1996 Dodge Dakota Shifting Weird

1. Could be any number of things.
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How does the fluid look and smell? How many miles on it? Have you ever had the transmission fluid flushed? I would check the shift mechanism for any loose connection or play....Were there any signs of slipping before, or was this just all of the sudden?

If I recall correctly, most Dodge transmissions of that era won't divert transmission fluid until the shift selector has been cycled.

This is from memory:

When it's cold, start up the pickup and warm it up. Just before you're ready to leave, go out and shift to neutral, leave it there for a few seconds, then back to park. Go back in the house to finish your coffee. In a minute or two, it should be fine.

Been a while since I voted you a GA.

This shirley deserves one!

Shirley? Is that the name of the chick wagon?

A little foreplay often helps with the "limp-mode" problem, too!

Fluid looks fine. A little over 170,000 miles. It just started recently after it sat for a few days during a snow storm, never had any problems with it shifting before.

I would flush the fluid if it hasn't been done recently....you didn't say......You should notice a big improvement.....I never used to change the transmission fluid, but have learned from experience that this is what causes a lot of transmissions to fail....it wears out....I think it's recommended every 75k miles....

Yep. Check into internet auction websites. List the vehicle with some photos. After a few days, someone shows up with some money, swaps it for the vehicle, and takes the problem away.

You might have a bit of water in the transmission from condensation; this water could freeze on the filter, preventing the pump from drawing any fluid from the pan until the fluid warms up. No fluid into the pump equals "truck won't move in any gear". This condition would require only an ounce or so of water, so there might not be enough to make the fluid appear "milky".

I would start by changing fluid and filter. A restricted filter in cold weather can prevent the clutch packs from getting the pressure they need to apply, causing an issue similar to what you described.

I have a '95 Chrysler that went into "limp mode". This condition is caused when the computer detects a problem in the transmission. When a problem is detected, it prevents the transmission from shifting out of 1st gear to prevent further damage, but still allows you to "limp" the vehicle home in 1st gear. Once the key has been shut off and the computer has time to reset, the transmission will try to shift normally again until the computer detects the problem again, sending the transmission back into limp mode. Since you stated you truck wouldn't move, I'm not so sure this is the same as being in limp mode, but could be wrong.

Thanks for the feedback. The fluid hasnt been flushed in awhile so we're gonna try to get that done & change the filter at the same time this weekend and hopefully that will fix it. I'll update again as soon as we get that done.

Did you try cycling the shift selector during warmup?

You have a 42RE or 46RE in your truck. The 42RE is based on the old 904 Tourqueflight (regular duty) and the 46RE is based on the old 727 Torqueflight (heavy duty). These transmissions are overdrive with electronic shifting (solenoids). The works one day, doesn't the next tells me that it's probably an electronic problem. There are two places you should check first - the electronic governor pressure solenoid should be checked first - if you're going to do a fluid change, you'll be able to get to the governor and check the part. If this doesn't work, I'd look at the neutral safety switch. It should be one of these items.

Good luck.

Changed the fluid & filter along with new plugs & wires over the weekend. Seems to be running good so far.

Well, it ran good for a few days and seemed fine then today it started again. Any other ideas?