I bought my 1998 Ram 1500 5.2L 4x4 short cab long bed pickup from my great grandfathers estate when he died. the truck has 61,000 miles on and as far as i can tell doesn't burn oil or transmission fluid. I've put about 5000 miles on myself so far.. but there is a one GLARING problem. if you hop in the truck start it and drop it into reverse it stalls out.. or if it manages to stay running it sounds like a diesel trying to idle and the power steering doesn't work the brakes have no vacuum assist its horrible. now the cold issue is infrequent but as soon as the truck is warms up you have to shift to neutral before going to D or R or it will just stall out unless i'm on the gas. Once in drive it has no issues other than and completely random on the outside temperature it slips unless i let it set in neutral for a minute or two. the colder the day the more likely it is to slip. the stalling to me seems like the T/C is locking at idle and stalling the truck out. i had a ford ranger that the T/C committed suicide on and the ram feels just like that when it stalls.


The truck has immaculate service records and at 60,000 it got a full tune up plugs wires coil. has more new parts than a new car.. gas tank, fuel pump sending unit..

Anyways any direction on a diagnostic path would be awesome. there are so many transmission issue threads on here that i am unsure where to start.

 

hmm, might be a vacume problem but the torque converter is a strong possability. How is the tranny fluid and does it shift through all gears fine? Also when ur in 4th gears cruising down the road at around 45-50 does the truck shudder or kinda shake?

 

Sounds to me like you need to check ALL the vacuum lines. And drop the trans pan and see what's in the pan. Do a fluid change(ATF+4 only)and filter. The PO may have had it serviced and they might have put Dexron in it. While the pan is off, adjust the bands and remove the Governor solenoid and clean it with some carb cleaner.

Last but not least, go to the FAQ/DIY section and download the free 2001 service manual AND get a Haynes at your local parts store. Between the two, you will know what tools you need to perform the tasks and hand. You should also read the "plenum" thread on top of the forum.

 

once shes moving she runs like a champ no shudder or shake till about 65+ and i think that's because it needs the wheels re-balanced. shifts fine. and the tranny fluid is now low because i found a leaky line. the hose to metal fitting near the radiator is faulty. but its been having all the same issues when it was full checked with engine running in neutral.

 

alright will do. if i had a vacuum leak wouldn't that effect the 4x4 engagement? and it only has the lack of power steering and brake issues when its acting up in reverse.. when its a cold start it runs fine despite minor slippage on extremely cold mornings/nights .

 

Yes, a vac leak will effect 4x4 engagement. Also the heater controls and cruise control.

 

Alright well I check the 4x4 throughout and it engages fine the heated goes from hot to cold and changes venting with no issues. I have no cruise control to check.

 

Then probably no vac problem if those things work fine. You don't have a problem with the vents changing by themselves when you give it hard throttle do you?

 

Also while the pan is off install a drain plug.

 

ZMan I'm following the thread because I have a similar problem... My heater / fan quits under hard throttle and slowly comes back as the load gets less. What's that indicate?