DODGE RAM FORUM banner

1999 46re auto trans problems

36K views 26 replies 4 participants last post by  Johnny2244 
#1 ·
So, here i am with more problems from the old ram. 1999 dodge ram 1500 5.2 46re auto tranny with 110000 miles. the trans. is now acting up. it was doing good for a while until i had 2 misfires, a bad o2 sensor and a plugged cat. it seemed like it was going into limp mode, and would drop into nuetral when i stabbed the throttle. i drilled some holes to let the motor breathe again before i had money for parts and it was back to normal. i bought the parts and never installed them and everything has been fin up until i started seeing small red spots in the driveway. trans pan is rotting out.... i kept an eye on it and kept the atf up at the correct level and all was good for a little while. then things got weird. when it rained, and even sometimes out of the blue the truck would start off in 2nd gear when started. id turn it off nd on and sometimes it still started in second, sometimes it would back to normal starting ni 1st and sometimes it would start in first and not come out of second unless i matted it and let off quick. this is becoming more frequent but now only when its wet outside. it seems to get stuck in either 1st or 2nd gear with the torque converter unlocked and it wont lock until its cruising in 4th. so this has been happening for a while and im thinking some kind of sensor or connector or solenoid is getting wet... any ideas???:4-dontknow:
My recent and newest concern is that when i take a quick (wide o sharp) left turn, the tranny seems to drop into neutral for a split second and then hits 1st quick, chirping the tires even under light acceleration and then being normal. it happens mostly when im starting to straighten the wheel. ive heard of similar issues and the solutions was some kind of pressure solenoid. it still has the starting in 2nd problem too. today i changed the filter, gasket and pan, and it continues to have the turning and stuck in second problem. i know the 1st and second gear bands could use an adjustment but that probably wont help the problems for the most part. any help would be greatly appreciated, because im trying to sell the truck. thanks!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
There is no first gear band, there is a 2nd gear band (kickdown) and a reverse band (rear band) however the rear band is used in MANUAL 1st gear.

I would recommend you fix or replace that transmission pan, think of the transmission as the human body, drain your blood out and lets see what happens...

Well in my professional expertise it sounds like it may be valve body related, which would include the sensors. If you find someone with a snap on mt2500 or a DRB2 diagnostics tool you can plug it in and do diagnostics tests on the sensors, better yet if you find someone with the MTG2500 you can graph the sensor data while you drive and review it later, this is good for seeing if the sensor is working properly. But in the mean time drop the valve body and clean the sensors, some powdered metal produced from the planets circulates inside the valve body and collects in the valves and the solenoids and sensors so just remove the sensors and use some compressed air to clean out the sensors. Worse can scenario you need to rebuild the valve body (big woop 1 hour).
 
#5 ·
I doubt the transmission needs to be rebuilt. Like I said you probably just need to have the valve body rebuilt, the valve body is what makes the transmission shift, it's pretty much the controller of the transmission. If you have something like a clogged timing valve then you can have slow shifts. And so on... The scan tool I'm talking about the MT2500 isn't a regular scan tool, it's a diagnostics tool and it's very helpful because it runs diagnostics programs and provides a lot of sensor information. If you go on ebay you should be able to pickup a MT2500 for a couple hundred dollars.
I rebuild toruqeflite transmissions, engines, rear ends, interior, exterior, electronics, and everything. So I have a ton of experience with these Dodges lol especially since mine was giving me such trouble and money is scarce so it's the time that people start making there own repairs. But anytime you need information help anything please ask me and I am certain I can be of help.

It's good that you didn't find any shavings, you should of wiped some metallic powder off the magnet though, that is normal wear from the planets.
 
#16 ·
sorry for the delay. i talked to a guy at my work the other day about it and he said do the sensor/solenoid and adjust the bands, a valve body rebuild wouldnt be needed. he builds a lot of high performance 47re's. he said hed do the adjustments too... i want to sell the truck, so what would be the bes option if im only keeping it another month?
 
#17 ·
Best option is to just adjust the bands and sell it as is if it's still working. Personally if I was keeping the truck, I would rebuild the valve body and why is because of the age of the truck I can assume it has quite a few miles on it. Well the filtering system in these transmissions aren't the best but they do fine to keep the transmission going, however after so many miles alot of powdered metal collects in the spaces in the valve body which can obstruct the valves and usually does. I have taken apart transmissions with only around 120K miles and the valve body usually is loaded with powdered metal.

I am very strong on preventative maintenance, If you take care of your truck your truck will take care of you as well. But replacing the electronics and adjusting the bands will keep it ship shape for the most part. But as I said if you're going to sell the truck why put money into it.
 
#18 ·
I wonder if it's the throttle position sensor, my neighbor had some real weird shift problems when his became disconnected, second or third gear takeoffs, etc. but if it downshifts when you mash the motor, that isn't the problem. His TPC looked plugged in, but wasn't, the lock tab was broken, and the connector was hanging in the right place just by the memory of the wire being there so long... My 98 lets go of the "gear" it's in when I'm really yanking it around hard, I sometimes wonder if I oughtta check the length of the dipstick.
 
#20 ·
where exactly is the tps? sorry im more of a diesel guy haha. my friend has had tps problems in his f250 with the e4od. i think it screwed the shift points and some other stuff. and mine jumps out of gear or to first when i turn hard left. then itll start jumpin all over the place between gears. about to go to a junkyard and pick up a 5 speed :i_rolleyes:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top