Vehicle is a 98 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.9 and the trans should be a 46re. My parents truck which I have been fixing for them.

After the truck sat for about 14-16 months due to body work (replaced cab corners and driver side rocker) I got it all back together and got the 4 wheel drive fixed (ended up being a vacuum leak due to a chewed plastic line running to the front axle) and took it for a test drive. Everything worked fine, put a few miles on it and got everything up to full temp without any issues until I came back and decided to ensure the 4wd worked more than just when it was on jack stands.

With the truck in 4wd I floored it a few times in the grass and spun the tires a bit and ensured 4wd worked and it did. Shortly after, perhaps 5 minutes I drove the truck up to the house from the shop and noticed it engaged into gear a little slowly but then seemed fine. When I went to put it in reverse it made a whining type noise and then when I put it back in drive it took a second but went fine.

Couple days later, my parents come to get the truck. They start it and have it running to get it warmed up so the cab is warm before they go and they make it onto the road and the trans loses everything, no forward, no reverse. They make it back to the house after a bit of sitting and trying to get it to go into gear. When the vehicle is to full operating temp, when you put the trans in any gear nothing engages, no changes in engine rpm or anything. If you try to idle up it is like the truck is in P or N regardless of what gear you are in.

I went out to look at it today and when it is cold it drives fine but as soon as you get it to full temp it loses everything and before it does reverse has a loud whine and neutral will kind of have it as well and a little bit in D at times. I did put a new filter and fluid in it a couple years ago but it has had about 5k miles put on it since then.

The fluid is full and was checked with it on a flat surface and in neutral and checked when at operating temp. Fluid is clean, no debris and does not smell or appear burnt at all. I did try disconnecting the 6 or 8 pin harness and see if that did anything (if memory serves that should max out the pressure) and it made no difference once the vehicle was back up to temp and still had no gears.

I have tried to search for asnwers to my problem but the ones I find that are similar don't come back and post what they discovered the issue was. Transmission are not my specialty but I am willing to learn.

My research has suggested at this point I may be looking at either a torque converter issue or a pump issue but again no one comes back to say what fixed their similar issue.

Hope someone can suggest something to help point me in the right direction.

 

On the drivers side of the trans, about halfway back, is an 8 pin connector. It basically plugs straight down into the top of where the valve body is. Get everything up to temp, and unplug it. You will no longer have ANY automatic function on the trans. That means you have to start in first, and up/down shift as appropriate. You also will not have TCC, or O/D. So, don't go far. If the trans goes into the gear you tell it to, when you tell it to, its just an electronic problem, and replacing the governor pressure sensor and solenoid will fix it. If it still acts wonky, it's rebuild time.

 

I did disconnect that connector and it did not change anything.

 

Rebuild time.

 

You can do a pressure test that will give you an idea where the problem is. From what you are saying sounds like a pump issue. Did you read up about the check valve by the radiator?

Pressure test is on page 7...https://www.trucktransdiag.com/downl...nsmissions.pdf

 

I have not read up on the check valve. I will look in to that.

 

I believe there is a thread on it here somewhere.