Chrysler Repair: 1992 LeBaron V6 3.0L transmission quits, drb ii, trans fluid

Question
I have recently purchased a 1992 LeBaron, 3.0L V6.  The transmission was whining when purchased and it would drive for about a mile and the tranny would stop functioning.  I bought a used tranny to replace after being told the old one had breakages in the clutch.  Basically there were clutch pieced in the pan.  The used tranny was installed and drove it ALMOST all the way home, about 15 miles.  The new tranny began to start whining also.  I stopped at a stop light and when the light turned green I gave it gas and nothing happened.  Then the tranny grabbed and I took off.  Shortly after that it stopped functioning just like the old one did.  If you let it sit without running for a couple minutes, then start it it will drive for a short period of time and then nothing again.  Is this really the tranny doing this or a computer problem?  Maybe the filter became clogged with old crud from the tranny.  I hate to spend all that money again to pull out the tranny and find another one and have it installed.  Something also interesting, the battery was dead when I went to go try to drive the car home the rest of the way after letting it sit overnight.  Could the low voltage have affected the computer and made it run this way?  Please help!

Answer
Hi Brad,
The delayed/non-drive could be due to simple fluid pressure issues or to serious mechanical problems. Have you checked the trans fluid level? Do you use only Chrysler type 7176 fluid if you added any? It could be a valve body problem or a pump/filter problem.
I would be inclined to get a readout of the transcontroller memory to see what fault codes it has stored. There is a plug under the dash on left end that plugs into a Chrysler Diagnostic Readout Box (DRB II) what will give the codes. Then ask the shop what are the code numbers, what are the names, what repair would be advised, and at what cost. Then you can write back and give me the details and we'll compare that to what the manual says.
You also could drop the pans and see if there is debris, like you did on the original trans, trying to save the tranny fluid for reuse.  
I doubt the voltage of the battery would impact the function of the unit if the alternator is working. That discharge overnight is something you will want to trace as a separate issue using an ohmmeter to measure the resistance that the battery is looking at, and then remove the fuses one at a time till you find one that really cause the resistance to rise, which would be a sign of somethng on that fuse draining the charge.
I think that the fault code readout will help you the most to size up what is wrong. The internal pressures can also be measured for further analysis but that would be secondary to a code readout.
So I hope this is helpful. Please let me know what you learn. These electronic transmissions are such that I would be loathe to buy one from a wrecking yard because a failed trans is the most likely reason that it is there. They seem to run for 100-150k miles and then need to be rebuilt.
Roland