Transmission will not engage in any gear?

JTKING

MEMBER
2005 DODGE STRATUS
2.7L
VR6
2WD
AUTOMATIC
88,780 MILES

I bought (at nearly salvage price) the car listed above SXT knowing it was being sold as "will not move when put in gear." It's a 2.7 liter just a bit short of 89,000 miles. I started by taking off the transmission pan. Fluid looked good. There were some metal filings on the magnet, yet only enough to cover the top of it. I noticed the pan had a new gasket and some of the bolts were loose. The guy I bought it from said he was turning into a driveway, slid into the ditch and then the car wouldn't move. I found that the positive battery post was loose at the power distribution box and was also cracked there. I discovered that problem after I got the vehicle home and the battery seemed dead, but when I got the positive cable tight, it started up. The battery, even after sitting a few days, still reads 13 volts or better. So, now what? TCM, shift solenoid? What do you suggest? I'd rather sell it or scrap it rather than replace the entire transaxle. Thanks for any help.

Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 AT 11:49 AM

5 Replies

CANNON1349

MECHANIC
862 POSTS

Hello, let's scan the memory for any codes that may point to the transmission. Do you have a scan tool that can read codes? If not, they are relatively cheap on Amazon for around $20.
Have you tried giving it some gas while in gear to see if you feel anything? The fact that the pan has been off already is troubling, as there is no way to know what was there before you got to it. When you select the gear, do you feel any engagement at all?

William

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Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 AT 5:49 PM

JTKING

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi William! Thanks for taking the time to respond. Funny you should mention the code tool as I got one last night from Walmart for $19. It says it will read all the OBD2 stuff when you download their app which is free. I didn't do much with the vehicle when looking at it or after getting it home. When put in gear, it "growls" without any feeling of movement or that it's even thinking about going into gear. I did notice that the "growl" has a different sound when I put it in 1st gear. In addition, the growling noise didn't change much (other than get a bit louder) when I hit the gas. So, I'll take your suggestion and see what info I can get from the code approach. I did notice that when I bought the vehicle the check engine light was on and after discovering the loose positive battery cable and getting a good connection, the light went out. I'll let you know what I discovered. Oh, my actual name is Jim, okay? And a couple of other things you should know. I'm 76 years old (which is no big deal) and I'm also legally blind (which can be very challenging and frustrating). I've been a gearhead for a long time. I pulled the engine and tranny out of my dad's 1948 Ford when I was 10 years old and traded that old flathead with the 3-speed transmission to my older brother's friend for a 1949 Cushhman scooter. Dad wasn't too happy.I ended up having to give the Cushman back and putting the engine and transmission back in the Ford. Plus, I got grounded for 2 weeks. Thanks again, Jim

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Thursday, May 1st, 2025 AT 12:02 PM

CANNON1349

MECHANIC
862 POSTS

First let's make sure the transmission fluid level is good. Otherwise, a noise that occurs regardless of the gear would indicate an issue with the front pump. Some scan tools cannot see transmission data, if yours can then I would be interested to see what may be there.

William

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Thursday, May 1st, 2025 AT 8:02 PM

JTKING

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi William - Here's where things are at. A good friend of mine who worked 30 years for TriState Motors (engine rebuilders), came over on Saturday to look over the car. He had a "professional" OBD2 tool as well as a few other things. What was discovered is the transaxle has a bad pump and torque converter. There were 7 codes that came up but we didn't really check past the first two. I'm going to take it to the salvage yard and sell it for scrap. It would be too much to invest to fix a vehicle of it's age and condition. Thank you for your time and help. Blessings to you and all the folks on your team.
Jim

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Sunday, May 4th, 2025 AT 10:10 AM

CANNON1349