96 Passport want ingage or shift into any gear

[Jshipp64]

I have a 96 passport. It is a 3.2L V6, 4WD. After a recent oil change, it will no longer shift into any gear. I am very confused and concerned. I concidered checking the tran fluid but there appears to be two locations.

[Nskains]

To check the trans fluid you can take a 3/8 drive rachet and open the top plug and fluid should just drip out. Is the tranny auto or stick?

[Jshipp64]

Auto, Thanks

[Jshipp64]

This is were I have gotten. The transmission has a one inch plug on the bottom and one on the side. I pulled the one on the side on the fluid slowly drain, so I plugged it back. Just in front of there is a silver pan with a bolt on the bottom and one on an indented part about two inches up still on the bottom. I am not sure what this pan holds. please help

[phantastic1]

when you say it won't shift into any gears....do you mean it won't shift out of park....or when you put into drive/reverse it won't go?

[Jshipp64]

It will shift out of park, but want ingage in any gear. It like every gear but park is neutral.

[rodeo02]

Hmmmm. I thought they still put an ATF dipstick on the 1996, but maybe not. Jshipp64, does the "PRND321" lights on the dash indicate the gear you select with the floor shifter? Was this after an engine oil change or ATF change?? Someone may have bumped the range/mode sensor, or your shift cable is way off.
G/luck
Joel

[Jshipp64]

No, no dipstick. The light on the dash does indicate the correct gear. It was after an oil change. I think I know where the screw up might have been but not sure how to fix it. There is a silver pan just in front of the trany. This pan was drained thinking it was the oil pan. Later after the level of the oil was not down realized that the oil pan was closer to the front to the front. The part that throughs me off is that later went back and checked that same pan after filling up the oil and it was full again. I checked the trans fluid by pulling the side plug, and the fluid slowly drained out like it should so I pluged it back. I can't figure out what was in the pan and how to fill back what I drained. I first guess was that it had to be tran fluid but that seems to be fine.

[rodeo02]

I dont know what "side plug" you pulled. If your 4L30E has no dipstick, you should have two plugs facing downward on the largest, furthest back tansmission pan. The lower plug is the drain, the higher up plug (recessed into the rear right corner of the pan) is the fill/level check port. The small pan on the trans you are referring to is the sump pan for the overdrive (4th gear) housing. That little pan only holds about 1/2 quart of ATF. There are many posts in regards to servicing the ATF. You have to check level on a warm truck, idling in neutral, on a level surface. ATF should just dribble out of the fill port if the level is correct. The 4L30E will burn up quickly if it's run low on ATF.
G/luck
Joel

[2eyefishclaw]

I think I may have this one figured out. Remove the small pan again and check the electrical connectors sounds like one of them may be unplugged they sometimes get unplugged when removing the old gasket. By the way when you fill the tranny the vehicle needs to be running and in neutral