QuestionQUESTION: I overloaded car and slowly scraped bottom on a curb Ive driven over a million times with no scrape.Shortly after, engine light would come on now and then and then limp mode started engaging,mainly when car is warm(hotter the car,more often the limp mode).A friend got codes p0700 and p1776 from diagnostic plugin under dash 3mo.s ago.but,new here and unemployed,I still haven't been able to get professional help, and it's progressively gotten worse to where (usually when hot but normal driving temp reading)it will idle irradically ,and even die,on occasion,when accelerating after stops!2000 chrys.concorde 3.2. any of your educated thoughts GREATLY APPRECIATED sir! thank you
ANSWER: Hi Mark,
I would begin by checking that the transmission fluid is filled to the mark on the transmission dipstick. Then if that were low I would lift the front of the vehicle and check for any signs of damage to the underside of the engine and transmission (particularly the oil pan of the transmission, due to the curb scrape.
The 1776 code means that the solenoid valve inside the transmission is stuck in the position which it is supposed to be only when in low and reverse. The valve body is where that valve in question is located and that body can be removed from underneath the vehicle by removing the oil pan from the bottom of the transmission. There are about 13 pages in the manual which show how to do that job which is quite detailed if you would like to consider doing it yourself. I can copy and attach those pages to an email I would send to you directly but I need to know your email address to do that. If you tell me it, don't use the @ symbol, instead use "at" or the address will be automatically erased.
You can get the fault code readout of the engine by means of the ignition key: turn it "on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the odometer window to see the mileage reading to be replaced by a 4 digit number preceded by a P. Let me know the number(s) and we'll go from there.
Please read the PS (below) and respond to it.
Thanks,
Roland
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QUESTION: Even now,especially if weather is cool,engine light may not light till engine warms(sometimes even after),and car will run totally normal for,sometimes, over ten miles(street traffic).Would that still mean p1776 code is a result of being solenoid valve being 'stuck'in position for low and reverse? and sorry, I know I should've waited and sent this after doing key code access procedure which I'll do shortly. Thanks Again Roland, Mark
AnswerHi Mark,
I should have used the term "latched" rather than "stuck" because it really is saying that it isn't moving to the alternative position where the torque converter clutch is activated (which is the device that in higher gears and speeds takes out the slight slippage of the torque converter and thus gives better gas mileage).
Why it needs to go into limp mode (drives in 2nd gear only) is as a "sign" to you that something is wrong is unclear to me but that is how that particular fault issue is dealt with. Limp is meant to minimize unnecessary further damage. It is common that when there is this trans fault code, it will provoke limp mode temporarily and then drop out of that mode and run normally until the solenoid valve fails to switch to the trans converter clutch mode. But as to whether you still have the 1776 fault, if the trans runs normally for a number of days and you have started the engine 50 times in the meantime since the last limp event, and then if you do the key self-read and you get "done" instead of 1776 then it would be the case that the problem solved itself.
You also can erase the code from the memory by disconnecting the battery briefly. That sets a 1684 code, but the 1776 will not return until the next failure of the valve to 'unlatch' when it should have. The 1684 code will self-erase after 50 starts.
Thanks for the rating and nomination, which if you feel inclined to do again, I would be most appreciative.
Roland
