tranny problems

It may not be "jumping out of gear", but rather going into "limp" mode and shifting into second gear. If this is the case, and even if it isn't, you need to get the van to a competent dealer or mechanic to check the transmission codes.

Matt

Yes, this is a common symptom of problems on this van. How much assistance do you want from this group beyond "take it to a dealer"? Do you want some advice as to what might be the problem?

If so, we need to know the following:

2) What is the mileage on this van?

Ted

Matt, Thanks for replying. Didn't even know there were such things as transmission codes. Betty

Thanks for the great information. Cool It's much too late to go check those things out now but will do so first thing in the morning!! Off the top of my head I think it's 3.3, been under the hood, cause had to replace a few majors items. Miles.. 27.000 plus. BUT the person I got the van from had the trans. rebuilt last July. I say rebuilt but I was not there so, you knows. But I do know at that time it was using fluid and finally had no gears at all. Did not act anything like this shift now and than stuff. I wondered about a computer. Had no idea there was a separate one just for the transmission. I'm a chevy person. Kind of inherited this van and know nothing about it, except it's very needed. I noticed you wrote,, common systom of PROBLEMS. I'm finding that out. Yeah, I sure would like some advice as to the problem. I had somewhat of a lead foot, when I was younger and messed up some transmissions. When they quit shifting, they quit shifting. I called a tow truck and walked home. So I can't understand the driving in town or on I95 for 300, 500, 700 miles and it shifts fine. Then, it does what I mentioned. I know this is going to sound, girly, BUT, how bad can something be if it shift just fine when it's shifting?? That's the part I don't understand. Thanks again. Betty

Just about everything in modern cars has a computer attached to it. :-)

Matt

Betty,

Most of the time this symptom is caused by a bad electrical sensor that is providing essential information to the transmission computer. Since the transmission computer does not know something it needs to know, like the engine revolutions per second, or the speed of the car, it reverts to the limp home mode and goes into second gear.

Do you lose your speedometer too when this happens? If so, then it would almost certainly point toward the output speed sensor. If no, then it might indict the input (engine revolutions) speed sensor. Both are fairly cheap and easy fixes.

The key thing here is to take the van to someone you trust since they could try to screw you for a rebuild for a $80 fix. Also, these transmissions require fluid and filter changes about every 30K miles. Do this and it will last a good long time. Make absolutely certain that whoever does the change uses Chrysler fluid only. This is ATF+3 or ATF+4 depending on the year of the vehicle.

Bob

Hey Bob,

Do you think that her symptoms could be caused by the wrong fluid? I know the symptoms I've seen from the wrong fluid in a friend's van, but there could be others. She said somebody worked on it last year. Maybe it's that simple?

Since you asked me: In my opinion, I do not think this problem is the fluid. Typically the wrong fluid will be noticeable in shifts before the transmission fails from the improper fluid and the additional burden that was placed on it from transmission shudder.

I was just warning her that the fluid needs to be replaced periodically and that she needs to make sure when she does it gets the right stuff. Betty's problem is likely a sensor, but without a transmission computer scan it's hard to say for sure.

Bob

This couldn't be 27,000 miles in that old of a van, it is probably 127,000 miles. Even so, that's not a lot for a '91 van, that is only 9000 miles a year, the average yearly mileage someone drives in the United States is 14,000 a year.

I wonder if someone has screwed around with the odometer?

Do you have receipts? If so, pick up the telephone and call the rebuilder. All of them warranty rebuild jobs for 12 months at the minimum, some for longer. Generally these warranties are not transferable to a new owner so don't make a big deal about the fact that your a different owner. With a little luck you might get it fixed for free.

Transmissions don't "use" fluid. They aren't like an engine where there's internal combustion going on inside. If their fluid level is going down it is because there's a leak. If it was leaking for a long while what this means is the previous owner was a lazy-ass or too much a cheapskate to get a simple seal, like the pan gasket, fixed, instead preferring to dump unknown kind of fluid in the trans periodically.

That is very hard on transmissions - they use the fluid for cooling and not having enough fluid in the transmission is one of the quickest ways to make it overheat.

Aren't you familiar with the 700R4 chevy transmission then? In 1993 Chevy redid this transmission and added a computer and named it the

Ted