A little backround:

The trans was rebuilt about 18 months ago by Transmissin Transaction in Forest Grove, Oregon. It has less that 15,000 on it since the rebuild. A shift kit was put in it when it was rebuilt. I'm not sure of the specifics since the truck was my father's at the time.

A few problems here:

1. Upon starting my truck and putting into drive, the trans would hang in first gear until almost 3000 RPM. This was regardless of throttle position/pressure. After the first shift into second, it never did it again. If I turned the truck off and restarted it, it will have the same problem. It doesn't matter if the trans was warm or cold, it did it every time. Last week, the dealer found that my trans speed sensor was damaged and leaking a lot of ATF+4. After replacing the sensor and adding almost 3 qts of fluid, I figured the problem was solved. No such luck. It doesn't do it every time now, just randomly. But only after starting the motor and shifting into second for the first time.

2. The trans has also been surging intermittently. The torque converter will randomly unlock, allowing the engine to rev freely. When it does this, I let off of the gas and let the RPM settle and then depress the throttle. Sometimes the torque converter won't lock and the motor revs freely again. Usually on the second try, it locks up and the truck accelerates normally. There are occasions when I am applying light/moderate throttle pressure and the trans will start to hunt a little. The torque converter isn't completely unlocking, but it doesn't feel like it's slipping. The RPM just jump 200-400.

3. This morning as I was pulling into work, I was waiting for a vehicle to pass before pulling into the parking lot. When I depressed the throttle, the engine RPM far exceeded my level of acceleration. Knowing what trans slip feels like, I did a u-turn and took it straight to the dealership. It's about 8 miles to the dealership and not once did the trans slip or surge again. I took one of the tech's for a drive and I was able to duplicate the surging, but no slip.

So, who can fix it?

What I'm thinking:

Throttle control valve needs adjustment.
Shift governor solenoid.
Clogged filter (this ismy optomistic side coming out).
Bands need adjustment.
Vaccum pressures are off.

Any suggestions would be great. And I'll keep this updated as I found out more.

Thanks!

Josh

 

I would check the TV cable. Make sure that is all good. Next drop the pan, since it was rebuilt some what recently, I have heard of metal clogging up the electronics and causing major problems.

I wouldn't play with the bands, you can ruin them very easily.

 

i woul pressure check it too, sounds like the fluid pressure could be a little weak because of what the converter is doing

 

The transmission tech, Eric, at Don Miller Dodge went through my transmission yesterday. He will be replacing the governor sensor, governor transducer and the lockup solenoid. I will also be getting a new governor housing gasket, pan gasket and filter. Parts cost is $450 and labor is $330.

I spoke with the gentleman that rebuilt it for me back in Oregon and he concured witht the diagnosis that I was given based on my description of the problems. It's good to have more than one opinion.

I sure wish I had more than a gravel driveway. Having been a professional Honda mechanic for 4 years, having this type of work done for me is bitter pill to swallow! I have never done transmission work, though. So I know when I'm in over my head.

I'll leave a final update after I get the truck back.

Josh

 

Well, Friday afternoon brought some bad news. The Assistant Service Manager gave me a call and said that when they dropped the pan to replace the sensors, thaey found some debris. It wasn't enough for the tech to say that the trans was shot, but it was significant enough to raise his eyebrow a little. Vague, I know. But an honest assesment. To make a long story short, I could have a factory reman installed for $3500 (3yr/100K warranty), have it rebuilt at the dealer for $2800 (1yr/12K warranty) or conitnue with the original repair (see earlier post) for about $800 and cross our fingers that it holds together. I didn't feel like being married to the truck by putting in the factory reman. The dealer rebuild was little less and the warranty wasn't nearly as tempting as the factory unit. In the end, I decided to take my chances with the original fix and sell the truck. Both the tech and the Assistant Service Manager said that they would have gone the same route.

I guess it's time to move on from my Dakota. My grandpa bought this truck new, my dad bought it from him and then I bought it from my dad several years ago. It's going to be kind of weird selling it, but it's a neccessary evil at this point.

I'll let you all know Monday how it comes out.

Josh

PS: Why did this thread get moved to the 2nd Gen Dakota area? I clearly own a 1st Gen truck...

 

I received a call from the dealership this afternoon and they said I could come in and pick up my truck; everything is working great. Finally, about 7pm, I arrive at the dealer to pick up my rig (they're open until 9pm!) I dropped off my rental, paid my $883 and drove away. About 3/4 mile away, the surging started again. I can't duplicate the words that came out of my mouth here, but I'm sure all of you have vivid imaginations. Since the dealer was open so late, I turned around and took the truck back. I started asking detailed questions about what the tech did to the trans and he couldn't answer one of them. I requested that the tech call me directly so I could talk with him about it.

I'll keep you posted.

J

 

Since I picked up the truck last fall nothing has been done to fix the transmissin. I cleaned it up, bought a used topper and parked it in my back yard for the winter. It's been a great storage unit for my summer wheels/tires off of my Volvo and BMW. I digress...

After many failed attempts with customer service and "just missing" the service manager at Don Miller Dodge I filed a dispute with my bank credit card. Interestingly enough my bank had the same communication troubles
that I did. After 4 weeks I had a $883 credit posted. Nice. At least I didn't completely lose my a$$ on the deal. USAA will be my bank of choice for good.

My question for everyone is this: will a 46RE transmission from a 1998 Dakota R/T fit in my 1996 Dakota 4x4? I have one in my sights, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I can handle slight modifications if needed.

Josh

 

First of all I had the identical problem with my 46re. They found some debre in the pan and there was a snap ring that i guess was causing my problems. Not sure on the actual dignosis, but it had to be rebuilt. New England Auto Trans put a factory rebuilt tranny in there and it was $1400, which seems cheaper than anyone else I'v heard replace a tranny. 3500 or 2800 seems way high.

 

thats a two wheel drive transmission and won't work the r/t one. Look for one from a ram mated with the 360 or 318.

 

moe in wichita ks
i dont normaly post on this site cause i get flamed when i do.
somthing. iam NOT trans expert, but i would like to note. when a newer mopar trans goes south some times it puts trash in the cooler lines, this will burn the bearings out cause the cooler lines also lube trans bearings. there is a check valve in the rad and it will hold trash. i can give you the name of a copany, but i cant post it here. e-mail me if you want moe7404@att.net