Not sure if i have a transmission problem??
#1
07-31-2018, 03:44 PM
Not sure if i have a transmission problem??
I recently bought a 2003 Dakota with 58k miles on it, auto transmission, 2 wheel drive and v6 3.9L. Some mornings when i go to work after letting the engine idle for 3-5 minutes before leaving, it seems like the engine is racing really high & loud (close to 3000 rpms) before switching gears. After 8-12 blocks, it runs like a champ and if i even floor it to get the rpms that high, it doesnt sound near as loud (engine sound..not exhaust sound) as it did when i first took off for work. The morning temps here have been about 60 to 70F so it isnt cold yet and i dont know if itll get worse when the temps drop this coming winter. My trans fluid when warmed up and checked in neutral is between ok and max and doesnt smell burn or have stuff in it and is slightly brownish red. Im not sure if its a engine problem or transmission problem. It almost feels like im pulling a heavy trailer or towing a car the way its struggling (which ive never done with it). The lady i bought it off of said she hasnt had any work done on the transmission since shes had it from 2008 (a co worker i worked with for 15 years and wouldnt lie to me) but noticed it some also and didnt think much of it. No check engine light either and has no stored or pending codes. Any ideas would be appreciated...thanks in advance
#2
07-31-2018, 07:26 PM
#3
07-31-2018, 07:36 PM
ill look tomorrow if it does it again...i know it seems to hang i think in 2nd and doesnt seem to shift..(roughly 15 to 20 some mph) sorta like driving a manual and not going to the next gear with the tach at about 2500 to 3500. But after a bit of driving, everything is back to normal and the truck responds normally thru all gears and drives perfect so who knows. I doubt the trans has ever had the fluid/filters changed since its only 58k but im hoping to catch the problem before it turns into a bigger one....thanks for the reply and if possible, ill try to record video of it also
#5
08-01-2018, 03:47 AM
thats exactly what it sounds like...not really sure how to check or fix that but I had a 92 f150 that had that problem also but I didn't have it long enough to really get into it. Thanks guys for the ideas cause I'd love to find out its not a trans problem but if it is, I'd like to catch it early
#6
08-01-2018, 04:56 AM
Well I drove into work today and it ran perfect. I made a video that I'll try to upload later but it was nice and quiet. At about 12-15 mph @ around 1500rpms it went to 2nd and around 22-25 mph @1500- 1700rpms it went to 3rd. I just drive in town so I rarely get above 35mph but it never went above 2000rpms. If the fan clutch is sticking once in a while, would that cause the engine go higher in rpms and delay the trans from shifting (electronically I mean)? I think magnet head may be on to something with the loud noise being the fan sticking
#7
08-01-2018, 10:45 AM
Also I read a few articles on how to check the fan...grease around the shaft, excessive play in the shaft and watching the speed when starting the engine after its sat overnight. The way it sounds, the fan may run a couple minutes (after a cold start) at the same or close to the same speed as the engine and then it's suppose to disengage and not run at the same speed as the engine. Maybe it was just not disengaged yet the times I took off and had that high fan/engine sound/sluggish running. .