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driving home from work yesterday, the car ('00 atx 120k) just started losing speed, rpm's stayed put but the car just rolled to a stop, i tried manually shifting into 1-2-D but nothing worked, rev'ved it and nothing no foward motion, BUT i have reverse, but it shudders like crazy, not sure if its clutch pac shudder, axle shudder, what.... I drained the fluid out and its not red kinda like a brown ish, i just changed the fluid about month ago filled it with ATF+4, think 4.5ish quarts, popped the pan off gonna go investigate and see what i can find,

-Mike

I heard several times that ATF+4 may destroy gaskets and the guys over here suggested to ignore Chryslers advice especially for the 41TE to use it except you have either a younger trany already filled with it before or you disassemble the trany and all related parts to get really all old fluid out.

Which fluid have you had in your trany before you filled it up with ATF+4 ?

well the lil old lady that owned it before me took it to the dealer for servicing, i bought the car with about 56K on the odometer, and have used nothing but atf+4 in her since

I know there was a service bulletin that advised against the use of ATF+4 in some transmissions when Chrysler made the switch, although I don't think the Neon was one of those transmissions.

Since you have lost forward gears and not reverse, I would be surprised if it was fluid related. Generally ATF doesn't discolor that quickly, however fluid color shouldn't be used as a way to diagnose problems.

Does it smell burned?

no not at all, kickdown band seemed a bit loose, and according to the FSM in diagnosis and testing "No drive range (reverse ok)" it could be low fluid level, gearshift linkage/cable loose misadjusted, rear clutch burnt, valve body malfunction, transmission over running clutch broken, input shaft seal rings worn/ damaged, front planetery failed/broken. sooooo hoping it was just a band issue, tightened up the front and kickdown bands, we'll see in about 2 hours once the sealer dries

well tightened the bands still have reverse, have proper fluid level so that eliminates this low fluid level, gearshift linkage/cable loose misadjusted, so it could still be the rear clutch burnt, valve body malfunction, transmission over running clutch broken, input shaft seal rings worn/ damaged, front planetery failed/broken its weird since my garage has a very slight slope going out, when you put it in gear it doesn't move in 1-2-D, put it in neutral and it rolls back, put it in foward gears and it rolls to a stop........ i give up time to put the NVT-350HD in


-Mike

racer12306 wrote:I know there was a service bulletin that advised against the use of ATF+4 in some transmissions when Chrysler made the switch, although I don't think the Neon was one of those transmissions.

Since 7176 isn't available, ATF+4 is about the only option.

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmissions/fluids.html

If the 31th is rebuilt with friction plates/bands made for the late 70's early '80's then Dexron III might be used, but TC shudder could be a problem. I believe the shudder was what steered them to 7176...