3.0 tranny no reverse wierd problem

[murph7727]

I have a 96 grand caravan. one day while driving up an incline the tranny gave out. Had it towed to my house. started it and drove it just fine. went to put it in reverse and it acted as if it were in neutral. Later I drove it forward again, this time i got about 3 miles and it went out again. I shut the van off, turned it on and drove home. The van still does not have reverse and the tranny goes out after approx. 3 miles. You can shut it off and back on and will drive for about another 3 miles. Someone please help me out here. It sounds to wierd to be the tranny itself, but all garages I have talke dto say that is what it is without looking at it first! Thank you!

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by murph7727

I have a 96 grand caravan. one day while driving up an incline the tranny gave out. Had it towed to my house. started it and drove it just fine. went to put it in reverse and it acted as if it were in neutral. Later I drove it forward again, this time i got about 3 miles and it went out again. I shut the van off, turned it on and drove home. The van still does not have reverse and the tranny goes out after approx. 3 miles. You can shut it off and back on and will drive for about another 3 miles. Someone please help me out here. It sounds to wierd to be the tranny itself, but all garages I have talke dto say that is what it is without looking at it first! Thank you!

Solenoid controlled tranny- sounds like electrical or control module issue to me. Sorry, don't know jack about Mopars, but I agree it's not mechanical.

I'd be checking grounds and wiring harnesses.

[murph7727]

I heard from a couple of people now telling me it could be that (solenoid) or speed sensors. Are these something I can test? Where is the solenoid and do I need special tools to get it out? How much are they usually? Could it be something else like broken bands or something? So many questions I have about these caravans, so little time! Thank you!

[theFREAKnasty82]

first, check your fluid level. How many miles do you have? The solenoid pack could be a problem; there's no way for you to check it, if it's bad replace it. Primarily, check your fluid level and the condition of it; if it's black or has metal chips, you could a much serious problem. Also, I must ask, if you have had a tranny service recently, did you or the person who serviced it use Mopar ATF+3? If not, that WILL cause problems. You can't your band(s) b/c this transmission doesn't have any bands or overrunning clutches, it's all clutch packs that control all the gearset functions.

[murph7727]

Does anyone else have anything to add? I bought a tranny today for $500.00. I would like to save it if something little is wrong like solenoid or something. Has anyone else had this problem?