If this is the wrong place, I am sorry. This is literally my first reddit post and created my reddit account just minutes ago.

I have an 06 dodge Dakota that I bought used about 5 years ago. 120xxx miles. It's always acted up in the summer with warning lights, as it seems temperamental to ambient heat. Scanners always suggest massive transmission failure. I've come to expect it, and the transmission does in fact behave strangely when these lights come on.

Flash forward to this past summer up until now. The lights came on, and the check engine light never went off this year. I just thought, whatever, it's still running fine. Well, over the last two weeks, it went on a sharp trajectory from just an annoying problem to "this truck is fucked" in terms of the transmission.

Last night, I used an old trick I used to use on occasion and disconnected the battery for about 15 minutes, hooked everything back up and went to bed (there was a snow storm so I wasn't going to go drive). Flash forward into today: I start the truck up and NO check engine light! I drove it up and down my neighborhood, flooring the pedal at speeds/gears I know to have issue, and it ran like a top. No harsh shifts or slips. Nothing.

I got home and parked it, and the fkn light comes back on. I drive it again and everything is back to the beginning.

The computer is obviously (in my opinion) the problem at this point, but my question is, what do I do? Is there a temporary work around to get by for a couple of months? I have payments on it still until July, so I don't really plan to spend any significant money on repairs, as I've long intended to get rid of it once it's paid off (something more gas friendly). Obviously a new computer is expensive, as is a transmission, but short of disabling the battery every time a get ready to drive somewhere (tedious and impractical), I'm not sure what other options, if any, I have.