'99 Durango Tranny Trouble

[barnold37]

I'm the second owner and vehicle has always been driven gently. It has never had a transmission service, as far as I know, and there are 110K miles on it. Occasional light towing and 4wd only used a couple of times to get out of the sand or off the boat ramp.
When cold, transmission won't shift out of first until high rpm. When it does shift out of first it doesn't go to second. It acts as if its in neutral. When the rpm come down it goes back into first. If I maintain a high rpm for a short period (10-12 seconds) then let up on the accellerator, it will shift into second. It does this all the time now, but not as severe once the transmission is warm. Once warm, the shifting is almost normal. Is this the sign of a total rebuild, or is this a possible valve body/filter, pump or other internal problem?

[N8ECH]

Barnold:

Which engine does your Durango Have? Either way, it should have been serviced every 30k, and there are bands to be adjusted at that time as well.

Possibly a good drain/refill with filter change and bands adjusted might cure your issues. That would be a good place to start. I believe yours has a cable going from the tranny to the throttle body called a TV cable. If this is out of adjustment, it can also cause erratic shifts as you describe.

Don