Dodge Shadow 1994 Problems

[tigerhawk1]

Hey guys,

I have a friend that has a 1994 Dodge Shadow that he bought over a year ago before he bought the car a different engine and transmission were put in. Around 3 days ago he started having problems with his car it's an automatic and from what me and him could tell. When the transmission shifts gears it has trouble re-engaging so @30mph it would run in 1st gear really high RPM's (unfornately that car has no tachometer). Last night it would go up to 15mph when it when to change gears it would not re-engage the car would have to be turned off sit for 30 seconds restarted and it would do the same thing over and over. I had my friend put the car into neutral so I could push it into a parking lot as I would pushing it into the parking lot he shifted the car into drive I heard a clunking noise and saw smoke rising out from underneath the hood.

Any ideas or help is greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance.

[Polygon]

The problem is that damn transmission. I am afraid he has an A-604 automatic transmission in that car. That is one of the worst transmissions Chrysler has ever released. It sounds like it needs a rebuild to me.

My suggestion get rid of the car or swap in the manual.

[rwood13]

sounds like he had a cv joint go bad, causes the axle to vibrate which cause the axle seal to go bad which causes the fluid to leak out which causes the trans to stop working but only after it has destroyed most of the internal soft parts and sometime a few hard parts

[theFREAKnasty82]

did the check engine light ever come on at any time?

[rwood13]

theFREAKnasty82 ...... what differance would a check engine light make at this point?

[theFREAKnasty82]

If he's having transmission troubles and it's the A-604 transmission, it will go into limp mode and will usually pop a check engine light

[rwood13]

true but at the point it is clunking and smoking it is beyond checking the codes, it is rebuild/replacement time

[theFREAKnasty82]

Well, that car is only worth $2,000 and a rebuilt tranny is worth about that much, so I would ask myself, is it worth it or should you just go and buy a new car? Trade it in and get something else. If it blows up at the dealership, so what who cares! It's there problem, b/c you signed the tittle over to them. They're SOL!!!

[rwood13]

its only worth it if you can't afford anything else, options, junkyard, they pull $200 to $500, you pull $80, or rebuild it yourself, soft parts cost around $100 ...... don't be afraid of whats inside, just make sure it goes back in in the same order, learned about autos on my 68 Charger R/T

[rwood13]

what's the verdect tigerhawk1??

[theFREAKnasty82]

rebuilding transmissions for today's automatics is not as simple as it used to be, his best bet is to just go to a junkyard and buy one, hopefully in running condition and not seized up or frozen. For a do-it-yourselfer who has no knowledge or experience whatsoever, there are too many tight clearances, specs, snaprings, and spacers up the ying-yang and if it is not carefully done, you'll end up back at square one w/ a screwed up tranny.

[rwood13]

which is why I said make sure it goes back in in the same order, I did the transaxle on my 97 Voyger when it went for the second time at 120K, lasted as long as the original, went again at 180K, fortunatly it belonged to my sister-in-law at that point ...... my point is, don't be afraid, BE CAREFUL, but not afraid

[shdowprde]

i have a 93 dodge shadow 2.2L auto and if you floor it it throws the trans into neutral but i put new trans. fluid in and adjusted the throttle cable and works better but doesnt have that much acceleration in first or second gear. But it was always like that.