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As I was just thinking a few weeks ago that I've been spending way too much time and money on house stuff and I need to get back to car stuff, my truck must have read my mind and given me a reason to work on cars again. The truck's a '97 Ram 1500 with the 46RE, 180k, it's thrown all kinds of codes, probably every transmission code available at different times (after I delete on another one or three pop up). I've spent a lot of time on google trying to diagnose it, but I'm not really sure I've narrowed it down any.
What's happening is the torque converter's locking up at really low speeds in drive and reverse. I don't have far to drive to work so I've been getting by with using 1 and 2 before shifting to drive, but lately in 2nd the engine's been stumbling, though somewhat different than it does in D with the converter locked. It may be unrelated, but I think it's just the somewhat higher RPMs while in 2nd making it seem different (though the converter's not supposed to lock in 2nd, so I don't know). When I back out of my spot in the morning to go to work, it's fine for maybe a minute before the upshift and lockup happens, but after work backing out of my spot in R it's immediate and usually stalls. Today on my way home I let it idle down the road at 30 at 800RPM, not sure if 3rd or OD but the converter was locked. It's pretty intermittent, sometimes it's immediate, sometimes it takes a minute or two, but it happens every time. I've tried unplugging the O2 sensors, the lockup relay, resetting the codes, checked fluid level, nothing has worked yet. I'm going to do a fluid and filter change early next week, but I'm not hopeful that I'll find anything or it'll fix it. I didn't want to just throw parts at it, but after the fluid/filter change I'm ready to. The question is, which parts? I don't know if the converter is bad, or the lockup switch, or the valve body's cracked letting too much pressure through, I've seen the code for solenoids, governor pressure switches, etc, but don't think those are actually bad. Any insight or what to do after the fluid change inevitably fails, or what it could be is appreciated.
What's happening is the torque converter's locking up at really low speeds in drive and reverse. I don't have far to drive to work so I've been getting by with using 1 and 2 before shifting to drive, but lately in 2nd the engine's been stumbling, though somewhat different than it does in D with the converter locked. It may be unrelated, but I think it's just the somewhat higher RPMs while in 2nd making it seem different (though the converter's not supposed to lock in 2nd, so I don't know). When I back out of my spot in the morning to go to work, it's fine for maybe a minute before the upshift and lockup happens, but after work backing out of my spot in R it's immediate and usually stalls. Today on my way home I let it idle down the road at 30 at 800RPM, not sure if 3rd or OD but the converter was locked. It's pretty intermittent, sometimes it's immediate, sometimes it takes a minute or two, but it happens every time. I've tried unplugging the O2 sensors, the lockup relay, resetting the codes, checked fluid level, nothing has worked yet. I'm going to do a fluid and filter change early next week, but I'm not hopeful that I'll find anything or it'll fix it. I didn't want to just throw parts at it, but after the fluid/filter change I'm ready to. The question is, which parts? I don't know if the converter is bad, or the lockup switch, or the valve body's cracked letting too much pressure through, I've seen the code for solenoids, governor pressure switches, etc, but don't think those are actually bad. Any insight or what to do after the fluid change inevitably fails, or what it could be is appreciated.
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