Transmission need complete rebuild or just parts??


  #1  
Old 04-26-05, 05:19 AM
Salmonslammer I
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Transmission need complete rebuild or just parts??

96 Intrepid, 3.5L ........ Just had a rebuild done on the trans about 18k miles ago..I was driving on the xway and went to to pass a couple of cars...Kicked it down into passing gear and all it did was rev up to about 6800 RPM... No trans.

Pulled over to the side of the road and was coasting down the side of the road...Once I got down to about 40mph, the trans kicked back in....2nd gear only though. I have 1st, 2nd and reverse...no 3rd or OD....

Is this thing going to need a rebuild again or is it going to be something simpler??? When it went out the 1st time I didn't have any gearing at all.. Just trying to get an idea what it may be before I head into the shop....Transmissions are about the only thing I don't work on and I'm a little suspect of trans shops!!!
 
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Old 04-27-05, 08:38 AM
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Depends on the specific design of the transmission but it is certainly possible that a rebuild may not be needed. A faulty shift solenoid, broken/stuck shift valve or even a broken servo may be responsible. Again depends on the design of the trans but for some you don't have to remove the trans out of the vehicle to gain access to the valve body.

I would suggest you buy the appropriate repair/rebuild manual for your trans and go through the "troubleshooting" section. There will be stuff in there that you can try yourself. There are also fault finding charts. You can then see if what the transmission shop tells you makes sense or if they are trying the "inflate" the repair.
 
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Old 04-28-05, 06:18 PM
Salmonslammer I
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Thanks for the info rav..... I'm more than a little suspect of trans shops..I'll see what I can figure out....About the only thing that I haven't worked on!!
 
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Old 04-28-05, 06:52 PM
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Yeah - I feel the same way as you do (based on past experience) which is why I now work on my own trans They are not really that difficult to work on but you do need to spend some time upfront to leant how automatics work.

What I would suggest is that you buy the appropriate manual from ATSG (www.atsgmiami.com). Also ATRA may also publish a manual (www.atra.com). I used an ATSG manual to rebuild my trans and it is pretty comprehensive.

One of the things you will find in the book is a table telling you which of the clutches/bands are engaged in which gears. From this you will be able to tell which has likely gone wrong. The fact that you suddenly lost 3rd/OD makes me suspect something has broken. The table will help you narrow down the faulty part of the trans and you may be able to even narrow it down to a single compenent. For example in my trans the 2-3 shift valve is used in 3rd as well as reverse so if I had no 3rd but reverse was working I could rule out the shift valve and suspect the direct clutch.

Get as much info as possible about your trans as well as how automatics work and you will hopefully decrease the possibility of being ripped off.

If you don't currently have a clue how automatics work there is a really nice basic article on howstuffworks.com that I would encourage you to read. It is an excellent way to get started in understanding how they work.

Here is the link : http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automa...ansmission.htm
 

Last edited by rav12; 04-28-05 at 07:06 PM.
  #5  
Old 04-29-05, 10:46 AM
Comptech
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It is possible that something broke in the trans, but it sure sounds to me like it went into limp mode instead. Disconnect the battery for a few minutes, then test drive it. If all gears are there at first, then it goes back to limp mode, you have a bad sensor somewhere. Could be a number of sensors from the throttle position sensor to a pressure sensor in the trans. Also output shaft speed sensors are a common problem with these cars.
 
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Old 05-01-05, 10:00 AM
Salmonslammer I
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I disconnected the battery when it 1st happened and nothing changed....

I'll have to see what sensors they replaced when they did the rebuild....I'll see if I can find the receipt....

Can the dealership scan for code?? I called them and they didn't seem to interested in working on it...Typical dodge service.

I could afford a sensor or 2, but I'm going on vacation in a week and I don't feel like spending my vacation fund on a rebuild!! Don't really need it fixed for a month or so...guess I've got some time to learn!!
 
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Old 05-01-05, 07:48 PM
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Yes, I think I would also rather spend money on a vacation than a rebuild!

I think your best bet is still to get the manual first - it will tell you how to troubleshoot the system including the ECU/control system. I guess it really depends on the transmssion but for mine one of the checks for whether any of the sensors or the ECU has gone bad is to disconnect the shift solenoid wiring - thereby simulating "limp mode". In my trans without any shift signalling from the ECU the trans simply becomes a manual trans - you get reverse in "R", first in "1", second in "2" and third in "D". For example when I had to fix my trans and I was missing second - even when I disconnected the shift wiring and ran it on manual (in this mode the appropriate oil circuit is operated by the manual valve in the valve body) it did not have second gear which led me to look inside the trans for broken parts.

You can certainly scan the ECU for a fault code - there may be something there. Has your "check engine" light come on. However, again based on what I saw for my trans, if the fault is due to a broken part in the trans the error message can be misleading. Some of the codes are generic and solenoid polarity (off/on) can be inverted in the code vs what is actually happening in the spcific trans. Since your car is a '96 I guess it uses OBD2 - you can either buy a reasonable code scanner for around a $100 or some auto store chains may be doing it for free if you take it to them. At least in my case I had to use the info from everything I saw - the fault code, the symptoms, the results of the tests from the manual - to disgnose the fault.
 
 

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