Hiya. Newbie here. I have looked at some threads concerning this issue, but have not found any quite like mine. I just bought this truck (of course) which is a '97 1500 v6 with 107k miles. Mostly it drives and shifts fine, but every couple of days or so, it won't shift out of 1st gear. I have to put it in neutral and back into drive for it to shift into the higher gears. I had the fluid and filter replaced, and it still acts the same. It doesn't seem to slip, but occasionally it just won't shift out of low. Mechanic said there was more metal in the pan than he was comfortable with...eek.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

Did your mechanic also adjust the bands while he was in there?

Might be the Governor Pressure sensor/solenoid clogging up with crap, or, a failing trans temp sensor, or, sticking valves due to the crap in the tranny........

 

i think it wasnt torque right when adjusting the bands..tsk..

 

I put in 8oz. of Sea Foam Trans-Tune and it shifted beautifully for a couple of weeks, and now---again---back to the same issue of not wanting to shift into higher gears without shifting into neutral and back again. Requires the same neutral-and-back shift to go from second to third as well when it's acting up. Then it'll shift fine for days/weeks until it decides to irritate me again.

Any ideas?

BTW, nothing has been done except a fluid/filter change and 8oz. of Sea Foam.

Thanks....

 

Drop the pan, and pull the Governor Pressure sensor, and solenoid. Probably caked with crap. If they are REALLY bad, just replace them. (although, given the statement about the metal in the pan.... you might just be buying yourself a bit of time, before it blows..... its a crap shoot.)

 

Thats what my old trans was doing, til I had a rebuilt one installed Monday.

 

Well, it doesn't seem like the whole tranny is trashed...when it's cooperating, it shifts and drives normally...no noises, leaks, hunting for gears, or slipping. But when it takes a mind to stay in one gear...that's what it does.

 

When my trans guy pulled my valve body, it was full of metal....mine was doing EXACTLY what yours was doing...there is no quick fix for it. The stuff you poured into it, is simply a band aid to get you to a point to where you can have it fixed properly. Pretty much driving around with it the way it is, is simply playing Russian roulette.

 

How thick was the sea foam trans-tune??

Mine was doing something similar, i put in a bottle of the lucas trans stuff (before i read here about the horror stories others had with it, i wouldn't have used it if i had), it was somewhere between the thickness of gear oil and grease, super thick. Well i must be extremely lucky, i mean EXTREMELY lucky because it hasn't acted up since and this was over 2 years ago, that's right the lucas trans fix worked for me. I still drive the truck hard on occasion with WOT from stops(never have gone over 75 and only that high on the freeway), or hauling loads of gravel, or filling the bed full with firewood to the point of sitting on the bump stops(only for a few miles from load to unload). Please note i am not recommending the lucas trans fix, just saying it worked for me.

I realize someday I will be facing a rebuild and that lucas crap will not make it any more fun.

I just seem to be extremely lucky, not only on the lucas transfix, but i also am running a bosch O2 sensor without problems(bought it years ago when replacing the cat without reading about the opinions here), and i also ran the bosch platinum +2 plugs(before i read about them here) and the truck seemed to love them (when restarting after being turned off for 10 mins or less, it would take just barely engaging the starter for maybe a tenth of a second or less, wouldn't even hear it turn over it just fired up, ran them for 3 years before replacing). I switched to champion copper plugs no longer get those kind of start ups.

Sorry for trailing on about other parts, just showing I must be extremely lucky with my truck, or my truck just loves me as much as i love it. Or I am just the exception.

I geuss what I am talking about is maybe you should try a different trans additive. Since you are thinking of a rebuid anyway. You got to ask yourself one question "do I feel lucky?" "Well, do ya, punk?"

I hope for you the best of luck with whatever route you take.

 

A viable solution has been mentioned twice in this thread. Thanks Heyyou.