Tranny diagnosis by internet?

From: Bill S. (kb7vkl@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Dec 06 2004 - 20:35:02 EST


The vehicle: 1994 Dodge Dakota 3.9 V6 4 speed auto overdrive
transmission.
Symptoms:
1) on first start up of the day the trans may take 5-8 seconds to
engage when put into DRIVE. Drive is the first selected gear as the
truck is backed into its space, reverse is not needed. This has
happened about 4 times since I bought the truck ~3 months ago.
2) If the truck experienced the above symptom this one usually
follows. About 2 blocks down the street there's a stop light, always
red when I get to it, after stopping for the light and getting the
green I try to accelerate from the stop and it takes about 3 seconds
for the trans to engage and the truck moves.
Between symptom one and two the trans will shift exactly as it should,
after symptom two, once the truck is under way, it shift just fine and
shows no signs of defect.

The fluid is full, on the down side is the fact the dealer I bought
the truck from apparently changed the trans fluid and it looks and
smells like new.
I contacted the Dodge dealer and they looked my truck up by its VIN
and they say the TC drain back TSB doesn't apply to my truck.

Here's another concern: if the used car dealer's service department
installed the wrong fluid would these be the symptoms that I should
expect?

If this transmission is toast, I doubt it but I'm ready for a worst
case scenario, is there a 904 or 727 that will bolt up to this V6
engine? Would it be a big deal to trick the sensors on the
transmission into thinking they're seeing the 4AOD tranny so code
don't get set and make the dashboard light up like a Christmas tree?
I can pick up a fresh 904 w?TC for about $350 and an outboard OD unit
would run about $960 including drive shaft mods.

What do your guys think?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice offered.

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1994 Dak, V6, AT, AC, all stock for now
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