Transmission Change - Strange Issues
 

Hi,

Would welcome some expert advice from the forum regulars re an issue arising from a (just completed) tranny exchange.

To give some brief background my (UK) 2000 3.3 Auto LX Grand Voyager built in Graz, Austria on the GS Platform (more or less equivalent to the U.S. Town & Country (NS Platform) dropped to limp mode last September at 140K miles – see….

As I also have a 98 LE (also a 3.3 Auto) with a failed engine (dropped a Conrod at under 15 mph in 2009 at 87K miles). The tranny from this older vehicle was removed last week and as the pan magnet, filter and ATF condition supported the transaxle’s excellent running state when the engine gave in it was decided that it be put into the 2000. As all connections are identical on both boxes except for the TRS connector an adapter was purchased to make the process a straight exchange.

The replacement transaxle was now fitted with a new Mopar Solenoid Unit together with Input Speed & Output Speed Sensors and the Pan Filter was replaced. The drained box was then refilled with Mopar ATF +4.

The exchange was completed yesterday (31.03) and initial road test from cold was good with smooth transition from stationary upon selecting Drive. This success was short lived however as once warmed up the vehicle started cutting out. Initially it would restart on selecting neutral but was now reluctant to take up drive requiring significant RPM before lurching into drive feeling as though I was trying to drive with the brakes on!

Even this was short lived with more cutting out before eventually cutting out and failing to restart necessitating a short tow less than ¼ mile back to my friend’s workshop :(

He left the car overnight and this morning (01.04) it started first turn, transitioned smoothly to drive before he selected reverse so it could be returned to his workshop for further investigation.

NB. As the local road test circuit is a built up area with many speed humps we were not even able to determine whether the tranny was attempting to change up given the irregular RPM use and subsequent cutting out. Manual selections of reverse, neutral and park all seemed to select OK.

Has anybody any thoughts on these odd symptoms? Does anything interact in this manner once warm?? Might the Auto Shutdown (ASD) relay play a role??

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Regards

PC Pilot

Meant to add link to earlier post....https://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/chrysler-voyager-town-country-21/recurring-limp-mode-23407/

Voyager Pilot

Get the fault codes read first

My initial guess would be electronic and not mechanical problems, but without fault codes and live data.....

Regards
Richard

As with all control (microprocessor) faults, always firstly eliminate glitch possibility by disconnecting the battery -ve lead for a few minutes, then try again. Costs nothing, takes no time, can move then onto the complex stuff if no dice. These vehicles seem to be prone to corroded terminals/plugs various and chafed wiring. The boys on here know all about that...

Leedsman.