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93 Voager With Tranny issues ( no reverse! and just revs!)


Chango
04-06-2007, 01:53 PM
Hello All,
I have a 93 plymouth voyager SE. I was at the BMV of all places after taking care of things there. I go to put the van in reverse and nothing! So I wait a few seconds then I tried again. It went in reverse but it was bumpy. So I pop the hood and it wasn't low on fluid or anything. Not being any sort of mechanic I say to myself "I'll get her home and have her looked at".

So I went to fuel up and tried to get on the Highway. Then the tranny gave out. Not a single noise or anything it simply would not go into gear. I had her towed 65 miles to mile home. So checked the fluid again and nothing. It seemed very clean etc.... So at this point I can get her to go into forward but still no reverse. How long it will stay in forward is a mystery and reverse simply will not engage. Any thoughts or ideas? :banghead:

KManiac
04-06-2007, 05:00 PM
Sounds to me like you have a 3-speed automatic (P-R-N-D-2-1). The 4-speed electronic automatic (P-R-N-D-3-L) would have given you "limp-mode". Although you didn't state, I bet you have either a 2.5L or 3.0L engine. You didn't mention the mileage, either. You said the fluid was full, but you didn't tell us the color. Good transmission fluid should be bright red. Old and contaminated transmission fluid is brown and may smell burnt. Also, you should have checked the transmission fluid level with the engine running and transmission in P. If you didn't check it this way, the level reading was false and may be lower than you think.

A lack of reverse gear engagement indicates the front clutch is not engaging. If you manually shift the transmission, you will notice forward movement in 1, an upshift when you shift to 2, then either no upshift or neutral freewheeling after you shift up to D. Try it and let me know if I am correct.

When was the last time you had the transmission fluid & filter changed? This should be done every 30,000 miles. You could be experiencing something as simple as a clogged filter or something as complex as a worn out front clutch pack or both. I suggest a fluid & filter change with a band adjustment, especially if your fluid is brown and you don't remember the last time the transmission was serviced. Do this yourself because most repair shops will sell you a new transmission regardless of the condition of your present one. They make more money that way. The procedures are simple if you follow a repair manual. If the transmission still acts this way afterwards, a rebuild may be in order.

Start simple and work towards the complex. Let us know what you find.

Chango
04-07-2007, 02:38 AM
Wow! thanks for the info! I realize that I'm beginner when it comes to auto mechanics. Please forgive me if I ask silly questions.


Sounds to me like you have a 3-speed automatic (P-R-N-D-2-1). The 4-speed electronic automatic (P-R-N-D-3-L) would have given you "limp-mode". Although you didn't state, I bet you have either a 2.5L or 3.0L engine. You didn't mention the mileage, either. You said the fluid was full, but you didn't tell us the color. Good transmission fluid should be bright red. Old and contaminated transmission fluid is brown and may smell burnt. Also, you should have checked the transmission fluid level with the engine running and transmission in P. If you didn't check it this way, the level reading was false and may be lower than you think.

A lack of reverse gear engagement indicates the front clutch is not engaging. If you manually shift the transmission, you will notice forward movement in 1, an upshift when you shift to 2, then either no upshift or neutral freewheeling after you shift up to D. Try it and let me know if I am correct.


You are right on point it is a 4 speed (P R N D 3 L) 3.0 with 170,000 miles on it. I'm not sure what you mean by "limp mode". It simply went out on while on the High way. My wife was driving at the time. I could ask her if she noticed anything like that.

I have to say it's been more then a year since I had the tranny serviced. The fluid is light brown so I'm going to go with a filter and fluid change and see what happens from there. I have no clue on how to adjust the belts. How difficult is that? I will let you know how things go. I do not have the owners manual on this vehicle do you know what fluid would be best? Thanks again for your help.

KManiac
04-07-2007, 09:51 AM
With the fluid being brown, a fluid and filter change is definitely the first step and inexpensive if you do it yourself. Use ATF+3 or ATF+4 fluid only. Only about one-half the transmission fluid capacity is held by the pan (4-5 quarts). So you may have to dump the fluid once, refill and drive a bit, then dump the mixture again to replace at least 75% of the existing fluid. Some people suggest fluid flushing, but this is complicated and messy if things don't go right. I don't think that flushing is that critical or worth the extra labor. When you have the pan off, clean it out and clean the magnet, too.

Regarding the band adjustment, I suggest you buy a service manual for your van. Most should explain the band adjustment procedure. Your transmission has two bands, the front or "Kickdown" band and the rear or "Low/Reverse" band. The adjustment for the Kickdown band is on the exterior of the transmission case. The adjustment for the Low/Reverse band is inside the case, so this must be done with the pan off. Each band adjuster consists of a center adjustment stud and a locknut. The basic procedure is to loosen the locknut, tighten the center stud to a specified torque (or just snug), backing off the center stud a predescribed number of turns, then tightening up the locknut. A service manual will show you illustrations and list the proper torque values and turns to back off.

The 3-speed transmission in your van is basically a miniturized version of the old cast-iron and aluminum-case Torqueflite automatics used in the old rear wheel drive Chrysler "Tuna Boats" of the '50's through '80's. I learned this when the 3-speed in my Shadow " broke" a few years ago. They are all functionally equivalent.

Now with 170,000 miles and given that the transmission fluid turned brown within one year of last servicing, I don't want to give you any false hopes. If the transmission still fails to engage reverse or drive-direct after the service, a rebuild will be in order.

Good luck with this and let us know what happens.

KManiac
04-07-2007, 10:06 AM
Now that I reread your post, I need to amend my response.

According to your last post, you claim to have the 4-speed, electronic transmission (P-R-N-D-3-L). The electronic transmissions are destictive in that they "buzz" when you put them in gear and when they downshift to low range when you stop. Anybody who owns one of these should know what I mean about the "buzz". If you truly have the 4-speed automatic, then all I said in my past post does not apply except for the fluid type. There are no adjustments for the 4-speed automatic. A fluid and filter change is all you can do yourself.

The symptoms you described are classic for the 3-speed transmission. So I would closely double check and verify which transmission is in your van before you go any farther. Proper transmission identification is essential at this point.

jsinton
05-01-2007, 12:20 PM
I'm having the same problem with my 90 Caravan 3.0L w/ 3 speed trans. All forward gears are ok, but if I put it in reverse, it feels like it goes into gear, but it slips. I recently did a pan and fluid change with ATF +4. I have a Haynes, a Chiltons, and a OEM manual, but none of them indicate the location of the reverse band adjustment lock nut. Nor is there a suitable picture that shows me. Could somebody please give me the location of the reverse band adjustment? Thanks.

Bill Grissom
08-03-2009, 01:14 AM
My '96 Voyager, w/ 2.4L & 3 speed hydraulic tranny wouldn't go in reverse. I replaced with a used tranny. I took the old one apart recently to save internals & do a forensics exam (discarding case since top mount broke in an accident years ago, one reason I replaced).

I found that the rear piston had a torn rubber ring (see photo). That likely caused the problem since the rear band controls 1st & reverse. It could have torn from a burr on a side hole, but the rubber looks too soft. I suspect the rubber ring was damaged by adding "stop leak", which I recall trying when the front seal leaked. Didn't fix the leak and I think it works by swelling rubber parts (not advisable). I will never use it again. I probably caused the front seal leak by beating the crankshaft pulley with a sledgehammer (long story - inadvertently swaged crank to pulley during timing belt change).

I think you can remove the rear piston with the tranny in the vehicle, which would have been much easier for me. I didn't pay close attention, but you may have to remove the valve body (which I had done). Re-installing is trickier than old RWD Torqueflites, as I recall you have to reach above the valve body and pull a spring lever back on the shift detent cam, which requires 3 small hands. Anyway, with the piston exposed (after removing band lever), you need to remove a large circlip. I was able to so with needle-nose pliers. You have to wiggle the clip around the piston cover while compressed and it kept popping off the pliers. The proper tool would make it easy. I didn't investigate getting a replacement rubber ring or piston assembly.

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