I have read through 1,000,000 different transmission posts and cannot find anyone with my exact symptoms. Here is my situation:
1999 Durango 4x4 - 5.9L - Automatic trans
Problem started with the transmission really wanting to "hold" 1st gear during acceleration (hard or soft acceleration). Eventually it would shift with enough backing off and getting back on the thottle. Now, the shift lever on the column is not working properly as well and the "holding" of first gear has gotten worse. Putting the level in park does not fully engage into that position. You have to take your left hand and apply counter-clockwise pressure to the shift lever (driving it farther into park) and take your right hand to turn and remove the key. The truck will not start in the park position either. I have to apply pressure to the shifter, turn the key to on, shift the lever to neutral, then start the truck. The indicated positions on the dash seem to be a little "off" as well when selecting the other gears as well. At times, the only way that i can get the truck to shift out first gear is to either grab the shifter and manually take it all the way down to 1st then back up to drive, or shift in and out of drive and neutral a couple of times and it will eventually shift. Taking the shift lever down to 1st and then resetting to drive seems to help the problem for the next few subsequent accelerations some of the time. I have taken the front and bottom panels off of my dashboard to look around at some of the shifter mechanism, but i am not sure what to look for right now.
I know this sounds like a wierd problem, but this is the best way that I can describe its symptoms. I have recently changed my water pump, flushed the coolant system, and changed my spark plug wires. This forum was very helpful in some of my troubled moments with the water pump. I hope that someone can have some insight into my tranny probelms as well.
Thanks!
1999 Durango 4x4 - 5.9L - Automatic trans
Problem started with the transmission really wanting to "hold" 1st gear during acceleration (hard or soft acceleration). Eventually it would shift with enough backing off and getting back on the thottle. Now, the shift lever on the column is not working properly as well and the "holding" of first gear has gotten worse. Putting the level in park does not fully engage into that position. You have to take your left hand and apply counter-clockwise pressure to the shift lever (driving it farther into park) and take your right hand to turn and remove the key. The truck will not start in the park position either. I have to apply pressure to the shifter, turn the key to on, shift the lever to neutral, then start the truck. The indicated positions on the dash seem to be a little "off" as well when selecting the other gears as well. At times, the only way that i can get the truck to shift out first gear is to either grab the shifter and manually take it all the way down to 1st then back up to drive, or shift in and out of drive and neutral a couple of times and it will eventually shift. Taking the shift lever down to 1st and then resetting to drive seems to help the problem for the next few subsequent accelerations some of the time. I have taken the front and bottom panels off of my dashboard to look around at some of the shifter mechanism, but i am not sure what to look for right now.
I know this sounds like a wierd problem, but this is the best way that I can describe its symptoms. I have recently changed my water pump, flushed the coolant system, and changed my spark plug wires. This forum was very helpful in some of my troubled moments with the water pump. I hope that someone can have some insight into my tranny probelms as well.
Thanks!
