Four problems related to automatic transmission torque converter have been reported for the 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Have had nothing but problems with the brakes and all kinds of sensors and now im told that I need a transmission in which I had no warning of the problem.
While driving the vehicle, the automatic transmission had broken, and caused the consumer to pull off of the road. The dealer has been notified. The dealer stated that the torque converter had gone out and melted on the flywheel. The dealer also found metal shavings all over. There was another incident where the consumer placed gas in the vehicle, and later found fluid pouring out of the vehicle. The consumer then placed transmission fluid in the vehicle. The transmission was replaced along with the cooler line, and the system was flushed the system.
The vehicles automatic shift malfunctioned, and diagnosis by the dealer incicated complete failure of the transmission also, the front pump, torque converter, intermediate shaft, over drive piston retainer and other components had failed.
While towing a travel trailer (3000 lbs) from san antonio to corpus christi, air temp 85 degrees, overdrive off, distance 130 miles traveled, all of the sudden the torque converter unlocked and the engine revved up, and the transmission started vibrating. I immediately took my foot off the gas and let the vehicle coast untill the torque converter locked again, about two miles and speed dropped to 50 mph. Everthing seemed alright until we traveled another 10 miles down the road and it happened again, it happened a third time about 10 more miles down the road. We towed the trailer exactly 185 miles when we had to stop for gas, tank on empty, and put in 27. 5 gallons of gas. I would say the transmission is slipping alot. Stayed two days at the coast and tried to drive back to san antonio, traveled 30 miles to a military base with the engine reving and barely doing 50 mph, left the trailer in storage, filled the tank again, took 8 gallons of gas, drove back to san antonio, any time tried to do over 70 mph to pass slower vehicles the transmission would start vibrating. Took the vehicle to the dealer and explained the problems, they gave the vehicle back to me a week later stating there is nothing wrong with the transmission. Went down to corpus christi on 14 Jul 2000 to retreive the trailer, temp 92 degrees, left the base and traveled 11 miles before the transmission torque converter unlocked again. Could only do 30 mph back to the base or the torque converter would unlock. Took it back again to the dealer and they said "there are no problems with the transmission". All they did was put the computer on it , the pan has not been dropped yet, pressure gagues have not been put on it either. They want me to duplicate the problem, the trailer is 185 miles away and the vehicle can not tow it back here. What do I do???.