Ok... My GF has this Van... several months back, the TCC was locking up. I disconnected it and was working great. All the sudden out of nowhere, the car when put into gear seems to stay in a park like state but if revved hard enough, will catch into gear and jolt the van.

When driving, it almost felt like a slipping or even a timing issue at first (right before the jolting)... To me, (as someone stated in another thread), it almost feels like something is locked up inside the tranny still.but I really dont think this is the issue.

The fluid and filter was changed right before the TCC disconnect.

I read something on here abou tthe speed sensor... does anybody think it could be that? The problem started the day after my GF took the car on a semi long highway ride.

Any help would be appreciated.

I'm not sure if that year is too late to have a vacuum modulator, but if it does, that's where you should be looking. It is usually low on the tranny, facing the front, looks like a little "can" like a choke pull-off, has a vacuum line to it. Mounted just above the trans pan. Will have a green or red stripe around the can, probably. If it's bad, or the line is broken, they will do that.

Could be the filter has dropped outta the hole, and its not getting full flow now, too. Was it one of the ones that push into the passage, or did it have screws?

If I'm not mistaken, it was just push on....

I'll have to check the possible solutions here... kepp them suggestions coming. Much appreciated.

I was thinking a little more, and the modulator would make 'em slip and hit hard on the upshift, but not fail to go into gear initially. What you got sounds like a lack of fluid pressure. I think I'd look in that pan. The pan on my '97 is so shallow (maybe 1/2 inch) that the filter is litterally pinned between the inside of the pan and the trans body. It couldn't drop if it wanted to. But I remember the older ones with deeper pans, sometimes someone would fail to seat it completely, or hook the tab over the end to support it, and after a while they'd drop down, and start behaving like you are describing. Also, if the pump is not able to access the fluid because of this, you might notice that the fluid level is over the full mark when running, and possibly foaming, due to more fluid sitting, unpumped in the bottom. Sucking air will cause foaming.

Thanks for the input.. If it doesnt magically start woeking again, I'll pull the pan and have the filter checked.

Another thing I noticed (or I think I noticed) was that when I put it in neutral to push the van back a bit, it seemed like it was still in park... not 100% on that though (emeg brake was off). Would that filter problem cause that also? Like its just not engaging the tranny?

No it shouldn't. The Park pawl is mechanical only, has no relation to fluid level or pressure. Starting to wonder do you think you might have a brake that is siezed and locked? When you drive it, does it roll smoothly to a stop, or feel like its being dragged down? Not real likely, but I have had people mistake draggy brakes for trans/eng problems before. But I don't think that's what you've got.

I dont think its the brake because if I rev it, it'll catch and jolt... really doesnt seem to be "peeling out" at all.

Yeah, then you've got a problem where you have to rev to get enough fluid pressure going to apply the clutches or bands that hold the gear engaged. Does it feel like it drops outta gear as soon as you try to cruise at a steady speed? Then rev up and slam into gear when you step on the gas? I bet it does. Don't drive it like that much-you will destroy hard parts quick.

Yes... that sound kinda similar to what it was doing. Do do you think its still the filter coming loose or down?

Yes, it could well be that, otherwise I would wonder about pump failure. Because it came on suddenly, I would doubt that is the cause. Pumps usually degenerate over time.

Did you change the fluid because of the TCC failure? And how long was it run with the TCC malfunctioning? That can (but not always) throw a lot of metal debris into the fluid, if repeated attempts to drop it in gear with the convertor locked were made.

Yes, the fluid and filter was changed before I dfound this site letting me knoe that it could be the TCC. Maybe I should start by draining, instpecting filter/pan, and putting in new tanny fluid.

Just went out to try and move the van.... can roll it in neutral... it rolls about 6 inches and feels like it re-engages in a gear... also feels like it wants to go forward when in neutral when I step on the accelerator.

I got it to go in reverse for about 4 feet and it just grabbed and stopped and the van shook like a oceanliner.

This has never done this before and there were no warning signs that something was wrong.

For a while, there were "Swooshing" like sounds when I put it into gear.. someone said it could be catalytic blocking up but would that affect tranny???

It's not the cat. Possible the TCC mechanism has grenaded in the convertor, and is dragging now. How many miles on this one?

Not trying to scare you, but the more I think about what you've told me, it could be the torque convertor finally eatin' it. The slip you describe could be caused if some of the convertor had been destroyed, and it was now taking higher RPM to actually engage the tranny. A torque convertor functions roughly like a fan, with another fan blowing into it, face to face. One spins, blowing air into the other, causing it to spin. The motor turns the outer part, causing the inner to turn with it, with trans fluid taking the place of air in the analogy. Stall speed is the RPM at which the inner no longer has enough push from flow to stay engaged. This is how it allows the engine to idle in gear. The TCC mechanically locks the two sides together at cruising speeds to eliminate slip that will always be present, eating some fuel mileage. When your TCC fails, the solenoid fails to release the lock-up as the car coasts to a stop. It is possible that the trauma weakened the convertor's guts, and compromised the vanes inside, finally to the point that what's left of it can't engage the inner section until RPM's are abnormally high, and the drag you feel when rolling could be the remains of the lock-up mechanism dragging in the convertor. If the convertor has been destroyed, it is unlikely the rest of the tranny can be saved. The metallic debris has already circulated through the tranny's guts, tearing seals and imbedding in soft parts. The swooshing sound you described may have been the lock-up dragging. Or, it could have been the filter sucking air if it dropped, but I've never noticed that on ones I've seen that happen to. I will think about this more tonight, but I think you might want to locate a used tranny for it, just in case. Good news is they're not hard to install. Maybe that guy that cut his car in half would donate his??

Ah the great Dust Buster look-a-like vans.....
Try this site for indepth information www.atsg.biz They sell manuals for Tranny's only. You should have the 4T60 or 4T60-E don't know for sure. But I do know that it does sound as though you are not getting enough fluid pressure to engage anything until you rev the motor enough. You could have a cloggled transmission oil cooler, maybe. You could have a nasty amount of metal soup in your valve body, causing undesirable operation of check balls and valve assemblies. Anything is possible. Automatic transmissions are really not that much of a mystery, you just have to understand that it's just a big hydraulic pump. It uses pressurized fluid to actuate valves, pistons, clutch packs, and clutch bands. It also uses the tranny fluid as a fluid power coupling, in the torque converter. Last the fluid acts as a heat transfer medium, much like refridgerant in your A/C. Hope this points you in some new directions, but don't be surprised if you end up needing some serious repair work. One last item, you can not remove the tranny without some way of holding the motor in place. Both of them are supported on an engine cradle which also provides bracketry to the lower Control Arms. This means that if you want to try and tackle this job yourself, you will have to find some way to support the engine(expensive tool is available), and your vehicle will not be able to be moved ANYWHERE while the cradle is out. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. They really are good vehicles when taken care of properly. Hope this helps -Chris

It has close to 200,000 miles on it.. My GF is the second owner and bought it at about 128k.

Thanks for the help... I just may get a rebuilt tranny and put it in.

I had someone look at it today and they are almost positive that the tranny is shot. It seems to be locked in a gear.. even in park and neautral, the van would slowly creep forward.