Trouble backing out of driveway

[David Vandercook]

Hey y'all,
I always park my 86 w250 pulled into my steep driveway, nose downward. Usually I have warm the truck up for a couple minutes before it will back out. When I back out and the engine is still fairly cold, I have to launch the truck by leaving the brake set, going in reverse, and releasing when it gets going. Today it took several tries, but I finally got out. Why doesn't it want to back uphill right away? Once I get out of the driveway the first time, everything is normal. I can pull back in the driveway and back out with no issues if already had the truck going that day. Why is it doing this?

 

[MADDOG]

Check your transmission fluid level and condition. You might need to fill it or flush it.

 

[rzr6-4]

I would also suspect the trans. I often won't drive my ram for a week or two at a time. First start up when I do drive it, I try to give it a minute to warm up and what not but if I'm in a hurry and throw it in drive right away, it won't move. Put it in park and give it a few seconds and try again, it will be sluggish. Later that day or the next day it will move just fine. I think that the torque converter is flowing back and needs to pump up before it will move. Check your fluid level but if its full then I would just run it as is, just know that you need to give it time to warm up before driving.

 

[David Vandercook]

Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if it's just that my driveway is too steep and the fluid is just not pumping well because of that when it's cold, because I don't have trouble when I back in and pull out. Maybe I'll try parking somewhere else and see how it goes. My fluid is blood red and full though.

 

[RamDiver]

Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if it's just that my driveway is too steep and the fluid is just not pumping well because of that when it's cold, because I don't have trouble when I back in and pull out. Maybe I'll try parking somewhere else and see how it goes. My fluid is blood red and full though.

You might try an experiment.

Try backing in the driveway next time to eliminate reversing up the hill with cold tranny fluid.

.

 

[David Vandercook]

Well, lo and behold, I backed in last night, warmed it up for a minute this morning, and drove on out no problem. Must just be the angle of the driveway.

 

[RamDiver]

Well, lo and behold, I backed in last night, warmed it up for a minute this morning, and drove on out no problem. Must just be the angle of the driveway.

Interesting.

I wonder if the gear ratio in first makes the cold engine hill climb easier than the reverse gear ratio.

.

 

[Marshall]

Well, lo and behold, I backed in last night, warmed it up for a minute this morning, and drove on out no problem. Must just be the angle of the driveway.

Should not matter, I think its time for new filter and oil, it's a simple thing on these trucks, if you don't mind rolling around in the dirt and oil .
If the driveway was too steep, and everything good , you would just spin out.

 

[Daw14]

Filters and fluid , because it’s been doing this .

If you shift it into neutral and let at sit a few seconds , this should allow the transmission pump to prime what’s lacking. Pump runs in neutral.