hey all

i am new to the dodge diesel seen so heres the deal

i am looking at a 98 dodge cummins,4x4, 2500 24v,auto,
it has 220,xxx miles on it. it JUST had the tranny replaced about 1000 miles ago and had a shift kit in it. don't know what type or anything about it. it is a short bed ext cab.
he wants 10,000$ for it. is this a good deal?
the bad, the tranny shifts out of OD and he says its becasue the battery terminals have corosion causeing the ecm to not get enough power for the tranny to work correct. this does not sound righ to me. what do you think.
it has a leaking front axle seal
the steering is loose. what could that be? TRE or something else

i know to look for the DPS ( i think is what you all call it)
and block 53
anything else to look for?

what do you guys think about this dodge?
any info would help. im a newbie.
thanks
tyler

 

Sounds a little high to me, not real bad tho... Truck values are down with all the tradeins form the employee pricing. Don't know a lot about auto trannies, but would almost put money on corroded battery terminals causing it to come out of OD. The milage is not a lot on the engine, but a lot on other parts of the truck.

IMHO hold out for a truck in better shape mechanicly, or a lower price...

 

Why don't you take a wrench , and a battery terminal cleaning tool with you and clean the connections yourself , and see if it makes a difference? Even if it does fix the problem , how lazy would that guy have to be to try selling the truck and not take 20 mins to clean the terminals really well? What else did he NOT do when it comes to maintance

 

I'd keep lookin! A wise man once told me -- If your patient and wait, ( don't be in a hurry ) You'll find what you want and for right price! Good luck

Gary
P.S. That wise man was my father in-law!

 

iv heard a wise man say that as well. it was my father though.

its a guy i work with and his tranny just started doing this, he just hasn't had time to do it but i know what your saying.

so you guys think he either needs to come down on price or wait a while huh?
kindoff sucks but i really like just about everything about this truck. just makes me think more...

tyler

 

Wow ! if it does that with bad batt connection then what does it do with a dead batt? Sounds fishy to me

 

He's full of poop... It's more than likely the TPS, or TPS noise. (Throttle position sensor)

I hope he's not the one who's been doing the maintenance!

 

Sound fishy to me.......Anyways
There is a 99 on the lot here in town with under 100k. I went and drove it seems to be a nice truck, clean in & out with a fiberglass cap on it. can be had for around 13k. I considered getting it but I am partial to the 12v

 

Ok try this
All Chrysler four-speed automatic transmissions* are very sensitive to the quality of the transmission fluid. Only use the ATF+[3 or 4] in these transmissions. Do not use Dexron or Mercon.

Technical service bulletin, 18-24-95, many issues (including the infamous "bump shift") can be resolved by updating the computer's flash ROM (where possible), and carefully going through a retraining process.
Sometimes, the protective screens for the hydraulic "brain" can get clogged, blocking fluid flow. the brain must then be taken apart and the screens and valves cleaned.
The filters for the some of the Chrysler four-speed transmissions are easily mixed up, but are not interchangeable. Make sure you are using the exact filter specified in the owner's manual (or the correct third party equivalent). A filter which looks almost exactly the same, and is even made for the same company's vehicles, may not work on your transmission.

Or Try this......

Retraining your Chrysler transmission
1. Disconnect the battery to wipe the system memory clean (of course you will lose your radio presets and clock, but that's worth if it fixes the problem).
2. Reconnect the battery [after a decent interval] and start the engine.
3. Drive trying to maintain a constant medium throttle position as it accelerates up though all four gears (watch your tachometer). If the tranny is working correctly, you should only have to go to 45-50 mph. Do this from a standing start 15 - 20 times. You'll need a couple of miles of lightly travelled two lane.
4. With the van below 25 mph, do 5 - 8 wide open throttle kickdowns to 1st from 2nd or 3rd. let the van run in 2nd or 3rd for at least five seconds between kickdowns and remember to kick it down from below 25. With the van above 25, do 5 - 8 part to wide open throttle kickdowns to either 2nd or 3rd from 4th. Again let the van run for at least 5 seconds in 4th between kickdowns. Kicking down from 45 or 50 mph should work.
Simply disconnecting your computer or battery for a day or so may work, but it may not.

 

If you buy it, do the KDP. You won't be able to tell without pulling the timing cover off. It's hard to say when the KDP timing cases ended, so it's better safe than sorry. I did my 99.


Chris

 

I will agree with maddog01. Go with you gut feeling. If you are not sure don't buy it. I looked hard for four months. I looked at a lot of trucks and finally found the one I wanted. Be patient......

 

sounds good

it looks like ill take the truck to my tranny guy and see what he says and ill take it to doge unless someone knows a good place to take it in Raleigh NC. to check it out as well.

ill make my decision on that. thanks

tyler

 

The other thing you want to check is fuel pressure. If it doesn't have a gauge and you buy it, the first thing you should do is put a fuel pressure gauge on it.

Some of the problems with the tranny could be fixed by cleaning grounding location and making sure they have good connections. I have heard of several people who have fixed problems this way.
Contact TRE Diesel Performance (TimInVa on this board) about tranny issues. He is in Va. Beach, but worth the drive. And I'm not the only one who says so.

Chris