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Transmission not shifting into high gear.

17K views 38 replies 9 participants last post by  00kyle 
#1 ·
Things have been going swimmingly for my '94 'corde, up until today, when it just started with the trans not wanting to go into 4th(?) gear.

Goes up to what feels like third gear then the engine just revs and revs but will not upshift.

It has been crazy hot and humid here and I was driving a lot around town, does this have anything to do with it? Car has 125K miles on it. No trans issues to date.

I checked the fluid while idling. -- Dipstick handle was hot to the touch. The fluid was up to the lower 'Hot' dot. Looked kind of brownish, yet thin. Am I looking at big trouble? :hitthefan:

Can I continue to drive the car as is? Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks in advancee
 
#8 ·
Cool. Gonna get the output sensor tonite, pick up the other when it comes in tomorrow. Is this a fairly straightforward job? Unclip/unplug the sensor from a wire and from the trans and that's it or????? Also, how difficult is it to change the trans filter? I've changed trans pans, etc, but never have changed a trans filter on any of my cars before...
 
#10 ·
Awesome. Of course, the dipstick calls for Mopar brand fluid # xxxx. What more common type ATF should I use? (I'm used to old-school Ford-formula for my classic Mercs, and Mercon Dextron III for my GM sleds.)
 
#13 ·
This ain't much help...but here's some pics/movies of when I changed my tranny fluid, filter and sensors...

It's fairly straight-forward. Use PB Blaster on the transmission pan bolts if they are rusted. Use a stubby wrench to get at the transmission sensors (I had my car up on a lift so I had an advantage when doing mine.

Link to my version of this type of job...
 
#16 ·
Got the car up on jack stands/ramps. The trans looks really clean to me, a nice thing, compared to the grease bombs that are my other cars...:D. That output sensor looks like a tight squeeze getting to with the way the exhaust pipe comes down.




Thanks for the offer to help. For now, I don't think I'm going to drop the pan in my garage, looks like it will get really messy in a hurry!
 
#17 ·
I would highly recommend picking up a pump-siphon and pulling as much of the trans fluid out via the dipstick tube before dropping the pan - totally cuts down on the mess. There'll still be some in the pan, but it will be much more manageable (at least it was for me).
 
#18 ·
Right now, I'm just trying to figure how the heck to get a wrench or socket into those spaces and get any kind of torque/leverage to get the sensors off! My 1" socket seems to fit. Are these in fact 1" or a similar size metric?
 
#19 ·
i am not sure about the socket size. But def try to siphon the fluid out the dipstick tube. the fluid will then still drain out of the trans back into the pan. I siphoned at night then again the next morning before I took my pan off
 
#22 ·
I'm still amazed that you are going into limp mode and are not getting a CEL. You might need to have the car hooked up to a scanner and check for any diagnostic trouble codes set in the computer. In the 2nd gens, you would typically get a p0700 generic transmission code and have to go to the dealer to have them pull the specific transmission code from the car. I'm not sure if 1st gens can be read by the scanners at autozone or advance auto or if you would need to go to the dealer like me.

As mentioned, there is a how-to on one of the LH websites put up recently on changing out the solenoid pack. that is what had to be done for mine when it was 'limping'
 
#23 · (Edited)
As mentioned, there is a how-to on one of the LH websites put up recently on changing out the solenoid pack. that is what had to be done for mine when it was 'limping'
I doubt Autozone could read the specific trans diagnostic codes.
I was fixin' to take the car to Kevin's North Area transmissions, due to the top ratings they've gotten on the net from local reviewers.

Did you take yours to a Chas. area dealer? If so, would you recommend them?

Also please turn me on to the article you describe- thanks!

EDIT: I did some research and found this posting. Apparently the problem can be as simple as a bad wiring connection or bad wiring harness. Techs can also do tests on individual solenoids without taking the trans apart. A bad TCM could cause these problems. Also, some people were able to (temporarily) bypass the problem by disconnecting/reconnecting the battery -- however this will reset the computer, and the tech will not be able to see what had been happening - NOT advisable IMO.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/t440926-_94_tranny_won_t_shift_out_of_low.html
 
#24 · (Edited)
Had a similar issue about a year ago. My car also went into limp mode without giving any codes. my 3/4 pack was shot. I had to get a new transmission put in. The shop rebuilt mine and put it in for 1700 bucks. At the time I was told (on DI.net ) that it was a good deal. ;)
Has been running fine since... minus my water problem (see post on front page).


my issue last year: http://www.dodgeintrepid.net/showthread.php?t=164091
 
#25 ·
Trans shop is saying its a bad solenoid block. Which means they don't have to pull the tranny. They will have to call back with a price. Any tips on what might be a reasonable price and/or if this is something I could/should tackle myself?
 
#26 · (Edited)
The solenoid pack is what was changed on mine. It cost me around $700 at the dealer. That was Rick Hendrick Jeep Chrysler on Rivers.
I have had them work on my car and have had a decent experience with them. They are also the physical location of the Mopar Supercenter which gets us parts for 10% over cost. All you gotta do is mention the website to get the reduced price on parts

the how-to is on another website:
http://www.lh*forums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17483

you need to remove the asterisk from the web address
 
#27 · (Edited)
Wow-- thanks for the tip on the parts. Also for the link on the how-to. I was contemplating doing it myself until I heard back from the shop with an est. It is a very competitive price so I OK'd the shop to do it. I will post how it turns out. EDIT: Awe crap. Shop says the solenoid pack did not work, will have to be rebuilt. Too much too afford right now. Not sure what to do-- Is it worth the gamble to buy a junkyard Trans and make it a DIY? Or is this way to complicated to do in a driveway with jackstands?
 
#28 ·
I found the how-to articles on the trans swap here on DIN, and it looks like a pretty big job. Before doing anything, I am going to go to the dealer and get a second opinion-- I get the feeling the shop I took it to did not have the proper computer to read the trans code. I have the diagnostic section of the 95 repair manual. My question now is, will the dealers machine be able to tell exactly what is bad with my tranny?
 
#29 ·
. My question now is, will the dealers machine be able to tell exactly what is bad with my tranny?
Yes the dealer can tell you. At the end of 08, my tranny went. I called the dealer to have them read the codes.. They told me they would give my 1/2 hour diagnostics for $45.

I let them do it so I would know exactly what I was in for. Was worth it imo because I didn't throw useless money into replacing parts that were not bad.

I actually had gear ratio errors in 3rd and 4th gear. So I did the salvage yard tranny and its been good ever since.
 
#32 ·
Doing the swap on jack stands is very do-able... and doing the 2nd gen swap is not that much more work - well worth it, and cheaper most of the time too... Feel free to PM me or ask here if there are specific questions or things to look for...

As for knowing condition or miles... all up to the yard you buy from. Some will list mileage (all should) on the glass or the tag if it is pre-pulled. I bought a 2002 tranny, was listed as miles unknown, but as a recent rebuild (fresh paint and builders tags)... so, I was confindent it would do what I wanted. And it did :).
 
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