2003 sprinter shifts only at high rpms!!!!!!

Hi ,guy this started yesterday my 2003 dodge sprinter 2500 .I started up in the morning like any other time let it run for few minutes before I take off, so I started driving and this thing revved up to like 3500 rpms before it switched to a second gear and same this to a next gear did that at same rpm and it didn't go into over drive , tried to switch it manually didn't work at first then after few minutes driving tried it again and it actually switched to overdrive. And other thing when I try to stop it downshift so hard makes you jerk out of your seat.
Got home check fluid level was little high so I drained some , disconnected the connector plug to see if there any fluid on it there was some on the plug due to because it still leaks some ware around that connector, because I had even worst leak before I changed to a new connector and for some reason I still get a small leak there ...so now drained all the fluid took off the pan , no metal shavings fluid looks dark, doesn't smell burned. Then took off the valve body, will be trying to replace from my other transmission to see if that solves the issue. What do you guys think? Can this be a torque converter? Or just a condactor plate?

Did you read the codes from the trans? With shifting like that it may have a wiring, speed sensor, or solenoid fault.

Switched out valve body with condactor plate , put fluid in to the right amount no change..how do you read the codes?talked to one mechanic he suggests to try swap out the TCU from another van( i already took the TCU out I noticed for some reason the connectors were very oily where did that oil came from ? So one of my relatives has similar van so I'll give it a shot . Mechanic also said theres a possibility that my torque converter is bad...also I'll prob stop by his shop tomorrow he has a scanner for transmission and I hopefully we get it figured out ...

Oil wicks up from the trans, crazy but true, common problem. TCM gets oil inside and messes it up. Might be able to save it if you can clean it out. Replace the trans electrical connector ASAP to stop the wick.

I did install new connector housing if you talking the one that on the transmission and sprayed some of the electrical de grease stuff to make sure . The new one definitely went in tight so zero leaks.So at least something got fixed

Except for the jerk when downshift, it sounds like you could be in LHM. Does your engine power seem less than normal? Does it take more time to get up to 60 mph on the highway? If yes, your engine may be in LHM.

vic

So looks like I got it solved , swapped the TCU from a different van and it worked fine.. so I'll be getting new TCU tomorrow. I'm glad I don't have to drop the transmission down and replace more things... I still can figure out how the oil got on the wires and on the connectors to the TCU being mounted under a seat ..

bobiz said:

... I still can't figure out how the oil got on the wires and on the connectors to the TCU being mounted under a seat ..

Click to expand...

A type of capillary action or creep.

If you wash down the removed TCM using carburetor cleaner or alcohol it will likely return the TCM to proper operation.

vic

A question to anyone who can answer...

Why has no-one developed a simple male to female link harness to go between either the transmission and harness or harness and TCM to act as a 'drip leg' and prevent capillary creep into the TCM.

You could even cut the harness at a suitable point and insert any male/female connector to act as a break.

Surely a lot cheaper than failing TCM's?

Keith.

Cheyenne said:

A question to anyone who can answer...

Why has no-one developed a simple male to female link harness to go between either the transmission and harness or harness and TCM to act as a 'drip leg' and prevent capillary creep into the TCM.

You could even cut the harness at a suitable point and insert any male/female connector to act as a break.

Surely a lot cheaper than failing TCM's?

Keith.

Click to expand...

Good question and solution.

For DIY, a handful of insulated slide-on connectors would do the job. You only need to match wire colors one time for the slide-ons. Do one wire at a time. After that the OEM connector can be used as usual.

The fluid should drip off the open connectors.



The above said, TCM fluid contamination can be a problem, but it still seems more an "if" not a "when" for it to surface. I stuck a piece of facial tissue around the connector on my 2004. My theory is that the tissue will wick the fluid away from the contacts. Soaked tissue should conduct electricity less than liquid transmission fluid will. I haven't had any reason to be under the seat, so I don't know the condition of the tissue.

vic

Added:

I opened a thread in Write-ups.

TCM Transmission Control Module Fluid Contamination Fix
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=769916

Another member here suggested that touching the wires with a hot soldering iron would “break” the capillary path and stop it from wicking past. I haven’t tried it yet, because I wasn’t able to understand how that would work.

i hate to think and now I have had to.

https://opentextbc.ca/physicstestbo...liquids-surface-tension-and-capillary-action/

To break the cohesive forces in oil.

Detergent plug, soap plug, wax plug, wick, a surfactant, a glue plug.?

A grease plug?

bill in tomahawk

So I guess it's not the TCU, all hell broke loose yesterday too I took it for a test drive, with different TCU and it was doing same thing no change (says in a gear till like 3200 rpms then shifts ) so it actually ended up stalling on me while I was driving I tried to pull over to the side it down shifted real hard and made my engine stall and I couldn't get to start after that so ended up messing up my cheap starter that was bought on line , so had to make a trip to auto zone for a new one with lifetime warranty..after that drove to a mechanic he scanned it for me, came to find out that u can scan these older sprinter with regular OBD scanners it has to be a special one . So bunch of codes came up like front driver side speed sensor not reading and rear pass speed sensor not reading ( this one been cut off for few years I knew about this one part of e brake came off and grined it of so I taped it up it ran fine without it) another code low voltage that goes to ABS pump., and some other codes....I got home took the wheel off, the wheel that reads it was all rasted up and gunked up, I cleaned it took around the block, no change...so I don't know what to check at this point

No one replying to my ongoing problems
With this van, any suggestions anyone encounter similar issues? So as right now I changed speed sensor in front driver side with a new one and also changed out crank position sensor that's located on top of bell housing . And still no change , got few TCU s tried all of them, still no change , also took of the connector from ABS unit , it was covered in some kinda oil , so I cleaned it and dried both ends . I'm lost to what to do at this point , can it be my torque converter or solenoids bad?

Are both your rear sensors working? Do you have a scanner with live data? Like md802? Both rear wheel sensors MUST return good signals which agree with each other. Otherwise LHM and trans shift issues will result.

bobiz said:

No one replying to my ongoing problems
With this van, any suggestions anyone encounter similar issues? So as right now I changed speed sensor in front driver side with a new one and also changed out crank position sensor that's located on top of bell housing . And still no change , got few TCU s tried all of them, still no change , also took of the connector from ABS unit , it was covered in some kinda oil , so I cleaned it and dried both ends . I'm lost to what to do at this point , can it be my torque converter or solenoids bad?

Click to expand...

I had a similar experience in my dearly departed ‘87 Cherokee Chief. When I bought it it would only shift up near the red line, didn’t want to go into overdrive, and was a real nightmare in the highway. I got them to knock off $1000 from the sale price in case it needed a new trans??. The culprit was the throttle position sensor in that case. $32 in 2002??.

I know it’s a totally different system but it could be worth checking the voltage output or resistance on that sensor ?‍♂

I don't think that this van has a throttle position sensor

Pretty sure it does. On the floor

Lots of simar threads out there. When I figure mine out I'll let you know

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Could be different parts under discussion.

Some engines have a throttle body and associated throttle position sensor. The CDI Sprinter engines have a Throttle Pedal Position Sensor, no throttle body.

vic

Aqua Puttana said:

Could be different parts under discussion.



Some engines have a throttle body and associated throttle position sensor. The CDI Sprinter engines have a Throttle Pedal Position Sensor, no throttle body.



vic

Click to expand...

Didn't know some had a throttle body...i remember reading the brochure in 2006, talking about the "fly by wire" system. Mine is a 2005 however not a 2003

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