It was fine until i got the fluid changed

[hernandez3674]

I have a 97 Caravan 3.3 with 80k on the odometer. I bring the van regularly to the dealer for oil changes and the last time i took it they insisted that i change the transmission fluid. THey also replace the transmission selenoid gasket. Well that was a mistake i think. Now intermittenly ( cant spell) the tranny slips at take off . Soon after the check engine light comes on and error code 37 appears. A local garage says thats the tranny selenoid. My question is could the seleonid be defective since they changed the gasket. ALso, i heard of places using Dextron in place of Mopar fluid. Has anyone heard of this. Can i buy this selenoid myself and put it in. Im trying to save money.

[EVH5150]

Sure dextron is a common replacement tranny fluid. Also, it doesn't seem right that the garage would change the solenoid gasket and then all of a sudden the solenoid craps out on you. Seems to me that they are the ones that screwed up. I'd talk to them and complain about this problem since they're the ones that replaced the gasket. You shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes. If all else fails, any auto parts store should have the solenoid you need. Good luck.

[Sport45]

If they put Dextron ATF in you should go back and have them flush the tranny and replace it with ATF+3. This is the proper fluid for the car. Go to the site below for details....

http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html

[bustedratchet]

I think dexron III is all you can get anymore without looking. The solenoid is a large box in the front of the transmission X-pensive item I'd take it right back. I'm wondering if they had some dirt fall into the tranny while replacing the gasket. You may want to check the fluid level also.

[hernandez3674]

I took your advice and check the level of fluid . I checked it when it was hot and its so high i think it cant be right. I checked it when its cold and the level is up to the caution statement which is about and inch above the last hot level hole. Could this be the problem. Also , i did the trick of turning the key on and off ten times and got a code 45 and 55. Does anyone have a chiliton book to tell me what this means. Too much fluid. If i drain the fluid how many quarts does it take to fill . Thanks

[ltljon]

This sounds similar to what happened to my wife's van. Dealer changed the trans fluid & it started shifting really hard on downshift. Turns out a peice of the gasket had some valve clogged up & they had to change it.
No charge for re-doing it but still had the down time.
Hope yours is as easily cured.

[hernandez3674]

Just to keep u guys up to date in case this happens to you.. This is what i found out. Soon after posting this problem the transmission started to leak..Funny since i just replaced the gasket. I was furious. I decided to do the job myself. What i found is the dealer didnt use a tranny gasket. Just globs of RTV. Now i was really furious. Anyways they wanted to see the vehicle and there was no way i was going back. I couldnt believe that a Dodge Dealer would use just RTV. THe crap was everywhere. I went to the local Napa dealer and paid $4 for a gasket. The RTV was in the filter and managed to get into the selenoid which caused the sticking. The price of the new selenoid was $168. I was surprised to find a new one on Ebay for $22.00. Flushed the fluid twice and my van is driving like a charm. This made me decide in the future its just better to do the job your self. I will be tackling the spark plug wires and I read previous posts about remove the wipers first. I will do that. Have a great New Years.

[Jporter12]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience at the dealership! LOL Our local Chrysler/GM dealer isn't all that great either!

About the RTV for the gasket: That is what the factory uses, and if done properly, there is no problem at all with doing so. On every one of them I've worked on (In the hundreds) I've used RTV for all the PAN and COVER gaskets. The result has been an excellent, leak free seal, as long as the Pan, or cover that has been resealed is not bent out of shape. The solenoid pack gaskets should NOT use any kind of sealer.

Note on the solenoid packs: Whenever replacing one, get the latest one available. They have been updated several times, and the latest one doesn't even need the plastic noise insulating cover. It's also a really good idea to have the transmission controller updated to the latest software.

Last thing, The fluid: I know that Chrysler reccomends using their fluid, but I have not had any problems with using Dexron III. Most of the time, it's on a fresh overhaul, so it's the only fluid that the clutches has seen, and maybe that makes a difference. Although, on my own car, it may be the reason my transmission isn't quite "right". The jury is still out on that one, as I rarely get time to work on my own car!

[RIP]

I've changed the tranny filter and therefore the gasket once on my 96 GC. It leaked like a sive. I got my Haynes book out and it said to use an RTV sealant. I removed the gasket and used the sealant and it has'nt leaked since. You do have to be very careful not to use too much sealant.
Quakerstate, Pennsoil, and Amacco all make ATF 3 fluid. Use it. I've heard too many horror stories of folks using DEXRON. I'm just passing 140K miles and still going strong. I change the fluid once a year, every year.
I sure hope you reported the dealer to the BBB. I would have ripped them a new one! Ryan

[conncarl]

While it can be helpful to other consumers if they check a dealer's rating with the BBB before doing business with them, reporting anyone to the BBB is generally a waste of time.

The BBB has absolutely no enforcement authority of any kind and is funded by the very same businesses that you are usually trying to get satisfaction from.

If you want to report the dealer to someone with teeth, look for your state Department of Motor Vehicles Dealer and Repairer Enforcement Unit. If they don't have one, the Department of Consumer Protection or the Office of the Attorney General is your best bet.

YMMV! Carl