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wont shift out of first gear?!?

71K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  AirBoss 
#1 ·
okay today i was driving coming upto a stop sign, i felt a hard shift no one was coming so i went through...i noticed while i was trying to pickup speed it was sluggish...next stop sign came up i started slowing down it was shifting hard...the service engine light came on...now i am getting error code p0700...i changed the fluid and filter yesterday put in atf+4 fluid...it wont shift out of first gear now...limp mode? any thoughts??
 
#2 ·
HELP IS Greatly Appreciated!
 
#3 ·
It will probably need to be scanned with the trans computer scanner to see what the faults are. If it has reverse and the 1 forward gear it is most likely in limp mode.
 
#4 ·
i was trying to avoid going to the dealer....i was thinking maybe the speed sensors.... or tcm itself?
 
#5 ·
Was it working fine before you changed the fluid & filter? Did you make sure the old o-ring came out with the old filter? Also, did you make sure the new filter was properly installed?

I'm not trying to insult you, but often times it's best to start with the simple things. We've all been there - troubleshooting everything under the sun just to find out the reason it won't start is because there is no gas.
 
#6 ·
it was pretty sluggish to begin with...ran perfect even better then before all day today and lastnight after i changed the fluid... the O ring did come out i made sure of it...as for the filter being properly installed it did "click" into place and seemed pretty firm....doesnt it rest up against the bottom of the pan anyways?
 
#7 ·
tomorrow morning imma start by checking all the connections...then changing the speed sensors and the tcm itself... any suggestions is appreciated!
 
#23 ·
As mentioned before, why not get the transmission codes read first before you start replacing things. Think of it this way... You may have just one problem now but, if you start replacing things and just happen to install a defective part where there was a good working one before, then you'll have two problems to find and fix. Make sense?
 
#8 ·
well, there was ONE correct answer given. it MUST be scanned with a REAL scanner. If you were near me, I could scan it for you but alas you are 2000+ miles away. you do NOT need to go to a dealer for scanning, any auto repair shop can read trans data/codes. heck even a highschool auto shop can do this.

I bought a van (2000 town and country LXi) for $1000 because the trans didn't shift. the owner got a quote for $1600 to rebuild the trans and didn't want to spend the $. I bought it as-is brought it home, found the problem and fixed it in 5min. then sold the van for $900 profit 6hrs later.

Think of this. you seem to be the kind of person that would want to fix their own stuff, why not by your own scanner. Just think of it this way, pretend you need to have the trans rebuilt, take $500 out of that cost and buy a nice used Snap-On MT2500 on ebay. use the scanner to diagnose your trans problem, then fix it. How much did you save (rebuilt trans - scanner = savings). Now the next time you need a scanner you have one. Then just think of the money you can make back!! you could advertise on craigslist even. Just look on this forum ALL the people that need help.
 
#9 ·
yeah i wish i had the money to go buy a scanner...i have a cheap obd2 scanner but does not read the transmission...just waiting for the parts gunna change the speed sensors i hope thats the problem!
 
#11 ·
speedometer does work, seeing as that works...must be the input? how hard is the solenoid pack to change?
 
#12 ·
it 'might' be the input. solenoid pack is pretty hard to change if you don't have the correct tools (8mm and 10mm and a 1" socket) is required.
 
#14 ·
i wish an auto parts store in canada would scan, not one does canadian tire will for 109.99.... i changed the speed sensors and it works! no error codes comin up! thanks everyone for ur input!


These forums rock!
 
#15 ·
So is it working now? And which sensor did you change? The input speed sensor?
 
#16 ·
yeah its working great...i changed them both not sure which was the defective now...
 
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#22 ·
Hi All,

Ok I have replaced the input transmission sensor. This fix the problem for about a month. Then the transmission staying neutral for about a second started to happen again at low speeds so, I replaced the output transmission sensor because this was one of the original error codes that I got.

Does anybody have any recommendations of which sensor I should replace one or both, now that the issue has come back? I got both new input and output sensors to be replaced; my thoughts moving forward is just to replace both transmission sensors at the same time. Then track how long it takes for the transmission staying in neutral for a couple seconds at low speeds, takes to come back also I've had the transmission go into safe mode on occasions.

Just to sum things up when I replace the transmission sensor the issue goes away for short time. is there something that could be causing them to fail?

Wish me luck :)
-=Jesse=-
 
#24 ·
If this occurred in very hot weather, it could be just a failing battery.

We had the P0700 and limp mode occur on our '98 GC Sport in hot, slow, urban driving and it was our four year old battery baking and failing.

A new battery did the trick. No problems since.
 
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