When I put my 1998 Dodge Dakota SLT V6 3.9 Liter in reverse it does fine. But when I put in drive its sluggish. Then does OK going down the road for a bit. Then the RPM goes all way to 3 almost 4 til it gets in gear. But after awhile it drives normally. A family member that is a mechanic for 15 years said its the transmission filter and a guy at auto store said the same. My truck is automatic.
RESPONSE
Did you try a new Transmission filter?
Look to make sure your transmission fluid level is full. If it is low, repair the leak and top off the fluid level and test. Look at the fluid color. If the color is dark and burnt smelling it may be too late. Burnt transmission fluid color is an indication of worn internal clutches. But in most all cases, replacing the transmission fluid and filter is first course of action to take. Most damage to a transmission is done from excessive heat.
TRANSMISSION OIL TEMPERATURE WARNING LAMP – description and operation
The transmission oil temperature warning lamp gives an indication when the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) has detected that the automatic transmission oil is overheated. The lamp is controlled by the instrument cluster circuitry. It is based upon messages received from the PCM on the Chrysler Collision Detection (CCD) data bus. The PCM sends lamp-on messages for about two seconds. This is when the ignition switch is turned to the On position as a bulb test.
Following the bulb test, the PCM uses an input from the automatic transmission oil temperature sensor located within the transmission, along with its internal programming, to decide whether a condition exists that requires the transmission oil temperature warning lamp to be turned on. The PCM then sends the proper messages to the instrument cluster on the CCD data bus to turn the lamp on or off. When the instrument cluster receives a message to turn the transmission oil temperature warning lamp on, it also sends a chime tone request to the Central Timer Module (CTM).