Hey everyone,
I have a 1999 Ram 1500 2wd 5.2l
About two weeks ago, I was driving to work and my truck downshifted, to what I’m assuming is 4th because I counted out the gears and 1-4 work but I’m running 2250 rpms at 65 mph and I’ve never run that high before. I changed the fluid and filter which was absolutely burnt to a crisp. Very dark looked like motor oil, however it did not have any metal shavings or chunks just a little sludge about the size of your pinky finger nail. I was doing research and after changing that I have the same problem except now it downshifts to 3rd. I’m wondering if it’s the speed sensor in the tranny by the overdrive. I’ve run outta ideas on where to look. Can anyone lead me in a direction please?

 

Welcome to DF! Gonna move this to second gen ram section for ya.

Are you getting any codes? Any malfunction lites on in the dash? If the fluid was really burnt, the trans may be toast........

 

no codes no lights, overdrive doesn’t work, but I have 1-4. I’m thinking maybe speed sensor. It was really nasty fluid that hadn’t been changed in I don’t know how long.

 

4th is overdrive, Are you talking about converter lockup? That's only about 200 rpms.

 

so it shifts 1-4 but when I get on the highway it doesn’t go down to the 1750 at 65 like it use too. I thought it was just cuz it needed a tranny flush but the transmission guy I brought it to said that overdrive was shot and it needed to be rebuilt? I could use some help. I was thinking a transmission flush and maybe the speed sensor in the transmission and it would go back to normal

 

Don't flush the trans. If it hasn't been done regularly during its service life, flushing it is a sure way to kill it.

If you aren't getting O/D, (which is what I suspect is happening) need to find out why. The PCM expects a certain engine temp, trans fluid temp, engine load, and road speed to shift into O/D, if any one of those are not where the PCM thinks it should be, no O/D. If it is a failure of some sort, the PCM should set a code. The codes may not turn on the check engine light. Need to get the codes read, and see if there are any pending codes. If there aren't, then need to see live data when it SHOULD shift into O/D, and see what things are at. Something as simple as a sensor not reading properly, and it won't shift.

 

no codes read by a snap on reader no live data 1-4 work it just doesn’t give that kickup to lock the converter the only code I got was a code saying the torque converter wasn’t shifting right and it was a result of dirty fluid. I half flushed it and it ran perfect until it mixed with the other half of the oil. From what I read and talked to a dodge dealer service tech he told me more then likely the sensors are just burnt from the fluid so the speed sensor is my guess since my speedometer is off 20mph

 

So you have bigger tires?