help i have 95dodgeIntrepid the transmission wont shift after engine ishot can i fix it without buying a new 1

Question

can someone help me on how to fix transmission with out having to buying a new one on a 95 dodge intrepid it wont shift when it hot but shift fine when it cold

Answer 1

Get rid of the car. It is expensive to get the trans properly installed and a specialty shop (which is what you should have done if you want to keep it.). You are looking at an R&R and Rebuild cost over $1500. Don't change out the fluid if you have never had it serviced and it is over 60,000 mi. New fluid has detergents in it that will strip your gears and considering that you are already having issues with it, it will probably fail completely costing you more money in the rebuild. The sooner you get it to a shop, the better. Stop driving it if you want to keep the car. You are causing more problems to your transmission. Rebuilders may be able to salvage most parts from your original trans which might help cut costs on the thing.
My personal suggestion....take the $1500+ it would cost you to replace the transmission and buy yourself a reliable used car...and take it to a mechanic when you go to test drive it and have them look the car over for problems before you buy.

P.S. Dodge keeps transmission companies in business. Over %55 of transmission sales are manual dodge makes.
If you have also had overheating issues with the engine in the past, or you believe that the previous owner/s had problems with it and the radiator was not changed out, that can also cause your transmission problems. Dodges have a cooling system that runs the trans fluid through part of the radiator. If the engine was overheating, that could have caused some of your problem. If you do replace your transmission, REPLACE YOUR RADIATOR. Flush the system. Some of the chunks that came off of your transmission, is most likely floating in your radiator hoses.

Also.....the gentleman that said not to worry about the new trans fluid and detergents....He is full of it. I used to manage a transmission shop in Kansas City. If you go to any transmission shop and have a fluid service done to your vehicle, pay attention to the fine print that they make you sign. It says that they are not liable for any transmission faliure that happens after they change out your fluids. The transmission shop I worked for specifically stated in the disclaimer why the transmission might fail due to fluid service. I would make sure to cover my bases and explain to the customer of the possibility of failure when they had a vehicle with over 60,000 miles since the last service. %80 of them who did this and had some transmission problems to begin with (like the one you are describing), came back needing a transmission. It DOES strip the gears. I've seen chunks of metal in the pans of all of these vehicles. I know what I am talking about. DO NOT SERVICE THIS VEHICLE!!!! you will regret it when you have to pay more for your rebuild.

I would still reconsider buying a reliable used car with the money you'd drop on a new car. Trade this one in, while it is still running.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you have an auto transmission, not a manual. My comments apply to auto trannies.

You've got a sump in the transmission. When everything's cold, the sludge tends to settle to the bottom. Once the transmission warms up (like the motor does), the sludge will start to flow with the transmission fluid. The transmission has a filter in the sump. When the filter gets plugged with sludge, no fluid flows through the transmission making lots of problems, among them the disincilination to shift.

You (or a good mechanic) can remove the transmission pan and change the filter. At that time, you will be forced to change the fluid (if most of it hasn't fallen out onto your face, like with my big son and me- LOL) You may need a gasket, or you may be able to paint a gasket on with a suitable product. (I prefer Permtex.)

Before you start, you might want to take it to a shop and see what they tell you for cost. For sure, you will need a good shop manual before you try it yourself. This is a good time to do some networking and see who among your friends and acquaintances has had a good (or bad) experience with a transmission shop.

I wouldn't worry about detergents in transmission oil "stripping the gears" since the gears are metal, which is not subject to detergent action.

Answer 3

Climb beneath and ensure the linkage continues to be hooked up. There is also a few free (or lacking) linkage bolts. The linkage are the rods that attach the shifter to the transmission. The linkage among the grab pedal and the grab may additionally want adjusting. The grab might not be totally engaged whilst you step at the pedal.

Answer 4

Get the fluid changed and keep it filled right.
Make sure that the right grade of oil is used.
One more example of why I will not buy a Mitsubishi based car.

Answer 5

SELL IT, ask anyone, those cars are crap with engines and transmissions! Get rid of it while you can

Answer 6

I agree with Sweet_Ba the bands in the trany are getting weak and when they get warmed up they get even worse