Chrysler Repair: Transmission noise on 98 Cirrus Autostick, solenoid pack, chrysler dealer

Question
When I shift gears in my car, I can hear a loud clicking noise coming from the transmission. It sounds like the transmission is synchronizing. It's very easy to notice when you go from neutral to reverse, or when you put the car is autostick mode and you shift from 1st to 2nd with the windows open and the radio off. I've heard the same noise from other Chryslers, and the guy at the official Chrysler rep says it's normal.

In your experience, is this noise normal?

Answer
Hi Axel,
I suspect you are hearing the solenoids moving in the solenoid pack, which is inside the rectangular box on the side of the trans that faces froward. I can't tell you if it is normal or not because I don't own nor have I worked on the electronic transaxles. But it is not unreasonable to expect that those electrically operated solenoids that control the fluid directional valves in the trans will make a noise when activated. It is possible to ask the transaxle electronic controller whether it has observed any faults in the operation of the trans and stored this info as fault codes in memory. It might cost $40-60 to get the code readout and diagnosis from a dealer. If no codes came out, then you would know that it is o.k.  I would get this done at a Chrysler dealer becaseu they have the necessary reader and the experience, though an independent shop with a good reputation should be able to honestly tell you if they aren't equipped to do the readout. Let me know what they say the codes are, if any, what they diagnose, and how much they want to charge for the repair. Then I can compare that with the trans manual for the car.
Roland