Transmission issues

This reply assumes that you have a four speed automatic transmission, which was quite popular in Chrysler minivans since 1996. The most likely (and least costly) solution is to check the automatic transmission fluid level. If low, top it off to full level, with the engine warm! But be sure you are using the correct fluid which these days is ATF+4, never Dextron or Mercon! Depending on how many miles are on the vehicle, you may need to change the transmission fluid and the filter, because the four speed automatic transmissions are very sensitive to fluid viscosity, which naturally changes over both time and amount of usage. Pay attention to the gear shift indicator on the instrument panel. Is there any delay between when you move the shift lever, and when a ring appears around an indicated gear? Or are you seeing multiple rings at any time, around multiple gear indicators? Those are indicators that there may be a problem with the TCM (transmission control module), the solenoid pack, or the wiring between them.

It does not shift from first to second and the rpm's do not go up. It is like you shifted to neutral. Check engine light is on.

The vehicle is probably stuck in "limp mode" (which is second gear) from the time you shift it into any forward gear. That is probably because there was an internal failure in the transmission, and/or the transmission controller, and/or the transmission solenoid pack. Is there adequate fluid in the transmission?

Bjohnson1423, is there adequate fluid in the transmission, based on a dipstick measurement? I have asked this at least twice, but I never saw any response to the question. You could simply have a fluid level issue! But I would not recommend trying to drive the vehicle to an Autozone if it will not go faster than fifteen mph. You could become a traffic hazard under those conditions!

Yes, there is adequate fluid in the transmission. I had the fluid and filter replaced.

Docfixit, I have three codes P7034 gear four incorrect ratio, p0732 gear two incorrect ratio, p0700 transmission malfunction.

Gizmoguy, I changed the fluid and filter after the transmission failed and I did not know that their was a Mopar transmission fluid thanks for the information do not know that I will change it out until I know what the problem is.

The diagnostic codes you cited simply mean the transmission is slipping (wrong input rpm for a given output rpm) in each gear that flagged an error. I am afraid you have fallen into the same trap that most people fall into, when it comes to transmission fluid in Chrysler A604 (41TE) four speed electronically controlled automatic transmissions! If you put number two diesel fuel into your gas tank and the engine refused to run, would you take the position that you will not put the correct fuel in the tank until the engine runs fine again? The problem, very likely, is the wrong transmission fluid, and probably the wrong filter as well! But, depending on how long you have been trying to drive the vehicle using the wrong transmission fluid, that incorrect fluid could have severely damaged your transmission, especially if you used Dextron fluid. It is known to actually remove the lining from the clutch plates. If you had Dextron in your Chrysler van, the transmission could already be toast. Did you consult your owner's manual for the right kind of fluid? ATF-3, ATF-4 and Chrysler 7176 are the only approved fluids fro that transmission. And putting Dextron in your transmission is as bad as putting number two diesel fuel in your gas tank. It just plain will not work!

I changed the fluid and filter after it failed but as far as driving anywhere we could not. I just limped to the auto parts store to get it scanned less than a mile and I doubt that hurt it we have had the vehicle less than three months.

That is great news (that you drove less than a mile to the store)! According to the top of this page, (copied and pasted from above),

"Asked on June 17, 2011
2003 Chrysler Town and Country lxi with 0 miles
6 cylinder 3.8 automatic front wheel drive".

With zero miles on the vehicle, the transmission cannot be in very bad condition unless it was messed up in an accident or was taken apart by somebody that did not know what he was doing. But it seems hard to believe that a 2003 van would have zero miles on it in 2011. Could the data be wrong? Here is one thing to try: With the vehicle key in the off position, disconnect the large connector that goes to the TCM (transmission control module). Let it sit about an hour that way, then reconnect it. The TCM will be reset, and the transmission may work okay, at least for a while, unless there is a clog in the solenoid pack. All this assumes that the filter is he correct one, and it is correctly installed, and that it is not blocked by debris. Good luck!

Sorry about the 0 miles the van had 164,000 when we bought it. Good looking van no oil leaks no leaks that I could see. We even took a six hundred mile trip in it no problems. No slips, no nothing that is why I do not think anythings wrong with the transmission. I think it is electronic.

I unplugged the TCM for about an hour or so plugged it back in still the same thing. No reverse only drive up to about fifteen mph then cuts out. Getting frustrating any other options? Thinking now pull it and rebuild myself unless by some miracle there is another option.

My experience with Chrysler A504 / 41TE four speed automatic transmissions has been extensive, so the advice I am about to give is based on a lot of experience, but I have never actually rebuilt one myself. The free flow of fluid is mandatory in such transmissions, and one way to tell if it is getting pumped through the system is to take one of the lines off the transmission cooler, which is usually part of the radiator (unless you have a trailer towing package). Catch the fluid in a clean container but make sure it is large enough to hold all the fluid you pump out. The fluid color should be deep red (maroon) but translucent (light can go through it easily). It should not smell burned. If the fluid looks and smells okay, your problem may be the solenoid pack (possibly clogged) or the TCM itself, or the wiring between them. One transmission shop that I know of in my area has a substitution box that (temporarily) replaces the TCM, which eliminates such possible causes as bad input and output speed sensors (and their associated wiring) from causing transmission problems. The substitution box simply operates the correct solenoids in the solenoid pack (in a pulse-width modulated fashion), for each gear selected by a switch, just like the TCM normally would. Do not try to operate any solenoid in a solenoid pack by connecting it directly to a voltage source (such as 12 to 14.5 volts system voltage), nor to a system ground! If you do, you will burn the solenoid coils out in a flash! They are only meant to be pulsed at a high rate of speed, and current limited on every pulse, under TCM control. When a TCM fails in a manner that it won't pulse the solenoids in the solenoid pack any more, both units have to be replaced at the same time, or you will immediately destroy the new unit (no matter whether it is a TCM or a solenoid pack) by connecting it to an old (defective) unit. If a solenoid pack is working correctly, you should be able to hear it ratcheting (rapidly clicking) immediately after you shift the gear selector to any gear that should cause motion. Sometimes a mechanic's stethoscope is needed to hear such things in a noisy engine compartment, but such stethoscopes are cheaply obtained at most Harbor Freight stores. Chrysler A604 and 41TE transmissions are really quite beefy, and most failures are due to lack of maintenance (not changing fluid and/or filters) or abuse (using the wrong fluid and/or filters or keeping the fluid at an inadequate level). It is true, almost any liquid would work for little while. You could even put kerosene in your engine crankcase and run the engine for a very short time, but it would get really expensive, really fast, because it is not the correct fluid for the application. ATF3, ATF4 or Chrysler 7176 are your only choices for such transmissions! I have, not one, but two Dodge Grand Caravans, both of which have the four speed automatics in them. Neither has ever been rebuilt, and both have gone over 230,000 miles with any transmission problems. But one had to have a solenoid pack replaced at about 190,000 miles because of the exact same symptoms you have described on your van. Replacing input and output speed sensors are also maintenance items that, apparently, most people are unwilling to replace, so they junk their vehicles instead.

Corection to my last post, toward the end of it:

Neither has ever been rebuilt, and both have gone over 230,000 miles without any transmission problems.

Sorry about that error.

Be very careful about letting a transmission repair shop talk you into a very expensive rebuild. The website I previously hyperlinked for you, have multiple stories of those who paid for an expensive rebuild, when all they actually needed was a TCM or a solenoid pack, or both. The solenoid pack directs the path of all the internal pressures needed for proper transmission operation.

The solenoid was the first thing I replaced. I guess the TCM will be next. Could the TCM be bad and still get the codes that I did? Every so called transmission man that I have talked to tells me that not having reverse tells them that the transmission is bad but I cant believe that because like I said before it never slipped never jerked it shifted smoothly. The transmission fluid was not burnt and never was low. It has to be electronic. But what sensors? Maybe I do not know just guessing.

In order for your vehicle to operate in reverse, the transmission must be operational, and the gearshift lever must communicate the intention of moving in reverse to the TCM. The TCM must then communicate the command to move in reverse to the solenoid pack, by pulsing the appropriate solenoids in the solenoid pack via the connecting cable. If all is well, then the solenoids will operate (being rapidly pulsed), controlling the path of the pressurized transmission fluid, resulting in drive being delivered through the torque converter to the input shaft of the transmission. As a check on things, the TCM watches for signals from both the input speed sensor and from the output speed sensor. If the TCM does not get the correct signals from both speed sensors, it will store errors concerning gear ratios and either quit trying to operate the solenoid pack altogether, or it will put the transmission into what is known as limp mode (barely movable in second gear). If the torque converter has a problem the vehicle will not go, or will barely go. If the speed sensors are not working, or not properly connected, the vehicle will not go, or will barely go. If the solenoid pack is the wrong type or the gasket is the wrong type or the correct gasket is not installed correctly, the pressure paths will not be correct for the transmission to transmit any power to the output shafts. Are you hearing any clicking sounds from the solenoid pack? Was the solenoid pack new, or used? A used one can be clogged, even if it came out of a working vehicle (especially if that solenoid pack sat unused for a long time). As I said before, you can disconnect a transmission cooling line at (or to) the radiator, start the vehicle and see if the transmission fluid is being pumped through the system, but catch that fluid or you may have a big mess to clean up. Finally, if any of the power or ground lines to the TCM and/or the solenoid pack are compromised, the transmission cannot function properly. If you drove through any debris (such as tree limbs) or water just before your "transmission failure" there is a strong possibility that a cable or wire was damaged or pulled apart, or a connector was damaged or pulled apart, resulting in your vehicle's problems. Look at your gear selector indicator on the dash. When you select a gear, is there a change in the display, such as one or all of the indicated gears having a ring light up around it (or them)? That should be the response of a correctly operating (and correctly powered) TCM. Please post whatever you find out. Thanks!