I pulled my 28' 5th wheel to the U.P. for a week of camping. Everything was seemingly fine until someone in front of me, about 5 miles before the campgrounds, stopped to turn left on the 2 lane highway. When I took off after they turned, my truck was shifting funny. It didnt want to go from 3rd gear to 4th. I had to feather the throttle to get it to shift.

I pulled my buddy's boat around all weekend without any issues. Came home yesterday from a 3 hour drive hauling our 5th wheel and going down the highway, it pulls fine without any issues. As soon as I turned off the highway to get to my house, once again the same shifting issue. I did notice that where my exhaust goes around the rear axle, a hole in the top of the exhaust. Was planning on replacing my exhaust anyways, but when I got to the campgrounds, I noticed my exhaust pipe broke off from the rear of the muffler. Would that heat up the under carriage of my truck, or mess with the back pressure enough to cause my truck to do this?

I had my tranny fluid and filter changed at the dealership about 8,000 miles ago. My truck is a 2001 Dodge 2500 4x4 Quad cab short box Cummins with 83,000 miles on it now. The fluid does not smell burnt nor did I ever smell any sort of hot tranmission smell at the campgrounds or at my house when I got home. I got no dummy lights on my dash while it was doing this either. Stopped for lunch with my camper on the way home about 30 miles from the campgrounds and while going thru town, it didnt shift funny like this either. Didnt notice it once again until I was almost home.

I have read online something as simple as my battery connections not grounding the tranny. Seems to be after really working the transmission. I dont have an exhaust or transmission temp gage on my truck. Dont really think it is a mechanical issue because I would think it would do it all the time???? I am guessing a sensor or grounding issue???

Anyone have an idea of what it could be???

 

The PCM will disable O/D before the trans temp light comes on. Does the owners manual tell you its ok to tow in O/D though????

 

I never use my cruise while towing and I have a very soft right foot while towing too. I will shift my truck out of OD if I need to but my truck would not be happy being in drive going down the interstate. The roads I run are for the most part are level with a few rolling hills.

I do use my OD button when pulling also to make sure I am not lugging my transmission.

 

you might want to consider installing a trans cooler & temp gauge,it would alow you to see if heat is the culprit,i recall seeing in the owners manual OD is to be off when towing,that is reason its there.

 

I have the towing package on it which includes the tranny cooler. I will have to check my manual about the towing aspect.

 

Still have the check valve in the line leading to the radiator? Might wanna consider making that feller go away as well.

 

The factory tranny cooler isn't worth a damn, except for real light duty or normal operation.

 

Ill second what everyone else has said.

Is the shifting issue only from 3-4?

Personally, I would load up the truck and get it to act up then go to a shop and have them put a scan tool on the truck and watch what the computer does. The 3-4 ****, is not reliant on the governor controls, its computer commanded based on speed and TP.