1996 DODGE RAM V8 SPORT 4x4
I am told it uses a 815 or 47RE ish tranny

Start of problem... Very late shift from 3rd to 4th (OD)
Middle if problem .. Seemed sluggish pulling away, maybe in second
Latest, shift one or sometimes twice, but that's it.

A friend of mine in a transmisison mfg, said check the governer solinoid
pressure, should be 1psi per mph. It started out at 10 then only went up to
25-30psi. He said it sounded like the governer solinoid. I got a new one,
put it in, new tranny oil and filter.

I drove it about 20 minutes or so and was great ! Back to normal. I left it 30
minutes and came back to drive to town, back to the same old problem.....
Shifts once or so and then that is it.

I looked at the old sensor and it had some junk at the end. I rechecked the
pressure again with the new sensor and it was down to a max of 20psi. I dropped
the pan and removed the new sensor, it had a little junk in the end, also????

I am told and read that it could be the computer, the speed sensor or governer
pressure soliniod. Speedo works fine, we know the gov pressure is low......


WHAT NOW>>>>>>>>>> ??? What is a good way to try to diagnose what is wrong??
My buddy says he things it is not the main transmision but not sure what.

I hate to spend too much $$ ... have a small family etc and would like to try things
my self...

ANY CLUE GUYS, I AM AT A LOSE... ???

APPRECIATED,

RICH

 

If you have a 1/2 ton, then you have a 46RE...which would be a 518 transmission

What do you mean when you say the sensor had a little junk on the end? Was it metal shavings?

 

No, just looked like tiny black spots, it was only a little around the sensor tip/mesh.

Someone recomended flushing by taking off 2 of the cooler lines and emptying and adding...

??? I am lost!

 

I'm confused -- did you replace the "solenoid" or the "sensor" ?

I think the sensor you want to replace is on the outside of the tail shaft housing. About $25, and when I took my old one out, it looked fine. I don't think a damaged one looks any different from a good one, it's was just broke on the inside.

The check-engine code is P0720. You might check the connections if you do rough / off-road-ish driving, but these sensors are just made that way-- I guess a drawback of the computer-age (I still am glad they _don't_ 'make em like they used to', though).


Cheers,
Lee

 

I replaced the governar solenoid.