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Pickups Dodge Dakota Dodge Dakota Transmission Problems
679 messages, Last post on Nov 09, 2009 at 1:58 PM
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my 1998 dakota speedometer has been jumping up and down on speed. for instance i can be going about 20mph and it will register anywhere from 20 to 100 mph back and forth.now the transmission will shift erratically at times and sometimes stalling the motor.i have allready taken it to a mechanic and he put a speed sensor on the transmission and this didn't help. its worse when it's cold outside. also i had someone from work tell me that dodge autotrans has a check valve in the cooling line next to radiator and he advised me to to eliminate this and run a strait line in its place.has anyone else herd of this?
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Replying to: dbar (Dec 25, 2008 7:18 pm) All Chrysler-built transmissions from the early eighties up have what's called a Anti-drainback valve in the system. This prevents the draining of the torque converter of fluid during long cool-down periods, such as overnight. Draining of the torque converter causes internal fluid loss and makes repriming of the torque converter problematic at start ups. This usually manifests itself as a lag before engagement after the transmission is placed into gear. Over time this can cause damage. The anti-drainback valve is found either in the return cooling line or at the outlet port on the vehicle radiator. As transmission fluid becomes oxidized and contaminated with friction material silt and other particles, these anti-drainback valves are susceptible to becoming clogged. This can cause a partial or complete pressure loss resulting in lack of lubrication to the transmission's internal parts and eventually lead to various component failures. Removing the anti-drainback valve from the system eliminates a potential problem area, but it can also cause other problems long term. The way to manage this situation is regular routine transmission maintenance, which basically means replacing the transmission filter periodically and the subsequent 4-6 quarts of ATF. Depending on the severeness of duty, they should be changed at 50,000 miles, or for severe duty vehicles, 25,000 miles. Personally, I recommend changing the filters at 25,000 miles on all vehicles. Complete fluid flushes are also recommended under certain conditions. On vehicles that have not had routine service, I would advise replacing the anti-drainback valves along with the routine service. In some cases the entire cooling lines must be replaced if they have a build-up of silt. More to follow........................ Regards, Dusty |
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"My dakota just started to delay in shifting from 1st to 2nd gears. The RPMs have to get to 2500-3000, the speedometer isn't working until the RPMs get to around 3000, then it shifts into 2nd gear and the speedometer starts working. No other shifting problems, no slipping. Brake light is on, ABS light and check engine light too. Any suggestions on what it needs? Speed sensor?" After reading this post......my 99 dakota has the same check engine, brake, and ABS lite on. My speedometer does not work at all. And the trans won't shift past 3rd. (former post going,going gone) Could this be the same dio. for me too. "Rear Wheel Speed Sensor or corroded terminals at the sensor's connector." 
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Replying to: dbar (Dec 25, 2008 7:18 pm) There are three types of speed sensors found on Chrysler-built trucks. There are front wheel speed sensors (one at each front wheel) that are for ABS brake operation and these electrical signals are sent to the ABS Control Module only. There are transmission speed sensors that measure the speed of the input shaft (545RFE) and the output shaft (42RE, 46RE, & 545RFE). These signals are sent to the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The transmission speed sensors are not used for the speedometer. The Rear Wheel Speed Sensor that is mounted in the rear differetial housing sends signals to the PCM and the ABS Control Module. This sensor is the source for speedometer operation. From your description, it sounds like your mechanic may have changed the wrong sensor. There was a component quality issue with earlier Rear Wheel Speed Sensors, and it has been a common source for your type of symptom and should not be an expensive repair. The sensor is mounted to the differential housing with one bolt and easily accessible. Since the signal from the rear wheel sensor provides a signal for a number of computer operations, this could very well be the source of the shifting problem as well. On older vehicles it is also common that the terminals at the rear wheel speed sensor become corroded, so be sure to check this as well. Best regards, Dusty |
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so i am going to pick up a 1997 dodge dakota. it belonged to my father and has ben sitting for about a year now. it needs oil every time it is to be ran ( or at least did when it ran last ) and my dad described the enginge as being "loose". i am not quite sure what that means... what do i need to do the get it "run-worthy"?? what kind of fluids and gaskets or what not do i need to check to ensure a good two hour drive back home?? thanks toms!! ashers
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Replying to: ashers (Dec 27, 2008 2:45 pm) A Dodge using motor oil, especially at a rate you describe, is very unusual. I suggest you inspect the engine for sources of a leak. Any two engine components that share a gasket are candidates for a leak, but because of the year I would first inspect the front and rear intake manifold gaskets. The valve cover gaskets would be my next suspect. Beyond that, there are no commonly found leak points on either the 3.9 V6 or the 318 V8. If this vehicle has sat dormant for a long period of time its possible you might have a rusted through oil pan. I once had a Chevy pick-up that experienced this...although it was a daily driver...but I have seen this on a few other trucks that realized long periods of non-operation. If you can't find a leak, then the engine is probably consuming the oil. Again, extremely unusual for this to be caused by poor piston ring sealing, but if this engine had ever been overheated badly it could have seriously scored cylinder walls. What is more likely is hardened valve guide seals, especially if this is a low mileage truck at this age. Regards, Dusty |
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Replying to: dustyk (Dec 16, 2008 7:20 am) I have a 2001 RT with 84k miles. It just started to have a problem getting into 2nd gear. Slow accel not as bad as hard accel where it revs really high and jumps, decel and it up shifts. Fluid level is good and clean. No other problems...Any suggestions before I take it to the shop?? Nick
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Replying to: jt8man (Jan 03, 2009 9:51 am) Because of the age and miles and the time of year, here's my thoughts on possible causes in the order of probability: *Low fluid level. Make sure you check fluid level with the engine at full operating temperature, the vehicle on a flat, level surface, and the transmission in neutral. *Fluid level too high. Check for signs of bubbles (foaming) on the dipstick. *Transmission Throttle Position Lever sticking or binding, the throttle position lever return spring missing or broken, throttle linkage sticking/binding or out of adjustment. This is a very common problem on Mopars. *Low hydraulic pressure. This can be caused by a number of things, such as low fluid level, a partially clogged transmission filter or cooler lines, worn pump, a dirty or otherwise defective governor pressure valve, dirty/warped valve body, leaky internal seals or servos, etc. *Worn or slipping rear clutch, sticking rear clutch servo. I would recommend a Dodge technician check this out with a DRB3 scan tool first. There could be a defective Governor Pressure Sensor causing a false signal to the PCM. I'm not trying to make arbitrary conclusions here, but because you stated that even under light acceleration there is some flair, and the fact that this is an R/T, I am thinking this could be a rear clutch problem, especially if you've driven this vehicle hard and have not performed periodic transmission maintenance. However, 46REs are often thought to be in serious trouble when in fact the Throttle Position Lever is not working correctly, as noted above. For that matter, a lot of RE series problems are solved just be cleaning or replacing the valve body. A qualified and forthright Dodge technician is your best bet at this point, I think. Best regards, Dusty |
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Replying to: jt8man (Jan 03, 2009 9:51 am) *Low hydraulic pressure. This can be caused by a number of things, such as low fluid level, a partially clogged transmission filter, cooler lines or anti-drainback valve, a worn pump, a dirty or otherwise defective governor pressure valve, dirty/warped valve body, leaky internal seals or servos, etc. Dusty
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Replying to: dustyk (Jan 03, 2009 12:54 pm) NT
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