So I'm now having a transmission problem with my APS transmission. It's only got 32k miles on it but it's out of warranty by 4 months. Anyway, I did a little towing up a mountain yesterday. It did fine. Today it doesn't want to work properly. If you give it quarter throttle from a take off and barely go forward it goes and shifts hard into second then quickly shifts to third and then slams back down into second. Feels almost like the transmission is going to fall out of the truck. Then if you take off with about half throttle or more it literally starts jerking horrible and cutting out like the truck is stalling out. Feels like someone driving a manual about to stall. Once it shifts into second it then starts slamming around in the gears. I can't tell which gear it's going into or if it's just slamming in the same gears. Sometimes it feels like it skips 2nd and goes to 3rd or something as it barely is going and if you give it more gas to make it accelerate it slams back down into second.

It also sometimes but not every time will start jerking and feel like it's stalling when you stop. It then will cut off from stalling out.

Now I talked to Wayne at APS and he said it could possibly be a governor pressure sensor and that he would check to see if he had an extra one he could send me. For me to call back in a few hours.

Does this issue sound like it could be a governor pressure sensor or is it going to most likely be something mechanical.

 

Put a scan tool on it. Check the converter lock up solenoid. If it is hanging or being commanded on at the wrong time it will stall the motor and make the truck feel like a manual.

But like i said the first thing i would do is put a scan tool on it and look at the data stream. Then drop the pan and take a look.

Whats the warranty on an APS?

 

Okay, I will see if I can find a shop that will do that. Then I will drop the pan. Do you think it's a possibility that it's the governor pressure sensor like he said? Or is it probably not?

BTW the warranty on APS units is 2 years unlimited mileage. Or at least that's what it was when I got mine. I guess it's still the same. I've had mine for 2 years and about 4 months.

 

Okay, I will see if I can find a shop that will do that. Then I will drop the pan. Do you think it's a possibility that it's the governor pressure sensor like he said? Or is it probably not?

BTW the warranty on APS units is 2 years unlimited mileage. Or at least that's what it was when I got mine. I guess it's still the same. I've had mine for 2 years and about 4 months.

 

Its a possibility, but i would do a quick scan before you throw some parts at it.

 

I'm just praying I don't have to rebuild this thing. However, at the same time it seems like it slams gears too hard, and jerks too much to be a electrical issue. Hopefully it is though because I don't know much about them.

 

I haven't driven it anymore or hadn't. However, when I fired it up today to pull it in the garage it wouldn't move. When I put it in gear it stalled. We had to push it in.
Well, I decided to throw a governor pressure sensor and solenoid on there anyway. It didn't fix it. When I had been checking the fluid on the dip stick and it looked pink. When I dropped the pan it look dark gray. Almost black. Then on the magnet there were some metal shavings and lots of sludge. I'm not sure how much shavings is normal.
I put it all back together and it didn't stall pulling out of the garage or driveway. However, I noticed when I got on the road it shifted hard and early. Then it shifted to 2nd hard and early. If on the gas hard it revved up like normal but shifted hard into second gear. Then at the end of the road when I pulled up to a stop sign it cut off again.

I'm thinking something must have gone wrong in the transmission. I'm debating on if I'm going to try to sell the truck as it is or if I want to fix it one more time then try to sell it. I don't like anything about the way Dodge designed these trucks however for some reason I'm attached to this one as it has a lot of memories associated with it. I really just don't like to keep fixing it though. I don't want to be stuck putting a transmission it it every couple of years when I don't even need it that often. Last time I fixed the transmission and did all of the repairs to it I thought I wanted to keep it forever and just be one of those trucks people have they use to hunt on, go in the snow, haul stuff, etc and keep it even if I do get a new one. After dumping the money into it I've regretted it but have had so much into it that I couldn't get rid of it without taking a huge loss so I'm not sure I want to start all over again with it and do that again. I'm thinking it might be time to just free myself from this truck once and for all.

 

Im sorry to hear that man, I was going to do a 5 speed swap to mine awhile back but ive decided to wait till my tranny starts acting up. Then im going to swap in a NV3500 OR 4500. Then ill have to worry about nothing. Have you considered this? It would cost pretty much the same thing if you know what your doing. Just wanted to run that idea by ya. I dont think you'd ever have to worry about the tranny again..Even if you towed alot.

 

I would really like a 5 speed swap as I'd much prefer a 5 speed. The problem is that I don't know how to do it so I'd basically be paying someone a ton to do the swap then work out the bugs. I just don't see it being anywhere near decently priced if I have to pay someone the labor to do it all. That's what kept me from doing it last time.

 

it is alot of work and some money but you know when you do it it will be 99% less problems and make you sleep better at night but keep going. knowing you dont have to worry about your tranny slipping or blowing. i maybe considering this swap if my tranny ever acts up. every time i try to mod my truck it seems like i need to do preventive maintence just to keep it going. its a little discouraging but in the end it will pay off.