Here's a quick test to see if you converter is acting properly. Get on a
level strech and once it is locked keep your foot on the gas as normal and
apply light pressure to the brakes. It shouldn't take much braking at all
to unlock the converter. Sounds like you could have somehting
malfunctioning like the lock up soelinoid <sp?>
---Mike, near Houston.--- http://www.mikesdakota.com
'93 V8 4X2 MarkIII
Houston Area DML Meet Page
http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/9221
----- Original Message -----
From: Rick Pargeter <rparge@teleport.com>
To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Sent: Saturday, June 05, 1999 6:49 PM
Subject: DML: AOD on '99 3.9L CC
>
> Greetings all,
>
> I'm new to the list, and am sorry if this has been covered before and beat
> to death. <g>
> I did search the archives, but could not find this, so here goes...
>
> (A bit of pre-question rambling first)
>
> First, please no "You shouda' got a V8". I know, and am seriously
> thinking of doing just that, but...
>
> I just returned from a 4,000+ mile trip in the new Dakota, and am
> a bit dis-satisfied with the over all performance of this unit. Most
> of my normal daily driving is at an altitude of 200 feet, and the trip
> was into the Southwest, where altitudes of 4,000 to 6,000 feet were
> normal. To say this altitude turned the Dakota into a land turtle is
> an understatement. Any hill on the freeway at all caused the tranny to
> kick out of OD and wind up to 3500+ RPM, then back to OD, then back
> up, etc. Finally, upon any hill, I just gave up and punched the OD
> switch and let it wind up the hill at 3500+ RPM. I thought I was
> driving a Geo Metro the way I had to take these hills.
>
> OK - here's the question - The wife's car is a Taurus, and the OD
> trans never locks up the torque converter until there is no load - on
> the straight and level. Any time a load is encountered, the torque
> converter unlocks, and this car can climb most hills in OD, with the
> torque converter unlocked. (3.0 L V6) Once on the flats, it locks up
> again.
>
> What's up with this Dakota trans? It locks up the torque converter no
> matter the load, and the only time it unlocks is when you floor it,
> and then it kicks out of OD. Feels like a little 4 banger. It makes no
> sense to me to lock the converter up. What's the point of the torque
> converter if it's locked up with no regards to load. It looks to me
> like the lock up is speed sensitive, about 42 MPH.
>
> I disconnected the battery in New Mexico, but it did not help a bit.
>
> Is this the way all Chrysler autos work? Is there a chip that fixes
> this?
>
> TIA for any help on this. Maybe a V8 is on the horizon.
>
>
>
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