1999 DODGE RAM check engine

Transmission
Manufacturer recommends using Mopar ATF Plus Type 7176.
Manufacturer does not recommend using additives with transmission
fluid.
Transfer Case
Manufacturer recommends using Mopar ATF Plus Type 7176.
Power Take-Off (PTO) Adapter (Ram Pickup 2WD 2500 & 3500)
Manufacturer recommends using Mopar ATF Plus Type 7176.
FLUID CAPACITIES
TRANSMISSION REFILL CAPACITIES ( 1)








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Application Refill Dry Fill
Qts. (L) Qts. (L\
)
Dakota & Durango
42RE, 44RE & 46RE ... ( 2) 1.5 (1.4) .... ( 3) 9.5-11.4 (9.0-10.8)
Ram Pickup
42RE ................ ( 2) 1.5 (1.4) .... ( 3) 8.5-11.0 (8.0-10.4)
46RE ................ ( 2) 1.5 (1.4) .... ( 3) 8.7-13.0 (8.2-12.3)
47RE ................ ( 2) 1.5 (1.4) .... ( 3) 8.7-16.9 (8.2-16.0)
Ram Van/Wagon
32RH & 36RH ......... ( 2) 1.5 (1.4) ...... ( 3) 8.5-9.0 (8.0-8.5)
46RE ................ ( 2) 1.5 (1.4) .. ( 3) 11.4-11.6 (10.8-11.0)
( 1) - Approximate quantity listed.
( 2) - Add fluid until fluid level is at MIN arrow mark on dipstick.
Start engine and allow engine to idle. With brakes applied,
shift transmission through all gears and back to Neutral. Add
additional fluid to bring fluid level to MIN mark on dipstick.
Recheck fluid level with transmission at normal operating
temperature. Adjust fluid level to MAX arrow mark on dipstick.
( 3) - Quantity may vary by type of oil cooler and oil cooler lines.









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TRANSFER CASE REFILL CAPACITIES ( 1)








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Application Pts. (L)\
Dakota & Durango
NV231 .................................................... 2.5 (1.2)\
NV242 .................................................... 2.8 (1.4)\
Ram Pickup
1500 ..................................................... 2.5 (1.2)\
2500 & 3500
2WD With Power Take-Off (PTO) Adapter ................. 9.0 (4.3\
)
5.9L Diesel & V10 ..................................... 6.5 (3.1)\
All Others ............................................ 5.0 (2.4)\
(1) - Approximate quantity listed.









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POWER TAKE-OFF (PTO) ADAPTER REFILL CAPACITIES ( 1)








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Application Pts. (L)\
Ram Pickup
2WD 2500 & 3500 ........................................ 4.6 (2.2)\

(1) - Approximate quantity listed.








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DRAINING & FILLING
Transmission
1) Raise and support vehicle. Loosen oil pan bolts, allowing
fluid to drain from oil pan. Remove oil pan bolts, oil pan and gasket.
Remove oil filter bolts and oil filter from valve body.
2) Adjust kickdown band and low-reverse bands if necessary.
See KICKDOWN BAND and LOW-REVERSE BAND under ADJUSTMENTS.
3) Clean oil pan, magnet and all sealing surfaces. Install
NEW oil filter. Install and tighten oil filter bolts to specification.
See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
4) Using NEW gasket, install oil pan. Install and tighten oil
pan bolts to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
5) Add Mopar ATF Plus Type 7176 fluid until fluid level is at
MIN arrow mark on dipstick. Start engine and allow engine to idle.
With brakes applied, shift transmission through all gears and back to
Neutral.
6) Add additional fluid to bring fluid level to MIN mark on
dipstick. Recheck fluid level with transmission at normal operating
temperature. Adjust fluid level to MAX arrow mark on dipstick. DO NOT
overfill transmission.
Transfer Case
1) Ensure vehicle is parked on level surface. Remove transfer
case drain plug. Transfer case drain plug is located on rear of
transfer case at driver's side corner of transfer case. Allow fluid to
drain from transfer case.
2) Reinstall transfer case drain plug. Tighten transfer case
drain plug to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. Remove
transfer case fill plug from rear of transfer case. Transfer case fill
plug is located on rear of transfer case, just below identification
tag.
3) Fill transfer case with appropriate type of transfer case
fluid until fluid level is even with bottom of fill plug hole on
transfer case. See RECOMMENDED FLUID. Install and tighten transfer
case fill plug to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
Power Take-Off (PTO) Adapter (Ram Pickup 2WD 2500 & 3500)
1) Ensure vehicle is parked on level surface. Remove drain
plug from rear of PTO adapter. See Fig. 3. Allow fluid to drain from
PTO adapter.
2) Reinstall drain plug. Tighten drain plug to specification.
See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. Remove fill plug from rear of PTO adapter.
See Fig. 3 .
3) Fill PTO adapter with appropriate type of fluid until
fluid level is even with bottom of fill plug hole on PTO adapter. See
RECOMMENDED FLUID. Install and tighten fill plug to specification. See
TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
ADJUSTMENTS
KICKDOWN BAND
1) Kickdown band is front band on transmission. Raise and
support vehicle. Loosen kickdown band adjusting screw lock nut while
preventing kickdown adjusting screw from rotating. Kickdown band
adjusting screw is located on side of transmission, near manual lever
shaft. See Fig. 4.
2) Back off kickdown band adjusting screw lock nut 5 turns.

1) Low-reverse band is rear band on transmission. Oil pan
must be removed from transmission to adjust low-reverse band. Raise
and support vehicle. Loosen oil pan bolts. Allow fluid to drain from
oil pan. Remove oil pan bolts, oil pan and gasket.
2) Loosen low-reverse band adjusting screw lock nut while
preventing low-reverse band adjusting screw from rotating. Low-reverse
band adjusting screw lock nut and low-reverse band adjusting screw are
located inside transmission, near low-reverse band. See Fig. 5.
3) Back off low-reverse band adjusting screw lock nut 5
turns. Ensure low-reverse band adjusting screw rotates freely in
transmission case.
4) Tighten low-reverse band adjusting screw to 72 INCH lbs.
(8.1 N.m). Back off low-reverse band adjusting screw specified amount
of turns. See LOW-REVERSE BAND ADJUSTMENT table. Hold low-reverse band
adjusting screw and tighten low-reverse band adjusting screw lock nut
to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
LOW-REVERSE BAND ADJUSTMENT









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Application Back Off Adjusting Screw
32RH ....................................................... 4 Turns
36H ........................................................ 2 Turns
42RE ....................................................... 4 Turns
44RE ....................................................... 4 Turns
46RE ....................................................... 2 Turns
47RE ....................................................... 3 Turns









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5) Clean oil pan, magnet and all sealing surfaces. Using NEW
gasket, install oil pan. Install and tighten oil pan bolts to
specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
6) Add Mopar ATF Plus Type 7176 fluid until fluid level is at
MIN arrow mark on dipstick. Start engine and allow engine to idle.
With brakes applied, shift transmission through all gears and back to
Neutral.
7) Add additional fluid to bring fluid level to MIN mark on
dipstick. Recheck fluid level with transmission at normal operating
temperature. Adjust fluid level to MAX arrow mark on dipstick. DO NOT
overfill transmission.
Fig. 5: Locating Low-Reverse Band Adjusting Screw & Low-Reverse
Band Adjusting Screw Lock Nut
Courtesy of Chrysler Corp.
SHIFT CABLE

Dakota & Durango
1) Raise and support vehicle. Ensure shift lever is in Park.
Release shift cable adjuster lock. Shift cable adjuster lock is
located on shift cable, just below brake booster.
2) Disconnect shift cable from transmission shift lever on
transmission. Ensure transmission is still in Park by rotating
transmission shift lever fully toward rear of vehicle to Park detent.
3) Verify parking sprag on transmission is engaged by
attempting to rotate drive shaft. Install shift cable on transmission
shift lever. Lock shift cable in place by pressing shift cable
adjuster lock downward until it snaps into place.
4) To verify proper adjustment, check that engine only starts
with shift lever in Park and Neutral. If engine starts in any other
gears except Park or Neutral, shift cable may be improperly adjusted
or park/neutral position switch may be defective.
Ram Van/Wagon
1) Raise and support vehicle. Ensure shift lever is in Park.
Unsnap shift cable from ball at transmission shift lever on
transmission. See Fig. 6.
2) Check that transmission is still in Park by rotating
transmission shift lever fully toward rear of vehicle to Park detent
position. Release cable adjuster at transmission end of shift cable to
unlock shift cable. See Fig. 6. Snap shift cable back on ball at
transmission shift lever. Press cable lock inward to secure shift
cable.
3) To verify proper adjustment, ensure engine only starts
with shift lever in Park and Neutral. Shift lever should not move from
Park when ignition switch is in LOCK position. Shift lever should move
from Park when ignition switch is in any position except LOCK
position.
Fig. 6: Locating Cable Adjuster (Ram Van/Wagon)
Courtesy of Chrysler Corp.
SHIFT LINKAGE

Ram Pickup
1) Raise and support vehicle. Inspect shift linkage for worn
components. Replace any damaged or worn grommets or shift linkage
components before adjusting.
2) Ensure shift lever is in Park. Loosen lock bolt on
adjusting swivel. See Fig. 7. Ensure shift rod slides freely in
adjusting swivel. If shift rod fails to slide freely in adjusting
swivel, lubricate shift rod as necessary.
3) Rotate transmission shift lever fully toward rear of
vehicle to the Park detent position. Position adjusting swivel so it
is centered in grommet on torque shaft arm. See Fig. 7. Tighten lock
bolt on adjusting swivel. Check that engine only starts with shift
lever in Park and Neutral. If engine starts in any other gears except
Park and Neutral, shift linkage adjustment is incorrect or
park/neutral position switch is defective.
Fig. 7: Identifying Typical Shift Linkage Components
Courtesy of Chrysler Corp.
THROTTLE VALVE CABLE
1) Ensure shift lever is in Park and ignition is off. Remove
air cleaner. Disconnect throttle valve cable from stud on throttle
lever at throttle body.
2) Ensure throttle lever on throttle body is in idle position
and throttle valve lever on transmission is in idle (fully forward)
position.
3) Using small screwdriver, remove retaining clip from
throttle valve cable. Center end of throttle valve cable with stud on
throttle lever at throttle body within .039" (1.00 mm), and install
retaining clip. Install throttle valve cable on throttle lever.
4) To verify proper adjustment, ensure throttle valve lever
on throttle body and throttle lever on transmission move

Transmission (Dakota)
Check transmission fluid level when performing other
underhood services. Under normal service conditions, change
transmission fluid at 30 months or 37,500 miles. Under severe service
conditions, change transmission fluid at 18,000 miles. Severe service
are conditions such as long periods of engine idling, trailer towing,
off-highway operation, snow removal, or operating in dusty or
excessively hot conditions.
Transmission (Ram Pickup)
Check transmission fluid level when performing other
underhood services. Fluid change service interval information is not
available from manufacturer.
Transfer Case
Check transfer case fluid level when performing other
underhood services. On Dakota and Light-Duty Pickup, change transfer
case fluid at 37,500 miles or 30 months. On Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty
Pickup, change transfer case fluid at 36,000 miles or 36 months.
CHECKING FLUID LEVEL
Transmission (Dakota)
1) Park vehicle on level surface. Remove transmission fill
plug from side of transmission. On AX-15 transmission, transmission
fill plug is located on driver's side of transmission. On NV3500
transmission, transmission fill plug is located near front of
transmission on passenger's side of transmission.
2) On all transmissions, fluid level should even with bottom
of fill plug hole on side of transmission. Add appropriate type of
transmission fluid if necessary. See RECOMMENDED FLUID. Install and
tighten transaxle fill plug to specification. See TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS.
Transmission (Ram Pickup)
1) Park vehicle on level surface. Remove transmission fill
plug from side of transmission. On NV3500 transmissions, transmission
fill plug is located near front of transmission on passenger's side of
transmission. On NV4500 transmissions, transmission fill plug is
located near rear of transmission on passenger's side of transmission.
2) On all transmissions, fluid level should even with bottom
of fill plug hole on side of transmission. Add appropriate type of
transmission fluid if necessary. See RECOMMENDED FLUID. Install and
tighten transaxle fill plug to specification. See TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS.
Transfer Case
Park vehicle on level surface. Remove transfer case fill plug
from rear of transfer case. Fluid level should even with bottom of
transfer case fill plug hole on rear of transfer case. Add appropriate
type of transfer case fluid if necessary. See RECOMMENDED FLUID.
Install and tighten transfer case fill plug to specification. See
TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS.
RECOMMENDED FLUID
Transmission (Dakota)
On AX-15 transmissions, use API 75W-90 GL-3 gear oil. On
NV1500 and NV3500 transmissions, use ONLY Mopar M/T Lube Part No.
4761526.
Transmission (Ram Pickup)

full load. The Kent-Moore J-39021 is such a tool, though there are
others. The Kent-Moore costs around $240 at the time of this writing
and works on many different manufacturer's systems.
The second method is to use a lab scope. Remember, a lab
scope allows you to see the regular operation of a circuit in real
time. If an injector is having an short or intermittent short, the lab
scope will show it.
Checking Available Voltage At the Injector
Verifying a fuel injector has the proper voltage to operate
correctly is good diagnostic technique. Finding an open circuit on the
feed circuit like a broken wire or connector is an accurate check with
a DVOM. Unfortunately, finding an intermittent or excessive resistance
problem with a DVOM is unreliable.
Let's explore this drawback. Remember that a voltage drop due
to excessive resistance will only occur when a circuit is operating?
Since the injector circuit is only operating for a few milliseconds at
a time, a DVOM will only see a potential fault for a few milliseconds.
The remaining 90+% of the time the unloaded injector circuit will show
normal battery voltage.
Since DVOMs update their display roughly two to five times a
second, all measurements in between are averaged. Because a potential
voltage drop is visible for such a small amount of time, it gets
"averaged out", causing you to miss it.
Only a DVOM that has a "min-max" function that checks EVERY
MILLISECOND will catch this fault consistently (if used in that mode).\
The Fluke 87 among others has this capability.
A "min-max" DVOM with a lower frequency of checking (100
millisecond) can miss the fault because it will probably check when
the injector is not on. This is especially true with current
controlled driver circuits. The Fluke 88, among others fall into this
category.
Outside of using a Fluke 87 (or equivalent) in the 1 mS "min-\
max" mode, the only way to catch a voltage drop fault is with a lab
scope. You will be able to see a voltage drop as it happens.
One final note. It is important to be aware that an injector
circuit with a solenoid resistor will always show a voltage drop when
the circuit is energized. This is somewhat obvious and normal; it is a
designed-in voltage drop. What can be unexpected is what we already
covered--a voltage drop disappears when the circuit is unloaded. The
unloaded injector circuit will show normal battery voltage at the
injector. Remember this and do not get confused.
Checking Injector On-Time With Built-In Function
Several DVOMs have a feature that allows them to measure
injector on-time (mS pulse width). While they are accurate and fast to\
hookup, they have three limitations you should be aware of:
* They only work on voltage controlled injector drivers (e.g
"Saturated Switch"), NOT on current controlled injector
drivers (e.g. "Peak & Hold").
* A few unusual conditions can cause inaccurate readings.
* Varying engine speeds can result in inaccurate readings.
Regarding the first limitation, DVOMs need a well-defined
injector pulse in order to determine when the injector turns ON and
OFF. Voltage controlled drivers provide this because of their simple
switch-like operation. They completely close the circuit for the
entire duration of the pulse. This is easy for the DVOM to interpret.
The other type of driver, the current controlled type, start
off well by completely closing the circuit (until the injector pintle
opens), but then they throttle back the voltage/current for the
duration of the pulse. The DVOM understands the beginning of the pulse

but it cannot figure out the throttling action. In other words, it
cannot distinguish the throttling from an open circuit (de-energized)
condition.
Yet current controlled injectors will still yield a
millisecond on-time reading on these DVOMs. You will find it is also
always the same, regardless of the operating conditions. This is
because it is only measuring the initial completely-closed circuit on-
time, which always takes the same amount of time (to lift the injector
pintle off its seat). So even though you get a reading, it is useless.
The second limitation is that a few erratic conditions can
cause inaccurate readings. This is because of a DVOM's slow display
rate; roughly two to five times a second. As we covered earlier,
measurements in between display updates get averaged. So conditions
like skipped injector pulses or intermittent long/short injector
pulses tend to get "averaged out", which will cause you to miss
important details.
The last limitation is that varying engine speeds can result
in inaccurate readings. This is caused by the quickly shifting
injector on-time as the engine load varies, or the RPM moves from a
state of acceleration to stabilization, or similar situations. It too
is caused by the averaging of all measurements in between DVOM display
periods. You can avoid this by checking on-time when there are no RPM
or load changes.
A lab scope allows you to overcome each one of these
limitations.
Checking Injector On-Time With Dwell Or Duty
If no tool is available to directly measure injector
millisecond on-time measurement, some techs use a simple DVOM dwell or
duty cycle functions as a replacement.
While this is an approach of last resort, it does provide
benefits. We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses in a moment,
but first we will look at how a duty cycle meter and dwell meter work.
How A Duty Cycle Meter and Dwell Meter Work
All readings are obtained by comparing how long something has
been OFF to how long it has been ON in a fixed time period. A dwell
meter and duty cycle meter actually come up with the same answers
using different scales. You can convert freely between them. See
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DWELL & DUTY CYCLE READINGS TABLE .
The DVOM display updates roughly one time a second, although
some DVOMs can be a little faster or slower. All measurements during
this update period are tallied inside the DVOM as ON time or OFF time,
and then the total ratio is displayed as either a percentage (duty
cycle) or degrees (dwell meter).
For example, let's say a DVOM had an update rate of exactly 1
second (1000 milliseconds). Let's also say that it has been
measuring/tallying an injector circuit that had been ON a total of 250
mS out of the 1000 mS. That is a ratio of one-quarter, which would be
displayed as 25% duty cycle or 15
dwell (six-cylinder scale). Note
that most duty cycle meters can reverse the readings by selecting the
positive or negative slope to trigger on. If this reading were
reversed, a duty cycle meter would display 75%.
Strengths of Dwell/Duty Meter
The obvious strength of a dwell/duty meter is that you can
compare injector on-time against a known-good reading. This is the
only practical way to use a dwell/duty meter, but requires you to have
known-good values to compare against.
Another strength is that you can roughly convert injector mS
on-time into dwell reading with some computations.
A final strength is that because the meter averages
everything together it does not miss anything (though this is also a