Hi all, I sure could use some advice on my 97 Ram 1500 5.2L 4x2 with 46RE tranny.

My truck now has 170K miles on it and for the last few months I have noticed a lack of power on takeoff. Very slow to get moving and seems to be really straining to climb any incline at all. I had to almost floor it to get it up on ramps to work on it. Once I get up to speed I don't have any other issues until I have to stop again. However last week I was traveling at highway speed and the overdrive dropped out. The dash light for the OD came on and I could not get it to kick back in. I continued on to my destination and when I got back in to leave and started the truck, the OD came back on and worked just fine all the way home. I noticed the check engine light was on and ran thru the procedure of turning the key on/of 3 times and got the 12,37,45,55 codes. I know I can ignore the 12 and 55. After consulting this forum I found out that the 37 was the OD/TCC Solenoid pack, and 45 is the Governor Pressure Solenoid. I have now replaced both of these solenoids and the 37 code is now gone. I still have the 45. I have normal overdrive now and can turn it on/off at the dash with no issues, and it kicks in around 52 mph depending on how hard I get on the gas. I am no expert but does this lack of low end power sound like the torque converter is bad? Would band adjustment help? Or am I looking at a tranny overhaul? (Yuk). When I dropped the pan, the fluid is clear, no burnt smell or anything, and very few if any metal particles were stuck on the magnet in the pan. If I had any they were very, very small. I noticedthe other solenoid on the bottom of the valve body, but don't know what is is or if it could be the issue.

Can someone maybe point me in the right direction? I would appreciate it greatly.

Thanks
Tracey
Greenville, TX

 

Check out the other thread here about a surging problem. There is a reply about a possible problem with a wire rubbing through inside the trans by the valve body. You might want to check it out because I believe the wire to the governor pressure solenoid and the 5V signal wire run in the same harness. Could be related.

 

nope, your tranny is on it's way out. OD dropout is the 1st sign... get it to a shop asap and maybe they can fix it w/o having to do a complete overhaul.

 

Thanks all for the quick reply. When I replaced the OD/TCC solenoid pack, that replaces the entire cable harness inside the pan. So, I don't think it is a wiring issue at this point, but I could be wrong. What else could I check to rule out an electrical issue since I'm still getting the 45 code? I'd like to cover all the bases I can before plunking down a ton of cash for a rebuild. Are there other common symptoms of the trans failing I could look for? Thanks.

 

Torque converter is most likely going bad. Have your bands ever been adjusted? I just adjusted my bands and shifting was better, but my dad rode with me and stated that the torque converter is slipping. I'm planning a rebuild anyway as the truck has 138K on it and I know from all of the work I've done to it that previous owners neglected maintenance.