's in low gear (gear noise), or the engine sounds like it's in low gear, or what?

What are you used to driving, a car? Trucks are geared lower than cars and engines run at higher RPMs.

Has the R&P been changed? A taller ratio will cause the engine to run at higher RPM.

What RPM are you turning at 60 mph?

Give us something to go on other than a nebulous description that it "sounds" like it's in low gear.

Yea, the tone of big's response was kind of condescending but your question was kind of vague.

 

Woody...yes, my question was vague but not intentionally. I didn't know how to word it not knowing much about trucks. It helps when guys like you ask definitive questions like the rpms, then I can answer them.

Okay, I can only describe the sound as the way it would sound if I shifted into low gear. It's shifting and driving fine (automatic trans). This sound only started a week ago. Before that, the truck was quiet. I can't remember doing anything different. I had the codes read but nothing came up.

Today I went out and wrote down the rpm's for different speeds and situations before I got your reply. The worst time of all is going uphill.

From stop to 15mph it shifts at 1700 rpms and shifts again at 25 mph/2000 rpms then drops to 1200 rpms staying at 35 mph on city streets.

On highway @ 65 mph/2250 rpms with cruise control on. Going uphill with cruise on at 55 mph it shifts at
2250 rpms then again at 3750 rpms staying at 55 mph (this is LOUD!!) Goes back down to 55 mph/1500 rpms after heading downhill but not right away. At next hill I shut cruise control off and kept 55 mph manually. Only shifted once @ 2250 rpms.

Hope this helps you out some. Seems to be worse with cruise on. I'm wondering if it started after I had used the cruise control but I can't remember now. Thanks for any info!! I really appreciate it!! Oh yeah, what does R&P stand for? Laurie

 

ok dude, WHAT is it that it sounds like? where is the sound comming from? R&P means ring and pinion. he was trying to figure out if someone had messed with the rear end gears. if so, it could be gear whine, you may know it as a "humming" noise comming from the back of the truck at certain speeds.
if you're running at 65mph at 2250 RPM then your overdrive is working, otherwise you would be at like 3500 RPM. going up and down hills really doesnt prove or help anything here and neither does cruise control. if you can say that this "sound" is comming from the front of the truck, i'd say its your clutch fan thats just "roaring". it usually happens like during the first couple minutes you're driving the truck after you just start it up, but if its not working right it could be staying on all the time. thats all i can tell you man.

 

my truck does that fan roaring the 1st few mins when i drive it 2

 

My suggestion would be to take it to a mechanic and let him drive it then see what he says. These "it-sounds-like" problems are the most difficult to diagnose especially if we can't hear it first hand.