When I tow my early bronco up to the mountains, the tranny hunts for a gear. It down shifts then upshifts constantly. Could this be a sign of my transmission starting to go.

2001 4x4 auto. all stock.

 

Unless you are having slippage or other problems I would say your trans is fine. It just sounds like you should be towing in Drive instead of Overdrive when you are in the mountains. I believe the owners manual even tells you to tow in drive if the trans is hunting....

 

If it shifts hard or if the truck looses mometum before it shifts causing it to jerk hard when it shifts, the jerking will break something though. How's the fluid look/smell?
Nat
Welcome to the site.

 

What you describe sounds like the normal thing they do when they're right on the edge of needing the lower gear but wanting the higher gear. If it's O/D going to third and back, just lock out O/D. If it's 3rd to second and back, pull it down into second until you reach the top. My first '95 Dodge Cummins was bad about 3rd to second hunting in the mountains towing. The first time it did it I though it was over. Now, even with the Hemi, I help it decide when it gets confused.

 

If it is just doing it while loaded the truck doesn't know which gear to go into as one it is revving so high and the other doesn't have enough power. However if it is also doing it while unloaded as well, it may mean your TPS needs internal cleaning. I'm not certain that the late seconds gens share the same issue as the early second gens here but I couldn't look since search is temporarily off.

 

Here are 2 quick fixes, First try slowing down about 5mph and see if that helps. The tranny should drop a gear but stay locked up until you top the hill the it will eventually up shift.
Sencond if that doesn't work then as someone else said, lock out O/D until you top the hill then put it back in.

 

Well here we are, I love this. When a trans hunts gears like this thats what takes out the torque connverter clutch. So what did Dodge do but change the 2005s so now you CANT LOCK OUT OVERDRIVE. Real smart.