Truck has been this way awhile,nothing else has changed just wont lock the converter. Goes 1-2-3-OD just fine no slipping but wont lock.Do you guys think its is a bad converter or maybe a bad solenoid? Im leaning towards solenoid since it shifts through the gears so nice with no shutter , it will hunt between 1 and 2 on low throttle a bit though sometimes.Cant afford a complete rebuild now so hoping you guys can point me in the right direction.
Thanks

 

Come on someone has to know something?

 

First let me say Welcome to DTR

Secondly, let me say that expecting a reply in only 4 hours on a weekend is not always going to happen.

Thirdly...tell us what year truck you have so we know what we are responding to

 

THere is no single answer for this issue.
It could be electrical, it could be hydraulic.
It could be sensors or solinoids. It could be a converter.
Driving it like you are will get you a rebuild quickly.

I have been working with a guy who refuses to stop driving his because it won't lock or go into OD. It has been like this for months.
Last week he dropped the pan and asked me to look at the debris in it.

I asked him what he wants me to do or say.
I told him to park it until this issue is fixed.
Over the weekend we took his boat to the lake and back.

He runs it flat out cold motor too. Shuts it off with EGTS above 500.

 

Sorry a little impatient
Its a 2004
Also was like this when I bought the truck , first diesel I 've owned and just didnt know any better I guess.Like I said shifts great so thought it was fine.Been over 2 years nothing changed so if it needed a rebuild then it still needs one now

 

I really hate to ask this question, but how do you tell when it locks? When mine shifts gears the rpms will jump 3 or 400 then in split second drops back by the same amount. I thought that was the converter locking. Is this wrong?

Thanks
JJ

 

Under moderate acceralation the shifts will show about a 200rpm drop. The TC will usually lock at 50mph or 80kmh and you should see about 400 to 500rpm drop. After lockup you should notice the truck will pull harder and the tack is tied directly to your speedo. eg any rise in rpm is directly shown on the speedo. It also feels like a fifth gear shift. Another way to test lockup is get on the highway at a speed of more than 50mph, once there, acclerate hard but not to point of down shift, if the rpms flare or jump 300 to 500rpm or more without an immediate notice of speed increase, TC is not locked. If rpms rise and speed rise the same rate then TC is locked.
Clear as mud

 

I love this thread already..

 

Thanks Grey...That clears it up for me.

 

Took it to the *********** today ,they said they would be able to tell me what was wrong.Well I found out my torque converter does not engage REALLY isnt that why I brought it there? What a waste! But they could put in a reman for about $4500. So trans shifts fine through all gears but they can fix it with a whole new trans? Seems a little messed up
Local shop will do the converter for about $400 I supply the converter so my question is, is it worth a try or do I just keep running this thing til it dont go no more ?

 

I think you have already answered your own question. But anyway, here is a simple troubleshooting plan:

1. - Price the cost of a total transmission rebuild or having a rebuilt transmission installed.

2. - Compare above price to fixing one broken item and having a transmission flush/filter change, band adjustment (good general check/tranny tuneup).

3. - Look in your shorts. If they are full of cash because you have money falling out of your butt, do nothing. Otherwise, fix the problem before it gets much worse and costs three times as much. Besides, the money you save by lowering your RPM's at speed will help defray the cost of the repair.

 

I do wish the descision was that easy, few other things I'm weighing is
its been this way a long time so dont really know the extent of the damage
Not positive its the converter, Dodge says they "think" it is and they "think" the solenoid is fine so if a converter doesnt fix it I'll be $1000 into it for nothing
Like I said when i bought the truck I didnt know any better ,it drove and shifted like the gasser I had so thought all was well.It has gone close to 40xxx like this with no other problems.Thats why I cant decide if I should just wait till I can afford a rebuild or put the money into it now.Shop says its the same price to put in the converter or if they put in a different trans altogether as far as labor goes

 

Any transmission shop worth their salt should be able to diagnose the problem as well (or sometimes better) than any dealer could.
The transmission fluid/flush will tell you a lot about the condition of the transmission. It really won't hurt the mechanical parts of the transmission if the TC doesn't lock up, the same OD gear is going to be in service at highway speeds anyway, the only thing that would change is the input shaft speed. What kills the transmission is if the TC overheats and the fluid is "cooked". This causes varnish and sludge to build up and coat parts. Pull your dipstick and lay the end of it on some white paper. If the fluid looks brownish to black, and smells burnt, you may have a problem. If it is only reddish-brown, you may not have damaged the transmission beyond service. The ATF used in the newer transmissions is a full synthetic and is pretty rugged. Why hasn't the transmission shop done this simple test? The dealer relies too much for readings from DRB scans. While they can help to pinpoint an issue, sometimes reading governor pressure or something as simple as a continuity check on the connection for the solenoid is more accurate.