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Transmission Traumas?

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Comments

  • trinacria2trinacria2 Member Posts: 5
    windowphobe6 - what if the HOLD light flashes, but only after 20-30 miles of highway driving? Never does in urban driving (below 65 mph) and when it does it in the highway, it seems to coincide with a downshift from 4th to 3rd gear. I took the car to the mechanic, but he says no codes were stored and I cannot get the light to flash while in town (the light goes off when the engine is turned off and back on). While the light is flashing the transmission does not work smoothly and seems to only use the first 3 gears. What do you think it is and how much you think it would cost me to fix it?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    As a general rule, with that light on, the transmission resorts to limp-home/brain-dead mode and acts like a three-speed, shifting basically when it's afraid not to. Does the light stay on after you've dropped below highway speeds, or does it continue blinking until you kill the engine?

    The question of "how much" is hard to quantify. A dealership will generally recommend replacing the transmission, at a cost of $2500 or so, unless by some fluke it manages to set a code they can read. The '96 is OBD-II compliant, so it requires one of the fancy-pants scanners; be sure your mechanic is up to speed on these things.
  • trinacria2trinacria2 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the feedback. For clarity, the overdrive mode (hold light constantly on) works perfectly if I push the appropriate button. The problem is that at highway speed the hold light sometimes starts flashing by itself. When dropping to lower speeds, the hold light keeps flashing and the transmission keeps using in a rough manner the first 3 gears only, even at traffic speed, until I kill the engine and I turn it back on. After that everything is back normal and often I can drive 30 or more miles at highway speed without any problem. In fact, sometimes I get to drive 70 or more miles without any light coming on. One more thing I noticed is that, under normal conditions (no light flashing) and with my foot light on the accelerator, the transmission tends to shift from 3rd to 4th too soon dropping the rpm too low, and sometimes going back and forward between 3rd and 4th gear. My mechanic says that it could be a shifting solenoid going bad and that I should go to Mazda since they will have to perhaps rebuild the transmission or so! I frankly am not happy to go to Mazda because I had bad experiences with them in the past (they misdiagnosed a problem, probably to rip me off). Do you think that a transmission specialist (AAMCO or others) would be equipped to diagnose the problem? Do you think it would be worth to try instead of the Mazda dealer?
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    you certainly happen to have an electronic problem and not a mechanical problem. better if you go to a mazda dealer.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    There are two solenoids involved in moving between 3rd and 4th, so it could conceivably be either of them. It doesn't sound like an internal mechanical failure. AAMCO is a franchise system; like any franchise, some of them are good, and some of them are not so good. I'd hunt around for a local shop with a good reputation. The guys at Car Talk, the radio show, have a Web site which contains, among other things, a list of mechanics recommended by site users; you can dig into the list by pointing ye olde browser to http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Garage/intro.html and running a search.
  • sarakaysarakay Member Posts: 19
    Hi, I have an 87 Accord with an automatic transmission. It slips in the low gears, usually when I'm going around a corner but sometimes when I accelerate hard when going straight. It's been doing this for a while ... I had the trans fluid changed (put in Honda fluid) and it was great for a while then it started slipping again. I took it to one of the chains and the guy said the fluid wasn't leaking. He thinks the clutch is wearing out and wants $1000 to tear it apart. Does this sound right to you guys? Thanks for any help.
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Someone may be able to offer some advice here in this topic, but I wonder if you have seen our topic on Honda Accord problems (Topic #903)? There's a very knowledgeable guy hanging out over there who might be able to help -- you can post your question in that topic also. Just click on that highlighted link to go directly there.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • lindeman1lindeman1 Member Posts: 9
    I have been doing a lot of research on transmission servicing. I am due for a service on my 1994 Villager and was considering a pan drop to clean it and the screen and then a total flush to replace the fluid with synthetic (Amsoil or Redline). Very pricey proposition, but I originally figured it would be worth it in improved trans. performance and longevity. I read an "expert" opinion in another forum say his personal experience was that synthetics frequently cause shift quality problems and he doesn't recommend them (sure is counter to the synthetic mfrs. glowing claims). He also wasn't convinced that the new "total flush" systems couldn't cause more harm than good by upsetting debris in the valve body. He recommends a "conventional" service with replacement of the screen or filter and replacement of the drained fluid (typically 1/3 to 1/2 the total) with factory-recommended fluid. Now I'm not sure what to do. Maybe forget the synthetics and trans. flush and just go the "conventional" route? I'd like to keep this vehicle a long time.
  • q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Most people who have never used an AT Flush machine have a misconception of how it works. It contains a rubber bladder which is separated into two compartments: one empty, one filled with 12-14 quarts of new AT fluid, the internal transmission pump and gravity does the work of transferring in the new while the old is drained out. Equal out-equal in.
    Now a chemical flush is added to transmission first and the circulation of it frees varnish and broken off clutch material that may be lying in the bottom of the pan and this begins to circulate but since the whole process is done at idle speed very little stress on AT.
  • trinacria2trinacria2 Member Posts: 5
    I decided to go to Mazda and they diagnosed a bad torque convertor solenoid. They would not rebuilt the transmission and suggest replacing it for about 3000$. Mechanically the trans works fine. Do I really need to rebuilt the transmission (CD4E)? Someone told me that solenoids can be replaced without opening everything up. Is that true? How much should I expect to pay for rebuilding it, if necessary?
  • spokanespokane Member Posts: 514
    Trinacria2, a defective torque converter solenoid is consistent with the symptoms you described earlier. However, this is a simple device (~$35 parts cost on many cars) so it is quite surprising that the shop should even mention rebuilding or replacing the transmission. Sorry I don't know details of the solenoid location on the Mazda but on many transmissions it's external so the labor is about 30 minutes. The worst-case labor requirement should be no more than six hours if the solenoid is located within the transmission. Something else could be wrong in addition to the solenoid, but your information points strongly toward this rather minor repair. Please talk with at least one other reputable shop before making a decision. Good luck and please keep us posted.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Well, it's a little more complex than that. This is Ford's CD4E transmission, and you have to replace the solenoid block as a unit, even if only one of the five solenoids is toast. The block is bolted to the valve body, so at least it's not too inaccessible.
  • spokanespokane Member Posts: 514
    You taught me something Windowphobe; thanks. Let's hope Trinicria2 can get his problem solved without having to consider a replacement transmission.
  • senselesssenseless Member Posts: 46
    I have a '95 Ford F-250 pickup with 71K miles that sometimes won't go into gear until a minute of warmup. After that, it's perfect.

    Trans service was performed last summer. Fluid level is fine. My mechanic advised that it's not practical to service automatic transmissions with 70K miles, so I gave up for now.

    My concern is having this vehicle disabled on the road. Since it is a delivery work vehicle, this could be a serious problem. How likely is a sudden failure from this symptom?
  • rh0mbusrh0mbus Member Posts: 1
    My 1997 Ford Taurus's transmission failed at 75K. I discovered that it had been bad all along and failing to shift properly when slowing down to 15-20 mph and then accelerating again. It felt like it was temporarily in neutral. I thought maybe this was normal for a FORD. At 75K, it failed to get out of first gear without shuddering violently. I have always had my transmission serviced at the dealer and properly maintained it. I just bought a new 2000 Taurus for my wife before this happened. It doesn't make me feel very good about the longevity of Ford Taurus vehicles. Of course, Ford Motor Company says customer satisfaction is job one, says too bad so sad, you are out of warranty and won't speak to me about my $2,400.00 transmission repair job. Caveat Emptor!
  • sable93sable93 Member Posts: 107
    I wouldn't worry about the 2000. The transmission in the '96 and newer Tauri are in general very reliable. For some reason, yours wasn't. Sometimes stuff happens without any explanation.
  • dmkdmk Member Posts: 22
    That's typical Ford dealer crap. They certainly have the worse dealership network of the domestics. I had to experience that unfortunately in the past.
    Hopefully their vehicles have improved in the last few years(which I believe they have) however their dealers and warranty service appearantly have not.
    Good luck w/ your vehicles.
  • bolderbob9bolderbob9 Member Posts: 4
    My 1998 honda v6 accord has 46K miles and has been diagnosed with transaxle failure by the local honda dealer. My extended warranty will cover and honda has agreed to cover the deductible, $250, if i can provide the crucial 30K transmission service paperwork. I don't have my owner's manual handy, but i can't recall a 30K service on the tranny being required for normal conditions. Can anyone help with the actual interpretation of the maintenance schedule? Does the 30K normal service schedule require this? Why is a honda with 46K of highway miles having transmission failure? So much for reliability and Honda being one and the same. Will probably look at nissan or toyota next time. Any thoughts out there.
  • psc2psc2 Member Posts: 7
    I have had Fords all my life and have blown trannys in a 1970 mustang (80k), 1969 torino (60k), 92 sable (50K and 70k))with 3.8l motor and 95 t-bird v-8 (55k). It is now time for a new car. Who makes the strongest auto trans? I have been told the japanese models like toyota honda and subaru are not reliable in the auhto trans department . My dad is a GM man and has always gotten over 100,000 from his chevy and pontiac transmisions.
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    You might want to go to our Honda Accord problems topic and post your question there also. There is a very knowledgeable Honda mechanic hanging out there who can probably help you out.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • keynook2keynook2 Member Posts: 2
    I own a 1996 Chevy Corsica with 3-speed auto, four cylinder engine and 41K miles. Car is an ex-rental car (didn't know until a Carfax check after I bought it) but it has been problem free since I purchased it eight months ago.
    Transmission or something makes peculiar noise after car has warmed up and is shifted into drive, neutral and reverse. It also makes the same noise when shifting from 2-1 while in drive and when accelerating from a rolling stop but not a full stop. The sound is like a high pitched short lasting bell ring. When shifting into reverse it makes a double ring about 1/2 second apart. Shift quality is smooth through all gears and trans fluid has good color, odor, level and does not leak.
    Is this a problem or should it be ignored? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
  • thunderz11thunderz11 Member Posts: 1
    Have the transmission serviced. It may be excess clutch or metal gear shavings not being caught by the filter/screen, or a bad screen altogether. It sounds like your transmission operates normally (doens't "clunk" into gear, or rev the motor up when shifting, etc) under normal driving conditions?

    I could also be something vibrating on the car. Perhaps the transmission is loose in its mountings.

    If these don't work, take it to the dealer and have them run a diagnostic test. It may simply be band slippage and in need of adjustment.
  • wendigowendigo Member Posts: 4
    i own a 89 Olds Custom Cruiser with the 3,3 liters V6 and 4 spds tranny (110k mile): I experienced 2 kinds of prob:
    1- Sometimes, when i engage R or D position from park, the tranny does not engage. Just have to put the shift lever to N position and put it back on R or D and it will work like a new.
    2- Sometimes, when i decelerate from cruising speed to 10-20 mph and want to accelerate hard, the tranny will slip as the same way than the neutral position. Just release the accelerator and push it again and it will go

    The tranny was serviced two weeks ago, and except those probs, the tranny works great on any gear, no shaking on shifting, no noise, no vibration.
    I suspect a valving defect causing a lost of hydraulic pressure. Somebody have any idea about that?

    Wendigo
  • wendigowendigo Member Posts: 4
    My car is a Olds Cutlass Ciera Cruiser instead of a Custum Cruiser.

    Wendigo
  • equasnitschkaequasnitschka Member Posts: 2
    My wife's pricey volvo transmission died at a very early age. Took it to volvo dealer. Said 2600 to fix. Called Volvo of NA in NJ. They were very nice but unwilling to help. Dealer reduced price to 1600 but warranty only for work done and only for one year. I have done transmission work before and knew AAMCO to be expensive. Gave them 3K to fix this. Their lifetime warranty and the fact that we will leave Dallas for Hartford next year sold me. This is the second time Volvo has been unresponsive so I told Volvo dealer that they would be the last to get my dough for this job.
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    Had a question about what fluid to use in a 1998 Jeep Cherokee auto with 4.0 engine and 4wd. Manual recommends that I use Dextron III. Spoke with 2 Chrysler dealers and they both use ATF+3 (Chysler part # 7176). Was concerned on what fluid to use because they are somewhat different. ATF+3 has friction modifiers in it. Spoke with Chrysler Service rep on this issue and she said either can be used.
  • improvizimproviz Member Posts: 1
    I'm wondering how much damage the occasional
    "gear grind" in a manual transmission can cause.

    I recently bought a new 6-speed, and managed to grind the gears a few times: once, I accidentally let off the clutch too soon on a 1-2 shift and ground it a bit, and the second time I was trying to downshift to third and accidentally started to go into the first gear slot and got some grind
    (the clutch was depressed at the time).

    I'm sure that both instances generated a bit of ground metal. Will the transmission filter catch this, or would it be worth my while to have
    the dealer check it out?

    Thanks
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    I would say you did no damage to the transmission. I had quite a few cars with manuals and let me tell you this happened more than one time. (grinding gears). None of the trans ever failed before 100,000 miles. So I would say don't worry about it, but don't make it a habit to grind the gears. Hope this helps. Best thing you can do is drain the gear oil every 30,000 miles, this will help remove all of the metal and dirt that acccumulates.
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    There are generally no filters on manual transmissions. Some companies do use a magnetic drain plug, so the steel bits will be captured there. The bronze bits floating around don't do as much damage....

    I agree on the oil change every 30,000. Few people do it, but it will make a difference.

    Bruce
  • nelsoncmnelsoncm Member Posts: 103
    Your '87 626 made it to 130,000 and you're complaining????? I had an 87 626 and went through 2 transmissions. The first had to be replaced at 30K, though it was bad from day 1, and the second one barely made it 40K miles before it started dropping gears for no apparent reason. According to my local service mgr. at the time, Mazda apparently knew their trannies were bad but didn't ever do an official recall. (They replaced the first one under warranty, begrudgingly and wouldn't even pay for the rental car I had to drive for 3 days.) At 130K, it's time to send your Mazda to that great car lot in the sky and move on!
  • nelsoncmnelsoncm Member Posts: 103
    If you had your 30K servicing done at your Honda dealership, they have everything documented in their computer system, or should have....And they should have provided you with a complete schedule of maintenance and what is done at what intervals, when you got the car. At least my So Cal Honda dealership did. A tranny slipping at your current mileage does happen, sad to say....see my previous post (#399). Sounds like they're giving you a bit of a runaround...be persistent.
  • nelsoncmnelsoncm Member Posts: 103
    ....oh, and as for Hondas being reliable or not, I just traded in my 93 Accord Coupe (4-cyl) at 90K miles, and it showed no signs of ever giving up....had it not been for our on-the-way baby, I would have driven it til it died, and I have no doubt it would have easily made it to 150K. Nissan??? Bleck! Toyota? Boring. Try a 4-cyl Honda Accord, they've got plenty of power and passing capability....My old Honda had more pick up than my new V6 Sable wagon with 200 horses!
  • dbrown39dbrown39 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 98 Sable with 52,000 miles. I just had it at the dealers for an engine service soon light. The code came back as 1744 this a trans. problem that the dealer said I needed a trans. overhaul and a new valve body. Does anyone know what 1744 code means and do I really need an overhaul at only 52,000 miles. It is my understanding that all powertrain systems are design to last 100,000 miles. Please help!

    DB
  • bknightsbknights Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a brand new 1999 Acura 3.2 TL in August, 1999. Currently, it has 8000 miles and I recently began experiencing slipping in the transmission. I took it to my dealer and they indicated the transmission was failing and they are replacing the entire thing. Has anyone else had a similar experience with an Acura?
  • suemccartinsuemccartin Member Posts: 1
    Hi All: In 1997 I bought a 1994 Expo LRV with the larger 2 liter engine. I have never thought the thing shifted right when cold, it always seemed quite sluggish but the dealer insisted nothing was wrong-of course. Last saturday when driving down the highway at 70 mph I felt two sharp jerks and an accompanying loss of power for a few seconds. When I got to the next traffic light the car would hardly move. When I got to my destination and shut off the engine I had no gears when I came out and tried to leave. After the usual and expected hassles from both the extended warranty holder and the dealership they said that the "planetary gear had come apart" and a "new" transmission was installed in the car. Well, I've had the car for two days and it was fantastic, I decided to drive about 200 miles to give it a good shakedown (the dealer insisted that it didn't have to be treated gently or given any special checkups). On the way back from the shakedown trip I felt the two by now familiar jerks and the power loss just like last weekend. I managed to get home without stopping and now I go out and have no reverse and it barely moves in any forward gear either. Obviously there is some problem here that is either external to the transmission or is causing the transmission to fail (be interesting to see if it's the planetary gear again or something else). If this was a regular thing, I would think something like this would have been the subject of a recall or a service bulletin but I can find neither. I did find an article on a transmission shop site discussing the vacuum actuator and SCU which can cause no gears and no movement. I'm looking for any information anyone can give me as I'm sure this is going to be another hassle at the dealership and with the extended warranty plan. You'd think that since the idiots put in $2500.00 worth of new transmission that they'd check everything else out too, NOT. Well, at least it's still in warranty. I guess I should have been afraid when the towtruck operator last weekend told me that he tows his neighbor's car to the same mitsubishi dealership at least once per month. My mechanic likes mitsubishi cars and I really am not finding a lot of negative input on them, at least on my model that is. All assistance is appreciated.
  • wyldebillwyldebill Member Posts: 1
    this car has a hole the size of the grandcanyon at low speed, around 1500rpm. it literally pitches forward before shifting up. the shifts themselves feel fine, actually pretty tight. it's the damn pause before the first shift thats annoying me as well as the timing of it. it's not uncommon for this car to shift midway around a corner (90 degree). also the car doesn't seem to accellerate until the rpms are above 2500-3000rpm. i mean u put the accellerator to the floor and it's this constant speed until about 2500rpm, then it starts to pick up. is that right? i've had honda civics and chev cavaliers that accelerated harder. bringing it back to dealer (my salesman has since disappeared..figure that one out) since it is a pre-certified mazda. curious if anyone has anything similar to offer.
  • cmchale1cmchale1 Member Posts: 1
    Recently had to have my transmission completed rebuilt. The car had under 36,000 and the warranty recently expired. The problem was: when you started the car it sounded perfect, once you went to put the car in reverse or drive the check engine light would appear and then the car would just die. Did this happen to you? Thanks in advance for the help.
  • sranger94sranger94 Member Posts: 18
    I have a 1998 Toyota Avalon XLS that has a transmission problem. At low speeds (under 20 mph) while coasting in first gear, upon acceleration, there is a hesitation and then the transmission bangs hard into the next gear. Dealer has cleaned and adjusted the stall converter, adjusted the #2 resistor which had high resistance and subsequently replaced tranny with a rebuilt unit. None of these repairs have been successful. Have driven two other cars of the same model and year that did not shift poorly. No trouble codes have appeared. Could the problem be electronic (throttle position sensor, shift/engine computer) and can these units be tested even if no trouble codes are present?
    Transmission shifts fine at all speeds above 20 mph.
    Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
  • flinflin Member Posts: 29
    brief history:
    1999 TL @10,000 miles, @ 1 yr old
    started noticing transmission roughness/slippage a while ago. Last month, took it to purchasing dealer and was told "no problems- your car is fine". A few weeks later, took it to another dealership after it wouldn't start one morning, and told them to check out the transmission- they said "we are replacing your transmission with a remanufactured one."

    Got the car back tuesday night. Transmission felt OK, but alignment was off(?!) Planned to take it back to have it fixed today. Took my wife to work and came home. Left to go back out and "new" transmission went kablooey--after @150 miles into the new one!! Almost had a wreck trying to make it back home. The car is sitting in the driveway undriveable, on top of a puddle of transmission fluid (I think).

    Called around to several dealerships to get info on 99 TL transmissions. Was told by one service manager that approximately 5,000 99 TLs had some kind of seal contamination that make them prone to transmission failure. Was also told that there is a national backorder on the part.

    Called Acura customer service. They seemed quite upset when I told them about the "5,000" story- as if I shouldn't know about that. I told them of my near-death experience with the 2nd faulty transmission, and that I wish to get a refund. I no longer have faith in the vehicle or their ability to fix it. Should I really trust my life with their repairs when they've proven to be a failure??

    I'm hoping that Acura will treat me well and give me a refund. I am in the beginning stage of
    prusuing lemon law, in case they seem reluctant. Also, I plan to do some informational picketing out in front of their dealerships. Maybe I can get some attention that way....

    to be continued
  • honglinhonglin Member Posts: 1
    The experience I have about my Chrysler is a complete disaster. I bought it from an individual who claimed that the car was in perfect conditions. I went to a mechanics and the test result was quite satisfactory. The model was Chrysler cirrus 95 LX (V6, 2.5 L) and the mileage was 69000 miles. The first problem came within a week! Guess what? The car can not shift the gear automatically. (It was an automatic car, of course) A good mechanics told me that the computer of the car went wrong and it was no longer programmable. I changed the computer and it cost me some 600 dollars. My next problem came within a month at a time when I was driving on I-40. I suddenly heard a big sound (Like fireworks) came from the front part of my car and the car started to smoke. I was lucky enough to pull over my car safely to the shoulder and turned it off. When AAA pulled my car to their truck, I found out that the transmission fluid was leaking from the bottom of the car.

    I just can not believe what has happened.... Can someone help me on that?
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    I have a 93 Accord with auto and 135KMi. Recently, I have noticed a shudder during light throttle starts. I am wondering what this could be. Is the transmission dying? *EXPENSIVE*
  • butch11butch11 Member Posts: 153
    When was the ATF changed last-pull out the dipstick and smell the fluid-smear some on a white surface-if it is dark-you need to change the ATF-use only Honda ATF-it is easy to change-easier than an oil change-just drive it for at least 30 miles to get the ATF hot and then drain it-take care-the ATF gets over 300 degrees F-can burn hell out of you.

    You might want to change it again in 10K miles or so since when changing ATF in this tranny you are only changing approximately half of the fluid. I would change ATF at 25-30K intervals. ATF is cheap-trannies are not.
  • amazonamazon Member Posts: 293
    Thank you for your reply. The ATF is perfectly clear and pink. it was changed 40,000 miles ago. I took it to Immke's Honda in Dublin, OH. They said it's the EGR valve that is clogged up. Maybe I should change the ATF anyway. Like you said, ATF is cheap.....
  • smandysmandy Member Posts: 1
    We have 1997 T&C LX. In the last 3 months, we
    have had 4 occurrances where we were stuck in
    2nd gear (of 4 speed OD) after first startup. We
    can stop the vehicle and turn off engine, wait
    10 minutes, and apparently we can operate o.k.
    Any clues? Dealer claims no problems twice now
    but we're not buying that. thanks.
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    I change the tranny fluid in my '98 Dodge Intrepid every 15,000 miles. The owners manual calls for ATF + 3, but I was reading the results of some independent lab studies where they found that the new ATF + 4 offered some better qualities than ATF + 3 does.

    I called every car parts store in my local area, and none of them sell ATF + 4. So I called the Dodge dealership to check their price, and I just about messed my pants! Their price was $8.05 per quart, no that's not a typo, that's $8.05 per quart! What's in this stuff, liquid gold? I don't care what's in it, it's not worth $8.05 per quart! And I'd be willing to bet that not too many other people will be willing to pay this much for tranny fluid either.

    If any of you know why Dodge has priced this fluid so darn high, please let me know. Thanks.
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    I don't know if you should use that ATF+4, but I figure $5/quart for Mobil 1 ATF in my Ford and GM vehicles is a heck of a lot of cheap insurance vs. the $1000-2000 cost of a new transmission. Twelve quarts is still under a $100. If there was evidence that the expensive fluid had a better than 50/50 chance of eliminating transmission troubles in the dubious DC ATX unit's I'd be buying it by the case.

    My $8.05 worth of opinion.

    Cheers,

    TB
  • hooferhoofer Member Posts: 43
    First, I have both a 1996 and a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan. They are great vehicles! Transmission seem to be their Achilles heal based on internet traffic.

    You can see additional details on my experience so far with my Chrysler transaxles and silicon contamination under topic #970 for Vans.

    To smandy. You are going into "limp" mode. It is discussed in your owner's manual. There is a problem with your transaxle that needs to be checked out before it gets worse.

    You can see if there are any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) stored on any Chrysler 1996-1997 vehicle by doing the following:

    With the engine at operating temperature and OFF, turn the ignition key to the "run" position (just before the starter is engaged) and back off as so:

    ON - OFF - ON - OFF - ON

    Do this within a 5 second window.

    Watch the check engine light. It will flash 2 digit trouble codes, example:

    "flash" " flash" pause "flash" "flash" "flash" is 23. A 55 is the end of the file code. If this is all you get, then a DTC was not stored (does NOT mean there is no problem, just the required parameters to store a code were not met).

    You can get more info. on DTCs at:

    www.obdii.com
    www.alldata.com

    They also have the definitions for the meaning of the DTCs.

    If you have not had your transmission powerflushed I recommend that you do so ASAP. Be sure that they put in the correct fluid (should be ATF+3 - 7176 for your car). I MEAN WATCH THEM OPEN THE BOTTLES AND READ THE LABELS.

    If someone has put Mercon/Dexron III in your transmission, this could be causing your problems.

    best of luck
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Isn't Mobile 1 ATF a synthetic? 5 bucks a quart for a synthetic isn't nearly as outragous as 8 bucks a quart is for a non-synthetic, which I think ATF + 4 is. Which still has me wondering why it's so expensive. It shouldn't be. I could see it costing 25 to 50 cents more per quart than ATF + 3 does, but 4 times as much is certainly unjustified!
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    Yep, but the dealer does have a higher markup, even so the 8 dollar fluid compared to a transmission is a bargain if it makes your hardware more reliable.

    TB
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    As long as Dodge says I can use ATF + 3, I will. $1.29 per quart beats the heck out of $8.05 per quart any day!
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