Lost 1st and 4th............... But she is working now!!!

Ok, Friday of last week the tranny (1994 4L60E) began shifting VERY hard into first and second gears. I was in Pittsuburgh and had not choice but to drive it home (250 miles). On Saturday I ordered some Piece Parts from Transmissionpartsusa.com.

On Monday is worked but was still shifting funny. Drove back to Pittsburgh in the raging snow storm I talked about in another post.

On Tuesday morning 1st gear began to fail totally. She would start in second gear when I stopped. I drove back home.

On Wednesday I left early to drive about 30 miles to Shippensburg. 1st gear still out but now 4th was not coming in either!! It was cold (0*F). I stopped at a fuel station and checked the fluid. It appeared to be down (i think I was mistaken because nothing was leaking or burning) but it was early and I am not sure my eyes were working just yet. I put a jigger of Lucas tranny treatment in. It was so cold it was like poring Jello!!! So I mixed it with some fluid and added a quart or two. Still no 1st or 4th. Made it to Shipp and home.

Parked the car on Thursday and Friday. Thursday afternoon I finished the valve body on the extra rebuilt tranny I have in the garage, just in case.

Today I pulled the pan and the 1-2 and 3-4 solenoid. Used a 90 volt battery (local tranny guy suggested) and tested their functionality. One was not working... WOOT... found the issue. Tested the Electronic Pressure Solenoid while I had the pan off. It seem to be ok. Put the pan on, filled the fluid and it works................ $25 in solenoids and $30 in fluid are a lot cheaper than $1200 that they want to rebuild the tranny!! Also saves me from changing the other tranny I have in the garage.

Thanks Joel for your help and encouragement. Thank you Sonnax for good info on your web site..........

Tim

Awesome! Sure glad that was all it was! Good deal!

Funny, I was just outside replacing the input shaft speed sensor on my wife's 99 Chrysler Town & Country which had flaked out and the PCM decided to leave it in 2nd gear as its version of "limp home." Read the code with my scanner, paid $20 for the sensor, 30 minutes to swap it out from start to finish, cleared the codes and away we go!