Chrysler Repair: Town and country Van torque converter, torque converter, computer fault

Question
My van started making a noise when starting.  Replacing the starter did not completely eliminate it.  I was told it needed a flywheel.  The local dealer did the repair and charged me for a torque converter replacement.  Seemed to start fine.  But before I even got home it was shifting rough (off and on).  Finally it just stuck in 1st gear. Had it towed back to the dealer and the same technician who did the repair said the transmission is going out and it needs a new or rebuilt trans.  My contention is that something happened during the torque converter repair.  They said the trans. wasn't touched - just removed and put back in.  Said fluid, etc was not affected and that there was nothing he did, or didn't do, that could have caused the transmission not to function properly.  Was working perfectly when I took it in and didn't even work for 10 miles when I picked it up.
   The van is a 1996 with 148,000 miles.  Has been on regular maintenance at the dealer since new, never been wrecked or had a problem other than a fuel pump several years ago.  I drive it myself easy with mostly highway miles taking my mom on long trips.
  In replaceing the torque converter are there things he could have done or not done that would have caused damage to the transmission just a few miles after the repair??

Thanks,
Jeanette Jenne

Answer
Hi Jeanette,
My inclination would be to ask them what the transmission computer fault codes are displaying. Ask for the specific number(s). Ask them what specific reason they have for believing it needs to be rebuilt.
It is possible that there is something wrong that is not synonymous with a total rebuild, depending upon the fault codes. If you don't trust them then I would drive it in first gear (actually second gear) to an independent transmission shop and have them readout out the fault codes. Then let me know what the numbers are and we can compare that to the manual.
For sure they had to add transmission fluid to the torque converter/transmission because they share the same fluid. A dealer would certainly know which type of fluid to use, but there is no way of knowing if they actually did use the right fluid.
The behavior of locking up in a single gear (second) is a default called 'limp-in' mode and it does this as a self-protective action when it senses something is wrong, and it also records the fault that it has observed as a coded number in the memory. Thus the need for the number.
About the only warning in the manual about the torque converter
is that if it is removed for servicing when the trans/converter is pulled from the engine, then you have to be sure to align the fluid pump inner gear pilot flats with the torque converter impeller hub flats. I don't know whether if that were not done properly that damage could have been done. Somebody subsequently removing the unit could examine it to see if that was or was not done.
Roland