1998 Dodge Durango 5.2 V8, Starts off stuck in 1st gear with a grinding sound and after if finally shifts to 2nd the grinding stops. It will shift back to 1st when I slow down and the grinding starts again. Almost feels like slipping. The check engine light was on and it read a speed sensor code and shift solenoid code so I replaced both of these. I cleared the codes then drove it again. Speedometer now works until I pick up speed on the highway then it starts bouncing around. Check engine light came on again and to my surprise...it's reading the same codes for the problems I just replaced. Does anyone know what could be causing this?

Mike Butler

• 6674 Answers
• Posted on Sep 05, 2008

SOURCE: wont shift out of lower gear

First thing I need to ask is when the filter & Fluid was last changed. If recently, Did they replace old fluid with ATF4 from Mopar/chrysler? Chrysler transmissions are very temperamental, especially with any other transmission fluid running in them, even though many mechanics, transmission places etc, may argue with me, it is a known fact. First, disconnect your + battery connection for a couple of minutes, then reconnect, and try that to see if it helps. If not, and fluid & filter haven't been changed in a while, I'd spend the money & have it done, but using only Mopar ATF4 from a Chrysler dealer.

SOURCE: won't shift out of low,speedometer doesn't work

see my comments, not 100% sure that it was the out put speed censor or not, but after reconnecting the wires to a new censor and reconnecting the battery and clearing codes it worked. connection was not clipped may have been loose

SOURCE: 2001 dodge durango v8 5.9 trans won't shift unless i downshift

I have a 2000, there is a speed sensor located in top of the rear axel and I believe another on the tranny housing. Try the rear axel first.

SOURCE: 95 dodge dakota having hard time shifting.

Try a tranny service change a place that changes the filter the pan gasket and fluid not some of these quick places that just drain a couple quarts out of the tranny lines and thats it that wont help but a complete tranny service should help.

SOURCE: 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan will not shif into 2nd

Most likely the second gear section of the transmission has gone bad. There are 3 or 4 different gear sections or assemblies in an automatic transmission, when they go bad, they go bad.