I am a little worried about my tranny. When I hit the gas to downshift it is like it gets stuck in gear- It starts stuttering- bucking so I have to let go of the gas and let it straighten out. Same problem if I am at a red light- then hit the gas hard, it will do the same thing?
Is adjusting the bands a do it yourself kind of job for a rookie? If not, how much time does it take/ or how much will it cost me to get it done? Oh my Dodge tranny- so wild...Possibly related is my cold start problem. I have to keep my foot on the gas for 1-2 minutes or she stalls. I will take apart the throttle body and clean it on the weekend. Maybe my TPS is ready for retirement...Besides that, I love the truck. Different from my Mustang, but a great ride. (98 1500 5.2 4X4)

 

Sounds like your on the right track. Could be the tranny going [&:] Go ahead and adjust the bands, its pretty easy just follow the directions inthe FSM or on this site. It could also be the TPS maybe like you say, worth a shot to check it. As for the stalling, again your right. Clean the TB and IAC

 

I think Van Halen said it best " Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine Got the feel for the wheel, keep the movin' parts clean"

 

lalwz

 

this is not really any help, but.. my buddy just bought a 99 5.2 auto 46re w/ 105k miles. It would shift right for about 20 miles or so. When it got good and warmed up, you'd be driving along in OD w/ TC lockup and you'd come to a hill and it would bog down some. If you kicked the gas, it would release TC and do "fair". If you just held the gas steady, the trans couldn't decide whether to unlock or not, and would hammer/stutter. We changed the fluid 3 times in 3 weeks to see if it would get any better. After a fluid change it would do "better" for 3-4 days and fall back into hammering. After the 3rd fluid change of expensive ATF+4, the likelyhood of an expensive trans repair, combined with the cracked dash, the leaking transfer case, the leaking rear axle seal, roaring rear end, worn out tires and brakes, and vacuum leak that caused the the heater/defroster to switch back and forth, he decided that 4 weeks of Dodge ownership was long enough. He took it to town and traded it in on a new Ford.

 

lol, sounded like he had his fair share of problems.