Dodge Transmission issue

paradisePWoffrd

paradisePWoffrd

Recovering Project Junkie
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Location
Newton, NC
I found a 95 cummins auto 2wd for sale locally, for a good deal, that I am planning to go look at. The owner said the truck had some tranny issues. It has ~180k on it, everything stock. He said it shifts well and the fluid is clean and red.

He said it doesnt normally shift into OD, but when starting up a hill/grade it will shift into OD, and then at the top, it will downshift back out.

He said that he recently replaced both batteries and alternator. Also he said that the thermostat must be gone or open, because during the winter it wouldnt hardly ever get upto operating temp.

any advice or anything to look for is greatly appreciated, whether it's high dollar or cheap.
 
The thermostat thing is normal. Mine has a brand new thermostat in it and if it below 35 outside it never warms up. Its just hard to heat 6 gallons of antifreeze with a radiator that size. Plug it in at night and you will be fine.

The trans sounds like the torque converter lock up switch. Its probably not going in and out of overdrive. The torque converter is proabably locking and unlocking. There is a way to put a manualy controlled lockup switch on it, but at 180,000 miles if the trans has never been rebuilt its time for a rebuild. Spend a little extra and get a couple of upgrades when they build it and you will be happy with it for a very long time.

Oh the trans could be that the tps is out of adjustment. Didnt think about that till just now. If it only goes in OD up a hill it may just be that up hill your giving it more throttle causeing the shift to finally happen.
 
TPS, brake light switch (TC lock/unlock issues), and yes, it should reach operating temperature even in the winter.
 
Mine never hit operating temp in the winter unless I drive more than an hour. I have replaced my T stat at least 3 times in an effort to have heat on the way to work.
 
Ben, snappy's wasn't going into od I think, turned out to be a tps issue, so it could be simple, or it could be expensive. If it's a heck of a deal you can't go wrong.
 
Dont know if it makes a difference or not, but just noticed that I have a 24valve and your truck and the one he is looking at are both 12v. I talked to a lot of people that say the 24v motors dont heat up if the outside temp is under 35.
 
i would check the temp sensors, temp will inhibit od. it is not supposed to shift into od until it reaches operating temp.
as far as lock up it can have 3 different l/u strategies, it can have 2nd gear partial l/u, 3rd gear partial l/u or 3rd and 4th l/u only.
 
I have a '95 with 250k on the clock. I replaced a bad thermostat about five years ago and it has never warmed up since. It will reach operating temp but it never gets the heater core hot. My truck also has never had the trans rebuilt but it is really in need of it now. It will drive around town fine but put a trailer behind it and it doesn't do very well anymore.
Also check the steering on the front for play. The steering box may need to be adjusted. The pitman arm can be worn out, where it attaches to the box, as well as any of the joints and the idler arm. My truck has developed enough steering wander to make it difficult to impossible for others to drive. I have recently ordered all the parts to correct my issues but it is a PIA to do it. If you can't do this yourself then it gets really expensive. I've got close to $300 in parts and I went service grade since I don't use my truck much for tow duty any more.
 
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