Chrysler Repair: Odometer quits, trans wont shift: Sensor?, plymoth voyager, turbine speed

Question
My friend has a 1999 Plymoth voyager and she was driving it and all her lights on the dash came on and her odometer stop working and it wouldnt shift after she tried driving it.A mechanic said it was probably a sensor in the trans but he didnt want to fix it.My boyfriend said it wasnt hard to do but hes not sure where the sensor is and which one it was.If he had the basic idea he would be able to fix it for her.Do you have any suggestions?Or do you have a diaphram that he could look at he knows a lot about cars but not this particular van.

Answer
Hi Suzanne,
I assume that you also mean the speedometer function also stopped working. I don't know what you mean by "all lights on her dash came on", specifically which ones?
In any case, it is probably that the output speed sensor of the trans has gone bad or there is a break in its wiring to the transmission controller so it can't tell how fast it is turning which it needs to know when to shift. The loss of speedo/odo would also occur.
The output speed sensor is located on the side of the trans that faces the front of the van: it is about midline in its height and all the way at the very far end of the trans. It screws into the side of the trans and has an electrical plug (lift tab to release). You will see a similar sensor for the input turbine speed at the front end of the trans, same height, etc. So if you see one you will recognize the other.
It may cost close to $100 so you might want to verify that is the problem by borrowing a diagnostic reader from an Autozone if there is one near you and plugging it in to the underdash receptacle and asking for a fault code readout of the trans controller. It would produce a P0500 reading if that sensor's signal was missing. You can check the wires on the plug: they go to pin 14 (light green/white), and pin 13 (dark blue/black) of the 60-pin plug of the trans controller located on the right front inner fender shield of the engine compartment near the washer fluid reservoir bottle.
Roland