Now, im starting to get something of a tranny problem...

I know I know, ive preached how I dont belive these trannys are that bad as people make out... I still belive that... my trans has been through hell...
Im not really thinking its a huge issue though, just want another oppinion.

First off, my outside thermometer right now reads 1.3 degrees ... so its really f'in cold...
Lately when its cold (under 15 degrees) when the truck has been sitting for a while and competely cooled off when I start it and stick it in reverse its got a little whine that goes changes with rpms... at first it only lasted 1-2 seconds and was only in reverse lately its been lasting a little longer and is in drive also... This morning when I started ther truck (I dont warm my truck up before I leave... no time) so like it starts 3 seconds later I stick it in reverse... it took about 3 seconds to hook up... then was a little slow to get into drive too.
Tonight when I came home from work, I was pulling out on the road, and I felt a little something that just dident feel right, so I gave it maybe 1/2 throttle and it was shifting at about 4500rpms or so, and when it shifted out of second the rpms shot up real fast... so it was slipping pretty nasty like... so I took it easy and by the time I got off the highway (15 miles later) I tryed the same thing and it shifted fine... Seemed a little sloppyer than normal, but even after 15 miles in these temps it wasent fully warmed up.

Here is my idea... truck has 95k on it, I had the tranny flushed at around 70k but the filter has never been touched... Im thinking that my filter is getting plugged, flows good enough when the fluid is warm, but when its 5 or so degrees the fluid is so thick it cant flow through a plugged filter. Also my idea of the whine im hearing is that the pump is sucking the fluid and cant get as much fluid as it needs, so the pump is just cavitating. I dont know a whole lot about trannys, so if my ideas are completely out of whack that is why...

Does anyone have any ideas?
This weekend im going to replace the filter change the fluid that I can get to with droping the pan, long as im in there I will check the flow through my tranny cooler, and the cooler in the radiator... and I will adjust the bands.

Thanks

 

There is a TSB for the noise you hear when you are reversing in the cold weather.

I just had a rebuild, cost me a small fortune...

After the rebuild, the noise mine used to make when backing out of the garage is gone. They eventually had to replace the vave body, on their dime (phew).

So, as long as you don't see any particles in your fluid from the clutches, then you might just need a TQ. I am no tranny guy, so I took mine to a transmission specialist... they charged my $70 for a diagnostics test. that might be all you need so you can take their results and fix it yourself if its something you can do.

from my personal experience, these trannys don't last long on OEM parts...

best of luck, keep us posted when you find out the issue.

 

Here is the site i found the TSB about the noise.

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/troubleshoot/a_trans.htm

This is the TSB for the noise in reverse.

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1997/21-11-97.htm

 

Ive herd of that tsb, and thats waht I attributed it to at first... but now that im getting it in drive too im not so sure...

Thanks.

 

I did too, I would hear it start just as it wanted to shift that noise would get louder, then it would shift.
I did that for about .5-1mile or so.

I am not sure what your short term is, but I think your long term is a rebuild.

but, like I said, I would take it in to get it checked out.

 

Status: Online! [align=right]Post #7[/align] Today I checked the fluid... about a quart low...

Before this in my warm up trip it was slipping very badly in the 2nd gear shift, once I floored it to see waht it would do and I looked... m rpms hit 5500 and still no shift so I let off...
I filled the fluid up, it is about 1/4 inch above the full line on the dipstick (accident) now and I can say it seems to shift 100% perfect, no slips, no delays, ect ect ect... weird that a quart could make that much difference... but it seems to.

Im not ruleing out that its bad just yet, right before my test drive after filling the fluid up I was testing how it was grabbing and was spinning the tires on the ice in my driveway, and I got my self a little pit so I was stuck (in 2wd) so I was going back and forth in reverse to drive to rock myself out and the truck stalled... so maybe the tc is going bad... I checked and it threw no codes... I cannot replicate what happend.

Saturday I will be changing the fluid and filter.[/align]

 

is definatly not your tork convert. you are sucking air the 1 quart could have done it. sounds like your filter may also be plugged or your pump may be going out- change your fluid and filter and see what happens

 

^^^ Agreed. Also, at those low temps, you really need to let it warm up. < 5min. in gear will warm the trans. and ready it for driving. How would you like it if someone dragged your *** out of bed and threw you out in 1 degree weather and made you run like a track star in summer?! Ya may wanna block off your rad with cardboard or something too if it never gets to a good operating temp.

 

Oh ya, I understand the reason to warm things up.. its better for everything... Im just not very smart with the way I treat this truck at times...

Its been pretty much indestructable considering waht I have put it through, and im getting kinda over confident thinking it can take whatever...

After I added the quart of oil, like I said it shifted perfect... even gave a real nice firm shift like usual... Which would make me think that its not worn out bands that is produceing the slippage but is somthing else... filter stands out at me... im glad to see everyone else is sort of agreeing...

I had my father listen to the whine noise its making, he at work does alot with little fluid pumps like the ones in the trannys and he said that it might sound like a "a really fine cavitation" so basically like its sucking a little bit of air... Im not sure how powerfull these pumps are but its posiable that its sucking so hard on that halfway plugged filter and cold fluid that its pulling a vaccum and thats messing with it... also maybe the whine is just it working really hard...

Sorry, im mosty just thinking out loud... I appriciate the responces

On dodgetalk.com the guy who is rather good with trannys... I think he builds them for a living... tactransman (not sure if hes on here or not) but once ago I asked him weather when your adjusting the bands if I should to tighter and back off less... If I remember right he said tighen to the spec, but back off like a half turn less... Does anyone know the best way to do it?

 

I got the bands adjusted, new filter, and new oil... shifts great!

No more whine, goes right into gear almost instantainiously, no slips between gears ect ect ect.

Thanks for everyone that helped...