No 1st Gear When in 'Drive' - FIXED !!!
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Captain
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 725
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From: Central Missouri
No 1st Gear When in 'Drive' - FIXED !!!
Okay guys I thought this was the best way to update everyone and make it easy to search for in the future for members with a similar problem.
Here is the thread I started a few weeks ago:
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...when-in-d.html
Essentially, when in Drive, the transmission would never shift into 1st gear so I was always taking off in 2nd gear and it would shift up normally from there. It would go into reverse, 3rd, 4th, and OD...normally with no drivability issues.
A member suggested I replace the solenoid and pressure sender with HD Borg Warner units for around $100 with some shipping thrown in. I ordered them, and put them in this morning.
They were the solution. The problem is solved !!!
Overall, not a very difficult task though I am skilled mechanically and I have a garage fool of tools and plenty of experience under a vehicle. I would like to say up front to anyone who attempts this that it is a very messy procedure so have plenty of rags and fluid absorb handy. As careful as you may be...the fluid will get everywhere. LOL.
1: Place fluid catch under transmission.
2: Loosen and remove all bolts on the rear of the pan and the sides of the pan but leave the bolts on the front side of the pan.
3: Loosen the front side bolts but only a half turn...keep them snug.
4: Use a flat head screw driver and break the pan loose from the gasket. It will kind of fall or tip down towards the rear bit the front bolts will keep it from tipping too far. Fluid may start spilling out already.
5: Slowly start loosening the front side bolts one by one a turn or two each. With each loosening turn the pan will tip just a little more and dump more fluid safely into the catch pan. Keep doing this until the pan is mostly empty but stop before the front side bolts come completely out.
6: Remove all but one of the front side bolts. Hold the pan back up with your hand and remove the final bolt, and then using both hands drop the pan controlling it so it dumps into the catch. Once emptied, set the transmission pan aside on a towel or a rag and leave the catch pan under the transmission because it will keep dripping for a long time.
7: The filter is held up with two Torx screws. Remove them and be careful, the filter is full of fluid too and it will dump as soon as the screws are loosened. Let it empty, remove it, and set it in the catch pan.
8: You'll have access to the solenoid and sender. Remove both wiring pigtails from them but don't start prying at them...they are trapped instead of fastened.
9: Using a combination of the Torx driver and socket, remove the bolts and screws holding the plate up that surrounds the solenoid. Once that trap plate is removed the solenoid easily pulls out. Set it in the catch pan as well.
10: Next, removing that final bolt, take down the fluid block that the sender is inserted to. One bolt and it'll drop out. Take it to a bench where you can remove the clip on the inside that holds the sender in place.
11: Change the sender, replace the clip, and the block can go back up using that bolt. Don't tighten it yet though, just snug it, since the rest of the fasteners all pass through the same block you want it to be able to move so everything lines up.
12: Next push the new solenoid up into the bore. It will not seat fully as there is a gap for the trap plate to slide through to hold it up secure as you feed all the screws and bolts back into place. Once they are all started, tighten them.
13: Re-install the wiring pigtails into the plugs.
14: Install the new filter using the original Torx screws.
15: Clean the gasket surface on the transmission and pan and prepare the new filter with the pan.
NOTE: The blue plastic screws that come with Fel-Pro one piece oil pan gaskets also work great for transmission pans. Thread one into each corner, push the gasket up over the blue screws, and follow with the pan. They hold the gasket and pan up in place as you start your fasteners.
16: Install pan and gasket and insert all fasteners to snug but don't tighten them. Once they are all snug, starting in the middle on each side, work outwards towards the front and rear, torquing them to spec.
17: Clean everything up. I use Autozone brake cleaner and rags to get as much of the spillage and splatter up. Anything on the exhaust crossover pipe will smoke so be prepared to see some smoke on startup and warmup.
18: Put 4 quarts of fluid into the transmission dipstick. Verify it's filled to max cold. Start the engine and let it warm up and let the transmission circulate fluid as it warms up. Once warm, recheck fluid, and you'll probably need to add another 2.5 quarts or ATF.
19: Button everything up and clean up any spills or drips.
20: Test drive. Initially, I had to start in manual 1st, then stop, and shift up into Drive, but once I did that it shifted normally and perfectly into 1st gear at a stop, and up from 1st through all gears normally.
21: After a drive and with everything hot, re-check the fluid level and add as needed.
So that was the procedure. It was not difficult but might be daunting to someone who's previously only done very minor mechanical duties. If you're having shifting issues, this might be your solution too. If nothing else, these parts are said to improve shifting in transmission that don't even show signs of problems.
Thanks for reading...insert comments now:
Here is the thread I started a few weeks ago:
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...when-in-d.html
Essentially, when in Drive, the transmission would never shift into 1st gear so I was always taking off in 2nd gear and it would shift up normally from there. It would go into reverse, 3rd, 4th, and OD...normally with no drivability issues.
A member suggested I replace the solenoid and pressure sender with HD Borg Warner units for around $100 with some shipping thrown in. I ordered them, and put them in this morning.
They were the solution. The problem is solved !!!
Overall, not a very difficult task though I am skilled mechanically and I have a garage fool of tools and plenty of experience under a vehicle. I would like to say up front to anyone who attempts this that it is a very messy procedure so have plenty of rags and fluid absorb handy. As careful as you may be...the fluid will get everywhere. LOL.
1: Place fluid catch under transmission.
2: Loosen and remove all bolts on the rear of the pan and the sides of the pan but leave the bolts on the front side of the pan.
3: Loosen the front side bolts but only a half turn...keep them snug.
4: Use a flat head screw driver and break the pan loose from the gasket. It will kind of fall or tip down towards the rear bit the front bolts will keep it from tipping too far. Fluid may start spilling out already.
5: Slowly start loosening the front side bolts one by one a turn or two each. With each loosening turn the pan will tip just a little more and dump more fluid safely into the catch pan. Keep doing this until the pan is mostly empty but stop before the front side bolts come completely out.
6: Remove all but one of the front side bolts. Hold the pan back up with your hand and remove the final bolt, and then using both hands drop the pan controlling it so it dumps into the catch. Once emptied, set the transmission pan aside on a towel or a rag and leave the catch pan under the transmission because it will keep dripping for a long time.
7: The filter is held up with two Torx screws. Remove them and be careful, the filter is full of fluid too and it will dump as soon as the screws are loosened. Let it empty, remove it, and set it in the catch pan.
8: You'll have access to the solenoid and sender. Remove both wiring pigtails from them but don't start prying at them...they are trapped instead of fastened.
9: Using a combination of the Torx driver and socket, remove the bolts and screws holding the plate up that surrounds the solenoid. Once that trap plate is removed the solenoid easily pulls out. Set it in the catch pan as well.
10: Next, removing that final bolt, take down the fluid block that the sender is inserted to. One bolt and it'll drop out. Take it to a bench where you can remove the clip on the inside that holds the sender in place.
11: Change the sender, replace the clip, and the block can go back up using that bolt. Don't tighten it yet though, just snug it, since the rest of the fasteners all pass through the same block you want it to be able to move so everything lines up.
12: Next push the new solenoid up into the bore. It will not seat fully as there is a gap for the trap plate to slide through to hold it up secure as you feed all the screws and bolts back into place. Once they are all started, tighten them.
13: Re-install the wiring pigtails into the plugs.
14: Install the new filter using the original Torx screws.
15: Clean the gasket surface on the transmission and pan and prepare the new filter with the pan.
NOTE: The blue plastic screws that come with Fel-Pro one piece oil pan gaskets also work great for transmission pans. Thread one into each corner, push the gasket up over the blue screws, and follow with the pan. They hold the gasket and pan up in place as you start your fasteners.
16: Install pan and gasket and insert all fasteners to snug but don't tighten them. Once they are all snug, starting in the middle on each side, work outwards towards the front and rear, torquing them to spec.
17: Clean everything up. I use Autozone brake cleaner and rags to get as much of the spillage and splatter up. Anything on the exhaust crossover pipe will smoke so be prepared to see some smoke on startup and warmup.
18: Put 4 quarts of fluid into the transmission dipstick. Verify it's filled to max cold. Start the engine and let it warm up and let the transmission circulate fluid as it warms up. Once warm, recheck fluid, and you'll probably need to add another 2.5 quarts or ATF.
19: Button everything up and clean up any spills or drips.
20: Test drive. Initially, I had to start in manual 1st, then stop, and shift up into Drive, but once I did that it shifted normally and perfectly into 1st gear at a stop, and up from 1st through all gears normally.
21: After a drive and with everything hot, re-check the fluid level and add as needed.
So that was the procedure. It was not difficult but might be daunting to someone who's previously only done very minor mechanical duties. If you're having shifting issues, this might be your solution too. If nothing else, these parts are said to improve shifting in transmission that don't even show signs of problems.
Thanks for reading...insert comments now: