Chrysler Repair: Chrysler 94 Town+Country Transmission Problems, diagnostic capability, freeze problem

Question
Hello Roland!

First let me say thank you for taking the time to look into my issue. I have a '94 Chrysler Town+Country v6 3.8litre, and I seem to be encountering some transmission problems. There is about 80,000 miles on it. When it is warm, the engine seems to run fine, but when it is cold, as it recently has been, when starting out, when shifting the car into drive attempting at first gear, it seems as if it is not being shifted and is going into neutral. Also, it has happened where it has shifted from 1st to 2nd, and then once in 2nd and after coming to a stop, it went back into neutral! I read a little bit about the "limp-in" you posted in one of your other answers and I was wondering if it pertained to this too..

To my knowledge it is not an anti-freeze problem unless something with the fluid actually inside the transmission is causing a problem, but the fluid level is good, and all knuckles are tight.   

Thank you very much in advance! I'll be waiting for your reply! :)

Answer
Hi Ryan
I had a similar question from a '93 car owner this morning but which uses the same trans as your mininvan.
"There are many possible reasons for this behavior, so many that it is very worthwhile to take advantage of the self-diagnostic capability of unit.I would suggest that you get a readout of transmission controller's memory to see what fault code has been noted and stored as a two digit number. The refusal to shift out of second gear is called "limp in mode" and it means that a fault that threatens to harm the trans has been seen. The controller puts it into this mode state and also logs the code into its memory. That readout is accessible thru a special 6-pin plug under the dash called the bus diagnostic connector. This is not the same as the connector under the hood that accesses only the engine controller memory. The reader that is used has to have that plug and be capable of reading out the code from a Chrysler transmission; one such reader is the Chrysler Diagnostic Readout Box II, or DRB II and would be found at a Chrysler dealer. When you get the readout ask: what is the code number(s), what do they mean, what do they recommend doing, and at what cost. Then write me back with the results for advice before buying into any major repair. I should also mention that you don't necessarily have to go to a Chrysler dealer for the readout. A local independent transmission shop should have a reader too, but ask to be sure. I would avoid a nationwide franchise sort of shop because they are geared to putting in rebuilt transmissions as the first priority. You may even be successful if they give you a price estimate in giving you 'credit' for the cost of the readout in the event that you choose them to do the repair. Be sure to get the code number(s)."
Roland
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