2002 Dodge Stratus Transmission problem

I'm reading some messages about cars with the same problems as mine, and I'm
beginning to wonder if this is endemic with Dodge/Chrysler products. I've
owned my vehicle for 18 months, bought used with 36,000 miles on it. I've had
problems with it occasionally not shifting properly. The engine will rev up
to 3,000 rpm and then the thing will shift into gear abruptly. This usually
happens at low speeds going uphill from a stop, but once it happened to me
while trying to pass a vehicle on the interstate doing between 70 and 80 mph--
-really scary. Of course, it never does it for the mechanic. My nephew told
me the bands are probably slipping but to check the fluid levels and/or have
the tranny serviced. I did both. Fluid levels were fine, and the transmission
people said everything looked good. They changed the filter and fluid two
weeks ago. Everything was fine, but yesterday it happened again.

I now have 57,000 miles on it, and had planned to drive this vehicle until it
drops dead, but am having second thoughts. I drive very long distances (like
300 to 500 miles in one day) several times a month, and cannot have it
stranding me on the interstate 300 miles from anywhere.

Is this something that can or should be fixed? What do I tell them to do?

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will answer, but here is my WAG.

The TCM (transmission brain) controls power to a set of solenoids on the
transaxle that performs the shift between gears. It sounds like one of the
solenoids in the pack may be faulty. The TCM will modulate (rapidly turn on
and off) the power to the solenoids to control how the shift progresses. To
me the sudden engagement indicates the TCM has completed the shift when the
solenoid finally opens (or closes). If I am right then this symptom will
always involve a specific gear, such as shifting from 2nd to 3rd, and 4th to
3rd.

I think the solenoid pack is replaced as a set, the solenoids are not
individually serviceable. There may be a TSB that identifies this problem.
Go to the following web site and look for TSB's for your car. If there is
one, print it out and take it to a dealer.

http://allpar.com/

HTH
Gyz

"LCCamel via CarKB.com" > wrote in message
...
> I'm reading some messages about cars with the same problems as mine, and
> I'm
> beginning to wonder if this is endemic with Dodge/Chrysler products. I've
> owned my vehicle for 18 months, bought used with 36,000 miles on it. I've
> had
> problems with it occasionally not shifting properly. The engine will rev
> up
> to 3,000 rpm and then the thing will shift into gear abruptly. This
> usually
> happens at low speeds going uphill from a stop, but once it happened to me
> while trying to pass a vehicle on the interstate doing between 70 and 80
> mph--
> -really scary. Of course, it never does it for the mechanic. My nephew
> told
> me the bands are probably slipping but to check the fluid levels and/or
> have
> the tranny serviced. I did both. Fluid levels were fine, and the
> transmission
> people said everything looked good. They changed the filter and fluid two
> weeks ago. Everything was fine, but yesterday it happened again.
>
> I now have 57,000 miles on it, and had planned to drive this vehicle until
> it
> drops dead, but am having second thoughts. I drive very long distances
> (like
> 300 to 500 miles in one day) several times a month, and cannot have it
> stranding me on the interstate 300 miles from anywhere.
>
> Is this something that can or should be fixed? What do I tell them to do?

"LCCamel via CarKB.com" > wrote in message
...
> I'm reading some messages about cars with the same problems as mine, and
I'm
> beginning to wonder if this is endemic with Dodge/Chrysler products. I've
> owned my vehicle for 18 months, bought used with 36,000 miles on it. I've
had
> problems with it occasionally not shifting properly. The engine will rev
up
> to 3,000 rpm and then the thing will shift into gear abruptly. This
usually
> happens at low speeds going uphill from a stop, but once it happened to me
> while trying to pass a vehicle on the interstate doing between 70 and 80
mph--
> -really scary.

> Of course, it never does it for the mechanic. My nephew told
> me the bands are probably slipping but to check the fluid levels and/or
have
> the tranny serviced. I did both. Fluid levels were fine, and the
transmission
> people said everything looked good. They changed the filter and fluid two
> weeks ago. Everything was fine, but yesterday it happened again.
>

Where did you take it? AAMCO? And how did they change the fluid?
Did they flush the transmission and get ALL of the old fluid out or did they
just only drop the pan which lets out about 1/4 of all the fluid
in the transmission?

These transmissions, like many transmissions
in newer vehicles, are computer-controlled and a scan tool must be used to
interrogate the computer for any trouble. You can't just take it to the
local
minimum wagers at the local SCAMCO who just drop the pan and look at
the fluid. Unless the transmission has busted a gear the fluid is no
indicator of
anything. Not to mention if you did take it to a place like that they
probably
replaced the wrong fluid. Your transmission should only use ATF +4 but
many non-dealership places use Dexron with a 'magic fluid" that is supposed
to
make Dexron like ATF +4.

A good mechanic can attach a sophisticated recording probe to your vehicle
and
let you drive around with it, when the transmission next does it's thing you
press a button on the probe and head back to the service place and now
the mechanic can tell -exactly- what your transmission was doing and why.

Dealership service departments are supposed to have these tools, some of the
lower-quality ones don't, or they only have 1 tool and they will lie to you
and
tell you that they don't have one. Good independent mechanics who actually
-invest- in decent tooling for their garages will also have these and can do
the same thing. Start calling around to service places and tell them your
tired
of wasting money on seat-of-the-pants diagnostics.

Ted

sounds like the trans has a pump issue since it happens at slow speed going up
hill
was the fluid level checked???

"LCCamel via CarKB.com" wrote:

> I'm reading some messages about cars with the same problems as mine, and I'm
> beginning to wonder if this is endemic with Dodge/Chrysler products. I've
> owned my vehicle for 18 months, bought used with 36,000 miles on it. I've had
> problems with it occasionally not shifting properly. The engine will rev up
> to 3,000 rpm and then the thing will shift into gear abruptly. This usually
> happens at low speeds going uphill from a stop, but once it happened to me
> while trying to pass a vehicle on the interstate doing between 70 and 80 mph--
> -really scary. Of course, it never does it for the mechanic. My nephew told
> me the bands are probably slipping but to check the fluid levels and/or have
> the tranny serviced. I did both. Fluid levels were fine, and the transmission
> people said everything looked good. They changed the filter and fluid two
> weeks ago. Everything was fine, but yesterday it happened again.
>
> I now have 57,000 miles on it, and had planned to drive this vehicle until it
> drops dead, but am having second thoughts. I drive very long distances (like
> 300 to 500 miles in one day) several times a month, and cannot have it
> stranding me on the interstate 300 miles from anywhere.
>
> Is this something that can or should be fixed? What do I tell them to do?