I bought the truck in the sig about a year ago after long and patient research and many visits to this board. I wanted a manual, but there were simply none to be found, so I decided that I would only buy an auto that either had a trashed original transmission I could get rebuilt properly, or one that had recently been rebuilt using quality aftermarket parts. I settled on the latter--I saw the bill for $4700 in rebuild parts and labor, incurred at 128,000 miles . When I bought it the truck had about 147k on it and I assumed that it would be good to go for 80k or better.

On my way home from work on Friday I had to take back roads thru some pretty hilly terrain. I noticed when I got back on straight and level roads that the truck shifted differently, and that at 60 mph I was running slightly higher rpms than I normally would. After about an 80 mile round trip to a mall yesterday, I stopped to get the mail at the foot of my driveway, and when I put it back in gear nothing happened for about 20 seconds. I gave it some throttle and when I let off it sort of clunked into gear, I slowly crept up to the house about a half mile uphill. Every few hundred yards it would cease moving. I would go back to neutral, wait a few seconds, put it in drive and start out again. In this way I got it back to the house.

I have only first gear available at this time, and reverse.

I intend to have it towed in to a transmission shop. Here is the problem: a fair bit of the technical stuff with these trucks I can understand on some level, but I will never understand how these transmissions work.

A friend who is very knowledgable about automotive stuff says he thinks the 2-3 servo went out and the truck simply cannot get to fourth. He also thinks that I may get away with just a "soft pack"--is that the right term?


Any chance this is just a solenoid or some other easily remedied electrical-type problem? I checked the transmission fluid--it is the right color and not cloudy or dark, and filled up to the mark.

Also I would appreciate your thoughts as to the brand of repair parts that ought to go in this job so that the thing is bulletproof from now on. Thanks, and sorry if this is in the wrong spot.

 

Fluid level?

 

Sounds like low fluid.

 

Checking fluid is tricky. Check when hot, idling in neutral and look at both sides of the stick and go with the lower reading.

 

I agree, it sounds like low fluid level. Do as Wolfeman suggest. You may have to look several times also, just ot be sure where the level is!! Make sure it's in Neutral NOT Park.

 

I have checked the level several times, in neutral, while hot. It is right up to the "MAX" line.