Strange thing: It happened again today. I started the truck after work and a few miles down the road at a stoplight, it started off in 2nd gear. At 55 or so, I noticed that it didn't upshift to OD. I stopped to check the fluid level and it was right in the correct spot. Fluid is clear red and smells new. My commute is 92 miles each way and I knew without OD I'd need to get gas to make it home. I shut it down and restarted after refueling. Afterwards, the transmission was back to normal. I never got a
MIL, no codes, nothing. It is odd that a restart somehow reset "the clock" or however you'd describe it. At times the truck has felt like it starts in 2nd gear. This has been since the first year that I've owned it. I'm at 260,000 miles and aside from regular fluid and filter service, the transmission is original. I called a local wrecking yard. They have 8 of these 545 series units in stock ranging from $375 to $1050. The most expensive one came from a 19,000 mile truck.