QuestionHi Roland, I did as you suggested last week and took car to shop for the codes. From the sounds of what I was told, my car is in pretty bad shape (Other than transmission problems) :-(
These are the codes they gave me:
# 39 - Incorrect Gear Ratio Error
# 16 - Internal Transmission controller
P060 - Internal controller failure
P0340 - No cam signal
P0204 - Injector 4 cylinder
3 broken motor mounts - one they believe was broken at time water pump was replaced.
ABS system failure - I have no power assist AT ALL when applying brakes (the ABS and brake dummy lights are on on the dash board)
This is an old problem Ive had for well over a year -
They said the 1st thing to be replaced would be a synlenoid (?)
and if that doesnt fix the no shifting problem he said Id have to replace this round gasket like looking thing that is inside the tranny. They said the type of tranny I have is known for this round gasket thing breaking. ????
Id be looking at a cost of around $400 for the synlenoid, and around $1400 for the round gasket thingy (which they would credit me $400 for the labor on the synlenoid, so that would end up being a cost of $1000 - long story short- total cost of $1400 to get my car to shift like it did before I took it in for other repairs (water pump, cat convertor, thermostat)
My fluid level was correct and the fluids did not appear to be burnt or smell funny and I did use the type of fluid you said I shouldve used.
After getting these codes, the check engine light is on and it has never been on before
What is your opinion on all this?
Time for a new car? :-( This car has never been abused nor neglected,Im the only owner. only other probs it has ever had was serpintine belt replacement so I just dont understand whats happened.
Thanks for your time and please cheer me up with some better news.
AnswerHi Cindy,
I am a bit overwhelmed with the number of fault codes and some of the specific numbers you were given. Was this a Chrysler dealer, a transmission repair shop (local or nationwide?), or an independent general repair shop?
The 16 code may be the transmission controller ia faulty, or as I said earlier it could be a communication problem due to a plug between the the transmission controller and the transmission not being tightly connected, or a wire in that multi-wire connection could have been damaged/shorted to another wire. It is basically saying that the two devices are not communicating with one another, but it might be the controller itself has gone bad. Only a more detailed inspection will reveal which.
The 39 code is not correct according to my '92 manual, no code is assigned that number. Gear ratio error codes are anywhere between 50 and 58 and have different implications as to the repair so see whether that might be a misreading of the number. Whether the solenoid pack needs to be replaced depends upon exactly what is the correct number! So I would not start on that route yet.
I am a bit surprised that they also could give you the 4-digit code numbers you listed because that set of numbers wasn't adopted until the '95 model year. But they are apparently the correct names for those numbers except the P060 should actually be P0600 or 0601-0605 so that should be clarified as to which in deciding what to do about the transmission problem.
The engine would be running poorly if at all if you truly have a P0340. but the P0204 would be experienced as a single cylinder 'miss'. Do you notice anything like that?
The motor mounts could indeed be weak at this point but are not terribly expensive.
The abs and brake light could be as simple as low brake fluid in the reservoir to something more significant and that too could have been 'readout' for fault codes on the first go round. It might just be a loose hose clamp on the vacuum line between the brake booster cylinder and the intake manifold that can be fixed in a minute or so.
And you implied that this all began just following the serpentine belt replacement, correct?
Given all that my suggestion would be to find another shop and tell them the history to see if they can ID something that went wrong when the belt was changed. If all the codes are valid then you may not want to get into doing all those repairs unless you are very attached to the car because the costs will certainly exceed the resell value of it. But do try to get a solid veification of the specifics of all those code numbers and possibly ID a common cause that relates to the earlier repair work before deciding which way to go.
I would most appreciate your rating my answer and giving me a 'nomination' for volunteer of the month.
Thanks,
Roland
Roland
