1996 3500 dually 4x4 and this just started this afternoon...the auto tranny was professionally rebuilt last summer and since, not too many miles have been logged. the weather has been quite cold -20 to -25 degrees which is -5 to -15celcius without the wind chill. So the truck was in a garage overnight, and started her up to leave, let it idle outside for 10 minutes in neutral and started out on the trip home....a little stop and go traffic, and then it opened up to nice highway speeds, it would shift up and down erratically???
once I got to my exit it seemed to get worse and it was up and down even more. I did not pull over and let it idle again in neutral...could it have gotten cold again??
I checked the fluid and it looks clean and new as expected from a recent rebuild...but I found it to be a little high? just above the zig-zag with motor running in park. is that normal?
I hope it is nothing major since it cost a fortune to rebuild and of course the warranty is over....what could it be? are these programmed electronically? could it need a reset? and if so how is it done? I know GM had to be left at idle in drive in a high incline for a few minutes...but that was for idle regulation....I don't know

 

went out this morning, she slept outside, plugged....let her warm up in neutral for 10 min's the set out slowly until temps came up....off the line it seems fine, it when it looks to downshift or up shift it bounces up and down??
Again I doubt the tranny is pooched but can a brand new tourque do this? It doesn't seem to slip...just doesn't know where to place the gears and shift

I read up on a few similar posts....could it be the lock-up or overdrive solinoids playing games and can this be scanned?

was told a little too much fluid could not cause damage or this problem

sitting at idle in traffic could the tranny cool down or is in drive the same as in neutral....the fluisd circulates

thanks for the help

 

usually a bad TPS will cause this.

also, make sure your brake lights are not flickering as you go down the road.

this will cause it to kick in and out of OD.

 

I thought that in all Dodges you checked the trans fluid in neutral, at least all the trucks and cars I've worked on that were Dodge you checked in neutral.

 

You can accurately check the level in any gear except park.

 

thanks timmy22, I did a little more reading and you seem to be on the same track as me, the tps will play with shift up/down, I will test it with a meter.

for the brake lights, if I unplug the fuse for the brake lights could I test it that way? could a faulty trailer plud do that too?

gotta love this forum! ask and you shall recieve! cheers to all

 

On the ones I've looked at there are multible wires coming out of the brake sw. , one to lites , other to computor - shuts out LU & OD , so fuse out is a no , if the peddle is a little out , lifting with foot may keep the trans. Ok but if sw. out enough then may not be able to lift peddle enough , I hot gluded a small washer on the sw. to take up extra , because there was no adjustment on my sw.
If you do not know , when you use the meter on the TPS , res. , move slowly , there should be no loss or sharp movements , nice continouse sweep .

 

I find it easier to just replace the brake light switch if it's suspect, about $10 from Napa.

 

I don't know that I would want to check the fluid in any gear other than neutral with the engine running!!

Infidel or others do you have the NAPA part number for the switch?

Thanks
Steve

 

You have to set the parking brake if you check in drive!

Sorry no part number but it's a very common part used on many Chrysler vehicles.

 

I have the same prob with my tranny. If the temp is under 40* my tranny can't stay locked. So tonight I put an air dam in front of my tranny cooler and it shifted fine.

I talked to Dave Gorend and he said the thermostat keeping the engine too cool will cause that as well. Does your truck run a good temp?

Mine seems to run a little cool and I think that is why the tranny is having a hard time. Just something else to check.

 

will try that out also....dont have a temp on tranny yet but the engine runs on the original guage at about 70+-
not sure but will try a cardboard....let ya know

 

The past few days here have been very cold (single digits) and Ive noticed my truck will slip into and out of lockup going down the freeway.
Seems to happen the most when Im trying to hold a steady speed.
If Im climbing a hill or increasing speed, the torque converter seems to stay locked up fine.
If Im just holding a steady speed, say 65mph, the trans will periodically unlock, then lock right back up.

The fluid is fine, the fluid level is fine.
Ive got 125,000 on the trans and as far as I know, its original.

Could this be TPS?
Just too cold?
A sign of a dying trans?

Thanks guys.
Rich.

 

Just be sure to cover the tranny cooler only. I don't think it would be a good idea to cover the whole grill area because we are intercooled.

That raises a question though, does anyone run an air dam on their ctd? Why or why not?

I have never seen one on a dodge so there has to be a reason.

I found that a small piece of cardboard over the front tranny cooler worked much better than uncovered in cool weather.

 

Ok, puttered around last night and all of a sudden at temp even shifting out from 1st to 2nd seems lagging or slipping. when I shift manually 1-2-d the shifts are hard and clean then in "d" at almost highway speed she does the funky munkey and cant choose a gear. went to a local tranny shop and he pulled some bulletins out, tps showed up but also the adjustment for the second band. then there was kickdown cable, temperature and finally a computer flashing.
all this to say, my old school thinking, could this be the valve body that pooched? am I wrong in assuming the valve body controls the 1-2-3-4 shifting also? when I do it manually she runs out just fine until the truck takes over in "d" what do ya think?
like I said the tranny was rebuilt less that 3000 miles ago, could a component be the problem? cold sure doesn't help as I see in this thread, and although the problem started as soo as we got a cold snap overnight, but as the days go on and the problem persists more little things are happening.
question if the tps is no good, it could have caused the up down shift I had in the begining, could it have sent the computer in a bug out mode and hold the tranny in different gears the play up and down...should I just start with the tps, try and flash the computer and see what happens? The tps is not cheap and cannot be returned thats why I ask opinions.
thank guy's will keep you posted on the progress, going to do a scan today...maybe it will show and tell