I hate to be the person that registers on a forum just to ask a question that has been already answered a million times. I've searched around and found a bunch of people with very similar problems to mine but with the usual 4 or 5 different fixes. I oversee over 40 motorcycle forums here at my job and decided I would bite the bullet and make a new thread on here. This place is slammed! This 2nd Gen Ram section is crazy busy. Thanks again for your patience and for your help. Now let's get to it.

I bought this 96 Ram for dirt cheap ($1100, 145,000mi) to get some projects done around the house and to have a beater. After just a couple months (summer time) I started to have the usual "won't shift into the next gear so I have to put it in neutral or jump down a gear real quick". The buddy I bought it from said it did that last winter.

Now I'm dealing with the trans completely slipping when warmed up. I drove the truck home from work one day and exactly 3 miles later I went to leave a red light and it would barely creep forward. I waited for the light to cycle green again and got a slight rolling start. I was able to limp it out of the intersection at a snail's pace just feathering the throttle (below 2500rpm) and once I got up to about 10mph I decided to ride it out and get to a parking lot. I ended up getting up to 40mph then pulled in and parked it for the night (had something to get to). I had a buddy come pick me up.

The next day I decided to limp it back up to the shop. It drove great for the first two miles. Tons of grip, good acceleration, drove perfect. After 2 miles I had to slow down for a light, tried to keep it above 20mph but had to almost stop. I could hear and feel I was about to have the same issue again. It made some noise then started slipping. Over the last mile it would come and go and between putting it in neutral and drive back and forth I crawled it the last mile at an average of 10mph (the people behind me loved it).

So what I have is a truck that used to not want to go from one gear into the next intermittently and now the truck will drive two miles then slip/barely barely grip - max 10mph. Codes PO740 TCC Circuit Malfunction, PO133 O2 sensor, and PO441 Evap code. Prior to this the light was on for the last two. I've heard on and off whining noises since the big break down and some kind of fluid gurgling noise (possibly the cooling system, I've got heater core issues too). I checked the trans fluid before and after this issue and it looks pretty good. Smells good, looks good, correct level. Oil is in good shape and full. Coolant is a clean orange color.

My dilemma is that my budget is next to nothing on this truck. If I can't fix it for under a few hundred dollars I'm going to sell it as is. If I can drop the pan and throw a couple parts at it I'm willing to do that.

Thanks very much for your help, let me know if you have any questions from here.

 

Well, you could always drop the pan and see what you find. ATF+4 refill is gonna cost around $70, needs between 6 and 7qts usually...

 

I can't say I'd be very confident knowing what the hell I'm looking at in there. Unless there was something obviously broken or a bunch of metal in the bottom of that pan I wouldn't be much further ahead. I had hopes that maybe a drain and fill would get it back on the road. What would I be looking for?

Thanks for the quick price quote too.

 

Exactly what you stated, metal and crap on the magnet, or parts floating in the fluid.

 

Or a gunked up governor pressure solenoid.... but, I wouldn't hold my breath. Sounds like rebuild time.... If you are feeling adventurous, and have a place to work, you could probably rebuild it yourself for a couple hundred.......

 

I'm not doubting it might need a rebuild, I was just hoping a couple small parts might solve the problem since so many people have these same exact symptoms. Can that solenoid be cleaned or would it require replacement?

As for pulling the trans out, I just don't think I've got that much effort in me. I'd rather sell it broken at that point. What do you think I could get for this thing as is?

Thanks guys.

 

Yeah, solenoid can be cleaned. Replacement is better though.. but, given your symptoms, I would clean first, and see what happens.... no point throwing money at it if it does indeed need rebuilt. (even a fluid filter change ain't cheap though. )

 

So the talk of a trans seal kit has been thrown around in the threads that I saw with similar symptoms as mine. Is that a cause that I should consider too?

Why don't you just drive down from Adrian and come grab this thing for a grand?

 

Extended cab short bed with a 360? What kind of shape is the body in?? I am looking for a parts donor..... (would rather it was a 3/4 ton, but hey, I haven't found any of those yet on the cheap yet either. )

 

Yeah, but a 5.2. Body is decent, no damage. Hood and roof have no clear left. Rust on the front and back bumpers and slowly creeping up the sides. Interior is pretty clean other than that rip in the drivers seat. 4WD works. AC doesnt.