Multiple issues after battery cables were hooked up incorrectly

Tell me about it. You know about Murphy’s law? Well, Murphy is my best friend apparently lol. And yeah, I checked every single fuse, and they were all fine. And I bought a good code reader that told me the transmission temperature, so I filled it at the right temperature until it started coming back out and then I stopped and plugged it up. I don’t have a dipstick, so I had to go underneath and use a hand pump to fill it. I had to return the code reader because it was too expensive, but I am going to borrow one today and I will let you know what the codes are.

I got out my fluke multimeter and tested each fuse and each one beeped so they’re all working. I checked both the ones under the steering wheel and the ones under the hood. When I hooked the code reader up the first few times after purchasing it, there was no trouble codes but as soon as the guy switched the cables multiple ones popped up. I remember seeing a PCM code and I remember seeing p1568 which meant unable to hold speed. Then multiple ones that said out of self-test range which I’m still not sure what that means. The guy that’s going to let me borrow his code reader changed it to tomorrow, but I’ll post them as soon as I can get them. But if the transmission was damaged, wouldn’t I not be able to change gears at all? Because when the car is on but not started it engages in every year but when it’s on and started the gear shift moves freely but none of the gears will engage or they engage late and sometimes accompanied by a really hard kickback. I was told by AAMCO that the technician switching the cables may have burnt out a solenoid or something. My torque converter, solenoids, fluid, filter and pan gasket were all new when this happened so in no way should they be messing up like this. It was a tow company that did it and I’m pretty sure they’re messing with me because I’ve been trying for two days to get a tow to a shop for a diagnosis. So, I don’t know what to do. I cannot tow it myself or I would have by now and it seems I’ve been blackballed by the tow company. I don't know how to get my car fixed now other than figure it out with the help of your website and try to do it myself. This website has for sure been a saving grace.

I mean like how you move a car when it’s dead. Key on brake pedal depressed shift to neutral. It’ll move like that, and you can hear it when it engages in each gear and if you take your foot off the brake when in neutral the car moves but when it’s on and started the gear shift moves but you don’t hear anything and if you take your foot off the brake while in drive the car doesn’t move at all or it does but it jerks backwards first. At the very beginning right after this incident happened it would only move in reverse then it wouldn’t move at all and when I tried it stalled out.

I don't know what is engaging honestly and I don’t know what it’s called either but whatever it is you can hear it engage when you change gears, lol.

The gear shift shows the correct gear while it’s on without running and when it’s running. It just won’t actually change when it’s running. It has no problem changing gears when the key is in without the engine running because I can throw it in neutral no problem. When it’s running, I can’t throw it in anything about the gear shift moves and so does the needle telling me which gear I’m in.

It didn’t get that low and I never started it while it was low. He brought the scanner, but it wasn’t the right kind. For some reason it wasn’t compatible with my car. If my PCM was damaged would my car still be able to start?

Last time I started it and tried to shift there was a really loud bang. I'm worried that if I do it again it’s going to mess something up. Is that a possibility? Like can I mess it up by shifting one more time? Then again, the shop that looks at it will have to do that anyway, right? And I don't know it just said auto scanner something. It didn’t even say OBD II anywhere.

And if there’s a short somewhere, will it hurt the car if I charge the battery while it’s in the vehicle? I don’t know if I’ll have to charge it, but probably so because I haven’t started it lately.

Okay, will do and did you also see what I replied about starting it and changing gears? Do you think it’ll mess anything up or will it be okay?

Quick question. I of course wouldn’t want to do this without asking permission first, but would it be okay if I screenshot what you said about the likelihood of my PCM being damaged to my case manager for my claim? Since the tow company is denying my claim, AAA is trying to help mediate and any mechanic saying anything about my PCM will likely help me get them to fix the damage they caused. Of course, I would only want them to fix it if the fault is theirs in the first place, but I am hopeful that any information/expertise on the matter will help me show that I am not the one the fault belongs to.

I am going to get that video for you, but before I can start it, I am trying to figure out how to put the oil pump gear back in. The o ring was leaking so I fixed it but now it won’t go back in all the way. I’ve read so many different things about losing the shaft and stuff like that but I’m pretty sure mine is still there in the oil pump. So once I get this back in, I will start it and send you the video of how it is when it shifts.