frunkyvalli

96 w/4 sp auto. 170K miles. All stock except PacBrake. Tow 5'er. Never had a problem with the transmission. Change fluid/filter every year (about 20k miles). Never had a problem, fluid is always clean. We left Florida yesterday, stopped in NC for a few days to visit son before we head up the coast for a month.

As I was backing rig into place, came up against small curb. When I gave her a little throttle, the engine revved. Not Good! I pulled forward and backed up OK over the curb. After disconnecting, I drove it around to check it out. Seems OK.

Now I'm worried. When I pull out out of here on Thursday, I don't know what to expect. Am I going to get out on the Interstate and have problems? Was that slip in reverse a sign that the transmission is going bad? Do I need to get it checked out before I leave? I hate to trust a tranmission shop when I'm from out of town.

Should I do the converter stall test? I hate to do that if I don't need to.

Any help/advice will be appreciated.

Frunkyvalli (wondering what's next)

Dufrain

I dont think one slip means its shot,most guys slip theres quite while before they rebuild them.I would change the filter and fluid and maybe switch to dexron before you leave so you can see if there is anything in the pan.You can get a drain pan,fluid and filter at autozone and all you need is a socket set,they even have those if you didnt bring one.Do it yourself and youll know whats in the pan and if the fluid is burnt.You could adjust the bands while you are in there also and you can rent a torque wrench from autozone to do that to.

http://dodgeram.org/tech/transmissio...T_band_adj.htm

j-fox

It is possible that you simply slipped the rear band. when was it adjusted last?
Get it serviced. They can last a lot longer than 170,000 if cared for.

frunkyvalli

Thanks for the help guys! I had the fluid changed about two weeks ago, just before we started on the trip. I take it to the dealer for this service. Normally, they drop pan, change filter, adj bands if necessary, and road test. This time, the service mgr talked me into doing a complete fluid change and flush. He said they don't drop the pan, and add a detergent to clean when they flush. I didn't think about it at the time, but the bands couldn't have been adjusted if they didn't drop the pan. So maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Anyway, it's shifting fine, and towed OK until that episode in backing up. I took it out yesterday (w/out 5'er), and floored it from stop to 70 a couple of times. Shifted OK, no slippage. Guess I'll wait until I tow the end of this week to see what happens. If I have problems when I get from NC to VA I know a dealer there I trust and I'll have them check it out.

Dufrain

I have heard some of the transmission guys on one of these forums say they reverse flush the trans when they do that and it pushes junk into the valve body or somewhere its not supposed to be.I think I would try servicing it myself and do the band adjustment so you know its actually been done.Better safe than a wad of money rebuilding a transmission.

J BODY

There are advantages to both services. I usually suggest to my customers that the first service to drop the pan and check the bands and change the filter. Some of the bands come extremely loose from the factory. After that I recommend to alternate services, next one would be a flush and the one after that drop the pan again. Bands pretty much stay where they should unless there is a relating mechanical failure that would allow them to slip (cracked servo, leaking seals, etc..). The advantage to the flush is that is gets nearly all the fluid exchanged, where dropping the pan leaves alot in the convertor. I will add that I tend to shy away from doing a flush on a high mile trans that we don't have a service history of. I've seen too many times the trans fail shortly after a service like this. I'm not sure why, maybe the flush chemical get things too clean for the older seals to seal to.

Dufrain

How do you know if the bands need adjusted

kd460

I can't answer the question about "how do you know if the bands need adjustment?", but I also have to ask, what does it hurt to adjust the bands every time you drop the pan to do a fluid change? After all, your using a torque wrench and if the adjustment is not needed, it won't get done. Yes it adds a step, but (for example on my tranny) 72 in lbs is 72 in lbs. If the bands are in spec then when I torque it with a wrench, nothing changes?? Please correct my rationale if it is wrong.

As far as the tranny flush, I like to drop pan, adjust bands, change filter, put on new gasket and bolt up pan. Add the same amount of fluid that I got out of the pan (about 5 quarts). Then go up front and disconnect one of the rubber lines that is at the bottom of the tranny cooler. Place that line in (preferably the rubber line that leaves the cooler and heads back to the tranny or in other words the return line from the cooler) in a empty windshield washer fluid bottle, then go start the truck. Put it in neutral and watch it pump out the old fluid. I shut of the truck when the bottle is almost full. Then go and add 4 quarts of new. and repeat the process.

I keep doing this until I see nice new clean bright pink fluid pumping out. It usually takes about 17 to 18 quarts for the new stuff to pump out. I reconnect the rubber cooler line, and fine tune the fluid level. If you keep track of how many quarts you pumped out (save up your windshield washer fluid bottles), and replace with the same amount, you will be very close to the correct level when done.

Now you fluid is clean (all of it), filter is replaced, and bands are adjusted .

I agree, I have heard some negative things about the power flush type fluid change.

Check out DTT's website, more good info there. Kevin