When there is an incline ( 40 to 60 MPH usually, it's my commute ) the tranny will drop down into 2nd, hit 3rd for a slight second and then fall in 4th and bog ? I'm running 33's with 4.88 gears and it seems like it doesn't want to stay in 3rd unlesss I'm on flat or down hill, and even then it doesn't like to stay in 3rd for long ? Is this because of the 3.slow V6 with the auto tranny and that's the way it is ? I have the K&N filter ? Would that have anything to do with it ? Driving me crazy ! 2nd at 5000rpm's then let up a little on the gas and it goes into 3rd for a split second and falls up into 4th and bogs, give it a tiny bit more gas and it jumps back into 2nd, over and over again...

Please Please please Help.
What can I do or check ? Anything is appriciated.

93 Auto, 85k, Engine rebuilt at 49k ?!
Procomp Mudders, 33's, 4" Suspension Lift
K&N Air Filter, Flow Master Exaust

 

You might try locking out overdrive (4th) for normal commutes.
Then when you do hit highway speeds (like 70mph and more) you can let it engage again.
The auto's kinda suck IMO, even though I have one.
They need to be overgeared in the axle to make them preform anywhere reasonable, like 5.29's for the 33's. Usually it's a gearsize up (numerically) from the 5 speeds.
Hope you can get this sorted out.
Maybe it's the shift soleniods?
Todd

 

Have you checked your tranny fluid? I would do that first and go from there.

 

Do you mean turn the overdrive off with the little button on the shifter when you say try locking out overdrive ?


I was looking into doing the gears but from what I've been told I would have to do a " Case or 3rd Member change " in order to put in the 5.29's or 5.38's. What an ordeal. So bummed about this thing..

Shift Solenoids ? How would I know or check ?

Thanks for your help.
Shawn

 

Ya, tranny fluid is good.

 

Driving to Seattle for this vacation I'm on I had problems with my truck in the mountains of Oregon. Guess what - there isn't enough power to maintain highway speeds with the 3.0. I shifted to fourth and even third a few times and man was it frustrating. Anticipate the hills - accelerate before you get to them. Downshift early as you'll never get your RPM's to rise once they drop below 3000 in the lower gear. Other solution? 5.29's would probably help an auto a lot.

 

Such is the life of a 3.0 auto...

 

cc: In addtion to turning off the Over Drive, try pressing the ECT PWR button. I know that on other threads, some of the guys that are driving larger tires (they were actually running the 31's when their trucks came with the smaller 225's) and their comments were that the ECT button changed the shift points in the auto trans and seemed to work better for the larger tires. I am one of those people running the 31's when my truck originally came with the smaller tires (wimp option).....I can see some improvement but it's not perfect......but it's better than nothing. I don't know if it will help when running 33's but it's the same type of logic.....just bigger tires.

David

Btw: did this just start or has it always done this?

 

David,
Ya it always did this. It just wasn't as bad with the 31's and the truck was new to me so I figured it just needed a little more power, so I got the K&N and Flowmaster which didn't help. I've been debating upgrading the gears to 5.29's but what I've come to find out is that in order to go from the stock 4.88's to 5.29's I have to do a case or 3rd member change and I would lose the ADD ( Automatic Disconnecting Differential ) and have to put in manual hubs. So basically changing out the whole axle. At least thats what I think I'm being told ?

http://www.brian894x4.com/Gearratiosanddiffs.html

And how much gain would I get with the 5.29's versus the 4.88's ? My guess is it would be the difference between running 31's versus 33's ? If I was guranteed that this screaming 2nd and bogging 4th and none exsisting 3rd would go away with the 5.29's I would go for it but something tells me it won't be all that.
Don't understand it, there's people pout there running larger tires then 33's are they just no tboggin cuz they have sticks ?

Thanks for all of your inputs and suggestions...

Headers Maybe ?