2000 Caravan Trans/shift problem

My 2000 caravan has a 3.0 four speed automatic. When I put it in gear, the engine revs but nothing happens. It will eventually drive but it takes a second to shift into gear. When you go above 30 it will fall out of gear into moving the shift lever between D-3-1 does not seem to help. It usually finds a gear before it costs down below 25.
It also does not seem to shift into second or higher. The check engine light has been on for like forever. The transmission thing has just started today.

The code P1784 came up when I took it to Murray's. No real help for me there.

Any ideas on what is actually wrong? I'm trying to avoid spending big $$$ since in between jobs.

bump:banghead:

My 2000 caravan has a 3.0 four speed automatic. When I put it in gear, the engine revs but nothing happens. It will eventually drive but it takes a second to shift into gear. When you go above 30 it will fall out of gear into moving the shift lever between D-3-1 does not seem to help. It usually finds a gear before it costs down below 25.
It also does not seem to shift into second or higher. The check engine light has been on for like forever. The transmission thing has just started today.

The code P1784 came up when I took it to Murray's. No real help for me there.

Any ideas on what is actually wrong? I'm trying to avoid spending big $$$ since in between jobs.

I own a much older caravan but unfortunately, they still seem to be notorious for bad transmissions. It sounds to me like your transmission is in limp mode and will only get worse. Unfortunately, when it gets to that point I have found that it almost always requires a complete rebuild (I have done this twice now in my caravan). They are great AWD vehicles, and I love my van, but if you are short on money you may have to find alternate transportation for a while. My rebuilds both cost me 1500+.

When was the last time trans filter and fluid seviced?? Remove pan and install new filter, by doing this you will also be able to see if the pan has any metal shavings on the magnet. These transmissions do not like dirty filters.
You are experiencing what is called the limp mode.

From what I see the P1784 code is:Trasnsmission Mechanical Failure-first and reverse.

Check all connections, input and output sensors, ect.

Hope this helps.

I did find some bubbles in the transmission fluid on the dipstick. I'm going to try some stuff. If necessary, I may try the tranny rebuild myself.
--put some more time into it today, the fluid was high so i drained some off (almost a qt) into a mason jar it is a little brown does not smell though. there is a pretty good wine that revs with the engine in park, the sound comes up the trans dip stick tube loudly with the dip stick out. When you pull it out of P it will quit whining for a moment but starts building up s good whine after a few seconds after it is in gear. When it is in gear and eventually starts moving if I tromp in it it does not seem to be slipping but then it will drop back out.

Well, I decided to try changing my tranny fluid and filter hoping that would help some. The fluid was very dirty and had some metal in it. The filter was also in bad shape. I flushed through about 7 qts. I ended up buying 12 qts total so I used quite a bit before all was said and done.

I decided to take it for a quick trip to town and it drove fine. The wife has been driving it for the last couple of days and said that when it's cold it seems to bog down in the low gears. It runs fine in the high gears and when it is warmed up.

Before I changed the fluid I checked the connections that had been mentioned on this board but didn't see anything wrong. I called some different places to see if I could get a computer check on it but none of them did what I wanted. I did get one transmission shop on the phone, recommended by a friend, and that guy told me to try changing the filter and fluid. I figured since that was the common advice I'd give it a try and it seems to have worked.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I spent maybe $75.00 instead of $1500 to $2000.