QuestionAs luck would have it, when I left for overseas deployment, my wife was driving our '97 Sebring on Interstate 5 when all of the sudden the transmission siezed up completely causing her to have to be towed to our house. The car starts but is unable to be put into gear. I am coming back now and want to know is there something I can do to make sure that it isn't something I can personally fix or take to a dealership. If I do take it to a dealership, how do I keep from getting overcharged and taken to the cleaners on something I don't need? I hear these "overhauls" are $2000!
AnswerHi Mike,
I am not certain what you meant by "seized up completely" and "unable to be put into gear". If it just stopped transmitting engine power to the wheels that is less drastic than if there was a true seizure of some sort that implies mechanical noises. And by not be put into gear do you mean the shift selector won't move or that it will go into drive position but won't actually move the car? In any case if it is the less drastic shut down and the shifter will go to drive then of course I would want to check the trans fluid level (warm up the engine then check the trans dip stick with the shifter in neutral). If low then add only Chrysler brand trans fluid. So let me know what that shows and does if anything. If the shifter won't move into drive then I would inspect the linkage mechanism at the trans where the cable connects.
On the approach to repair, let me copy my standard approach to this question:
"The electronic trans has a controller with an ability to self-recognize problems, give them a code number, and store them in the memory for later readout. This should always be the first thing that is done rather than to accept a verdict of 'removal and rebuild'.
The dealer or a competent transmission shop should have a readout unit to find out what the code number(s) is and from that they can make some conclusions about whether the trans can be repaired without being removed from the car (for example a electrical or hydraulic pressure problem) OR if some mechanical damage is involved (but follow-up a "mechanical damage" diagnosis by dropping the oil pans and looking for debris to be present or not) which if present would require a pretty expensive rebuild, I am sorry to say. No debris in the pans would suggest the possibility of an hydraulic problem only.
So that is my best advice: go to a dealer/independent and ask for a diagnostic readout of the transmission controller and an estimate for repairs. Get the code number(s), and if you like, write back with a 'follow-up' question to me and we can compare what you are told with what the shop manual says is the problem of that code, and then decide if you are getting the correct advice. You don't have to give them a blank check, just ask for a diagnostic readout, the code numbers and the repair estimate. It will cost something to get that done (should be under $50), but the more information you have before going forward the better. I would not go to a franchise-type (AAMCO) transmission shop, but rather an independent with a good reputation or a Chrysler dealer. The place has to have a code reader with the 16 pin data link connector that mates with the Chrysler-type readout plug under the dash to the left of the steering wheel on the right side lower edge of the junction block/body computer module. So inquire whether that is true and also if their reader can readout the trans controller codes, if you don't go to a dealer shop. If you go ahead with the repair, the cost of the diagnosis is often credited against the repair cost.
But don't rush to judgement because a total rebuild costs about $1,500-2,000 so you don't want to authorize that unless it is the only possibility. Let me know what happens, because the feedback helps me too."
That is how I would approach the situation.
Roland
