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View Full Version : Fourth Tranny in less than a month.


737jet
12-21-2008, 10:10 PM
Sorry to do this guys, It's about my old shit box 98 dakota 5.2L 4x4 auto. I know this aint the place but every other forum is full of wierdo's without a damn clue. Plus it takes a week to get a response.

The story,

My dad's truck which used to be mine acted up last month. My dad said it would rev right up and go nowhere. I told him to try with the Overdrive off, try 1, 2 and D and it did nothing. After it cooled down, it was fine for a little bit. really lumpy at idle.

The engine light came on too. It said Torque converter lock up solenoid circuit malfunction. Looked through some forums, they all said to have the tranny rebuilt. Checked the dipstick, fluid looked fine but there was a shitload of grey filings at the bottom.

Okay, bought a used trans from Ralph's on mitchell Island for $900 plus taxes and had a place that they recommended install it for $450. I'd do it myself but we don't have a garage to do it in. The place that did the install is also on mitchell Island, M&T Transmission.

After talking with the dudes at M&T they recommended installing a mild shift kit so this wouldn't happen again and to increase the used transmissions life. Extra $350.

Shit gets done and my dad goes to pick it up. He asked why it still idles funny, and was told it's fine and that it's likely a bad plug wire.

3 days later my dad calls and said it went again. I checked it out. It shifted like it used to. No difference at all from the old tranny so I really didn't understand what the shift kit did. The check engine light was on and the exact same code pops up. I called dodge and they said all that circuitry is internal to the trans.

Taking no chances, I took it back to M&T.

They said the shift kit only involved drilling the valve body to improve fluid flow and would not affect the shift. I asked about line presssure and they said if they did that then the tranny would wear faster blah blah. Okay.

The tranny was covered under warranty from ralph's and they covered half the price of the install. Nice of them since they didn't have to cover anything at all for labour. M&T said they re installed the first shift kit in this tranny too.

My dad calls again and said the truck wouldn't run right after he gave it a tune up the day after he got it back. I said I'd take it to work and see what I could do about the engine. It stalled everywhere at idle. So I decided to take it to work and maybe change out the Fuel filter. Plugs, wires and rotor were done so why not right?

Plus there was a loud whining and wirring sound all through first gear that was never there before. I reved it up in neutral and the sound was there too.

On my way to work, fucker starts slipping on me. Right on the Knight st. Bridge. The only way it moved was to shut the truck off, restart it and boom, went into gear. 20 seconds later, slips again.

I almost got my ass beat down by a semi driver cause he thought I was swearing at him when really I was yelling and punching the dash. Got it to M&T and told them to deal with it. That was this Thursday and they said they really couln't do nothing intil Monday.

My dad rented a car for a week last time it went. He's got no other wheels now.
Including the original trans, if they change it out again, it'll be the fourth trans. the truck has had.

Here's the scary part.

Ralph's won't cover half the labour on the tranny which I kinda understand. They also might not cover the tranny either, said that they'd get back to us after talking to the manager but so far, no call back.

Is it the shift kit they originally installed? are the 2 trannies from ralph's bad? they both went the same slippin' way like the original. Do I even get them to put the 3rd one in? should I have it installed by some one else?

Dudes, What the Blue F do I do? I'm out of Ideas man.

The truck has been awesome for the last 6 years. It's barely worth anything and the idea of sinking more $$$ into her just doesn't add up.

PS, I still have pads and rear eurathane bushings for an 3rd gen f body for free.

allpontiacs
12-21-2008, 10:22 PM
Well, it sounds like your tranny guys aren't very good if they don't even know what a shift kit is. Drilling a couple holes in the valve body is not a "shift kit". A real tranny shop would have figured this out for you at least one or two transmissions back, it's time to find a new shop. In any case, we need better info, were the new transmissions shifting properly? IE did they shift up and down when they were supposed to? I'm not very familiar with Dodge autos, but it's quite possible that there is a vacuum component and if the engine is running the shits then it could certainly negatively affect the transmission. You need to figure out what's wrong with the engine.

89vert
12-21-2008, 10:30 PM
its an electronic transmission there is probably an electronic fault causing the tranny to hold 2 gears at once or something along those line,
if the fault is the same with different components its probably not the component you are changing, its not likely 2 different trannys and a rebuilt tranny are all going to fail the same, I'd look for electronic fault at this point, buck up and take to a dealer, going to be your best bet

and a 1st stage shift kit is just basically drilling bigger holes in the valvebody

and there won't be any vacuum controls

bcash
12-21-2008, 10:44 PM
this probably has nothing to do with your truck, but my old acura had shitty motor mounts, (toast), and they were causing stress on the tranny when the motor tourques, caused it to eventually go....well thats what the shop told me

737jet
12-21-2008, 10:45 PM
allpontiacs, Yeah your probably right. That's what's got me so hesitant about having them do the install again. If they do install another one all for free, I'm definately going to ask not to have the next tranny done with the old "Shift Kit". Every tranny gave the same symptoms bro. Ran and shifted great but just started slipping, funny idle in gear. After it cooled for a bit, good to go.

The last one wouldn't move at all after I drove it back to the shop according to M&T.

I saw the used tranny when I dropped it off to the shop and no vacuum lines. Just a four pin connector. Really stubby looking thing too.

89vert, Your probably right man but here's my luck at it's finest.

I called dodge on Marine, since it's had a few visits there already. Talked to a service tech who know's about trans. and told him what happened on Thursday to the truck.

He said that it likely isn't an electrical problem and that I'd be wasting my time and money for them to tell me it's a bad transmission again. He said that it's barely electricaly controlled and to try changing it one more time and see what happens, then if it goes, bring it in.

If you guys know of a good place close by then I might give it a go. But as far as taking it to marine dodge after that convesation, No way man.

Monday, I think I'll call the dodge dudes at the Richmond auto mall.

Thanks again guys!

89vert
12-21-2008, 10:49 PM
same torque converter or did you change it with the tranny,

is it getting super hot?

its been awhile since I studied autos in school but I'm starting to remember something that can happen in a torque converter that will over heat the trans

allpontiacs
12-21-2008, 10:56 PM
One thing I would definetely check would be the cooler lines, make sure they aren't blocked and make sure the coil in the rad isn't blocked as well. And I'm curious about the torque convertor as well, each tranny should have had the torque convertor to go with it. If it's still the same torque convertor from the first tranny then that could definetely be a problem. In any case, it does sound like you have a motor problem so that should be looked at as well. Could be a bad manifold gasket or something along those lines. '98 is OBD2, so there should be a wealth of data that a decent tech can look at.

737jet
12-21-2008, 10:56 PM
Different torque converter each time. I made sure they did that after I told them about the original DTC: Torque converter lock up solenoid circuit malfunction.

I'm not sure how to tell if she's overheating. The temp on the gauge is fine bit it's been colder than a witches tit outside lately.

I asked M&T about the trans cooler or lines and they said they blow that shit out and make sure it's not plugged.

I did look at the mounts bcash and they seem to sit fine. I'll have to have some one try a brake stand while I look at the engine/trans to really tell.

89vert
12-21-2008, 11:00 PM
spit on your finger and rub it on the pan, it it boils instantly and you haven't been working it hard (towing) its getting to hot

737jet
12-21-2008, 11:07 PM
Makes sense. I'll do that if it goes again.

I'm gonna take a drive out to mitchell island tomorrow and talk to ralphs and M&T. I'm also gonna chat with the richmond dodge folk and see what they might think of the situation.

I'll let you guys know what they plan on doing, discuss it with you guys and go from there.

737jet
12-24-2008, 01:48 PM
Richmond Dodge said they'd check the 4 pin harness with there test equip for 0.7hrs. I did have time to go the last few days but me trying to drive the truck in the snow in 4 by might overheat it and make things worse. Plus all of the retard drivers in richmond couldn't drive in the dry let alone the snow which means a 5 min drive is gonna turn into a 1/2 hr at least.

94z28m6
02-23-2009, 07:36 PM
its a ring seal

it fold under over time and wont let the proper pressure build so it wont go from 2-3, it holds gear like your bagin on it really good, my 5.9 drango did it, tranny needs rebuilt, take it to a dodge dealer, every other ram/dakota/drango owner ive talked to has has the tranny rebuilt as well, its faulty factory parts, but what can yah do