Hi everyone, I own a 2008 Town&Country, live in The Netherlands in Europe. I love this car. However, when driving to our family house in France, the transmission stopped shifting to 1st gear. When slowing speed, I have to shift to Neutral quickly. If the car has stopped, after shifting to D, it dies. I need to give a little gas in N and then shift to D. When driving, all other gears run fine.

I brought the car to a shop, they can read the OBD sytem, but it fails to read error codes from the transmission. I got the advice to replace the transmission (approx 2600 euros (3000 dollars)). Fluid level was checked, sensors (speed) checked, cleaned electric wires, all fine. Before investing this amount of money I would like to hear any other opinion on this. Does anyone have experience with this specific transmission problem? Thanks for your replies!

 

Merry Christmas(?),
Not sure what you have being an EU model from USA, but sounds like overdrive solenoid OR the Torque Converter(between flex plate and trans. is not releasing which can show those kind of symptoms.

 

Thanks Rebel59, Merry Christmas too! My T&C is a USA imported car. I forgot to mention that I've flushed the transmission a few months ago. Also, the car has driven 130.000 miles. To diagnose if its the torque converter the transmission needs to be taken off the car do have a proper diagnosis?

 

I Have NEVER been a proponent of "FLUSHING" any transmission! Have seen too many cases of what you post of from it.Yes certain passages can plug up from this process. I will always drop the trans pan to drain oil and replace the filter too! Do I have an answer that will fix your problem, NO. Many have had this same problem on another forum I use and made suggestions on a fix...but nobody has ever posted back on if it worked or what they did to get the problem fixed.

 

To close this thread: the gearbox needed to be replaced. 2800 euros (approx 2500 $). The shop put a rebuild gearbox in the car, now it drives better than ever before.

 

Install a rebuilt box for €2'800 (with some guarantee) aint't bad.