Hello,

I recently bought(March 3rd 2023) a 02 ram 1500 with 101k miles on it and the transmission fluid is milky pink.

The previous owner replaced the transmission on February 27th and periodically the transmission would slip into neutral and then quickly, as in less than a second, and go back into gear.

Any recommendations?

 

Does the truck have a tow pkg? If not, your radiator might have failed, allowing coolant to mix with the ATF.

Note: I don't have a Ram, so I'm assuming the ones without tow packages have the coolant routed thru the radiator, vs an external cooler. Someone else can chime in on that.

 

Not that I am aware of. I know it is the SLT trim but I do not know for sure if that includes the tow package. Should I take it to a dealer or take it to a transmissions shop? I'm afraid a dealer would not touch it because it is so old.

 

You'd have a tow hitch and electrical connection by it. I don't know your abilities, but I'd be tempted to change the radiator and replace the ATF first. If it's been run that way for a long time, don't be surprised if your transmission is damaged though.

 

Every Ram I've had (three now) at various trims (Base, SLT Sport, and now Larime) have all had an external trans cooler. Base model had a super small one, last two have had the larger ones.

You'll see it sitting in front of the radiator when you open the hood. I wonder if the previous owner forgot the seal for the dipstick tube when installing the transmission.

 

All 3G Rams have external trans coolers. With a 2002 there are two different ½ ton trans choices; what engine do you have?

 

I think most likely cause is that you have an air leak at a seal or gasket.
Another possibility is previous owner used some type of additive for the transmission fluid.

 

Found this, not sure on the gen tho. If true, then you could still have coolant infiltration. The "cooler" in the radiator is also a warmer, to bring ATF up to temp fast.

https://transmissioncoolerguide.com/...20radiator.Ram

Factory Transmission CoolersOne of the common questions that owners ask is does my Ram have a transmission cooler? Yes, all Ram 1500 trucks do have a transmission cooler, and depending on the years or model (1500 vs 2500), there can be an external cooler in addition to the factory cooler within the radiator.