Transmission issues during cold weather

We got a bunch of snow last night, and I went to move the car for the snow plow to come thru, it revved a couple of times before catching. So I made the appointment with the dealership I bought the car at. I'll let you know what they say and how much it will cost me.

Hi, I am having the same problem with my 2004 Dodge Stratus. I attempted to back up & then put the car into drive & it did the same thing. Only now when I apply the brakes it ******" as I slow down. I have checked the fluid and it's good. Took it to two different places. One tried to tell me rear brakes & other wanted me to replace rear struts. I don't think either is the problem but Hey I am a female so what do I know. (sarcasm) If you get any answers with your 2004 stratus please post as I am seeking answers & don't want any unecessary repairs if unwarranted. Thanks, Heidi Damn Dodges!

Sorry did'nt know it would obliterate the word****** because I put it in quotes. I also checked the spare tire thinking maybe that was loose but nope. Still upon decelerating & gently applying the brakes it will***** as car slows down. And yes I did notice a little pink fluid when the car got stuck in the driveway during one of our infamous snows here in Maine. Had transmission fluid checked & it was fine. I also just had rotors replaced & thought maybe caliper sticking or pads uneven or needing adjustment. Taking back tommorow to mechanic to try & do adjustment but your scenario too eerily similar. Please contact me at hhoffman1@maine.rr.com with any answers. Hope we can work together to figure this out.

Was hoping you would have some answers& posted them but I have done my own research and found out it's related to the TCM transmission control module. It needs to be reprogrammed or flashed but this can only be done by the dealership which will run at 98 bucks. Plus you have to pay them 50 to take a look at it. How convenient is that? Plus now the heater/defrost is acting up. Friggin Dodge, last time I buy one.

My car is now sitting at the dealership waiting for a part to come in tomorrow. It was low transmission fluid caused by a broken seal. Also the torque converter is messed up (I think that's what the service manager explained). Long story short its going to end up costing me $800 in parts and another $800 or so in labor. Ouch!

Sorry to hear that it was your transmission. Was hoping it was something simple like I was going the route of. Like the transmission control module. I just dread taking it in & paying $50 bucks for them to look it over & find other stuff which I don't have the time or funds to pay for. Want to go straight to the TCM & then if that's not the problem then I will go elsewhere. Best of luck with yours but I am thinking of trading it and going Honda or Toyota at this point.

Low trans fluid will cause the trans to slip when you first hit the gas then it will catch. As far as the trans fluid you saw on the driveway after spinning, that most likely came from a breather. Now, if the trans fluid is full, does it still have the delayed engagement? If it doesn't find out where the leak is coming from and repair it. The trans pans sit low and get hit at times which can cause them to leak. Also, the control module above the trans pan (facing the front of the car) can leak and make it appear as if the trans pan is leaking. The bad part is the module needs replaced when they leak. I think the book calls for .8 hours to replace it, so that tells you it's not a hard job.

i have ATF on the top of my trans and i can;t fig out were it is comeing from the car is 02 dodge stratus sxt coupe with the 4g64 in it

Have you checked the cooling lines to make sure they are not leaking? Also, when you check the fluid, is it over full?

Car goes into car but doesn't move. Fluid is full but leaking.

if it does not move look for a broken axle or you have an internal failure in the trans

roy

Of course you know I meant "care goes into gear". What does a broken axle have to do with a leaking trans? Can't it be something fixable, like a throttle or filter that we can fix ourselves?

Hello,

I have a 1997 Dodge Stratus 2.4l, 4 cylinder vehicle with about 150,000 miles on it. Recently I had a really bad transmission fluid leak, I got that fixed with the Pro-King trans screen kit. Now when I accelerate over 35mph my car seems to struggle like it's not shifting gears and when I take my foot off the gas it drags. My friend suggested a trans speed sensor but I would like more advice before getting this work done. I forgot to mention that when driving between 0 and 30 mph there's no problem with acclerating or dragging.

I have seen a few of those sensors go bad, sounds like a problem with 3rd gear perhaps (not sure of the shift speeds). Is the check engine light on?

HI,
Thanks for replying back so fast :D
Yes the check engine light is on but it's been on forever. I took it to advance auto parts and they did a diagnostic which said I needed an o2 sensor and a trans sensor. So I took it to this guy who claimed that my car doesn't have a sensor but has a computer for the trans. The computer was on the passenger side, anyway I went and bought the computer and took the old one with me so he could match it up . The guy put it on but it didn't work so he's like "you know what there's another computer that's actually attached to the the trans". No one had this "computer" so I'm back to square one. I'm thinking about possibly getting another trans put in but I don't know if it will cure the problem and I'm trying to find the best to get it done that's easy on my wallet. Thanx again. Forgot to add this I do have a new upstream o2 tried to get a downstream and the guy said it was hard to get off like welded on so I couldn't replace it.

Since we are going after a trans problem, you need to address the trans code.

2.4L 1997 Dodge Stratus with about 130,000 miles.

I noticed a little while ago there is a small trans fluid leak around the trans/dif area where the right side driveaxle plugs in but couldn't tell exactly where it is coming from. Transmission performance has been fine and only had to "topoff" the fluid..

But I have not been driving since I noticed the following:

_At low speeds I hear/feel slight clunk clunk sounds. They became more frequent as I drove the car home.

_When accelerating from a cruise I hear/feel clunk clunk sounds with shaky steering wheel.

_When decelerating or braking I hear/feel clunk clunk sounds but not as bad (just as scary though.)

_I feel the worse symptoms during acceleration. Nothing noticeable during slow maneuvering or turning while off throttle.

I've ruled out wheels, tires, suspension problems..
Engine is good and transmission is shifting fine..
Did come to find that the boot on the inboard cv joint of Left axle is loose. Not torn but loose..

So I'm guessing with above symptoms this is an inboard CV joint prob..? How can I test to be sure?

And I'm praying that little trans leak is unrelated..? I was gonig to have that checked out soon at my upcoming trans service.. I do all other [engine] work on my own. Maybe I can fix it while I'm swapping axles..?


thanks!

Could very well be a cv problem. The leak just sounds like an axle seal, they are fairly easy to replace

Just wanted to say thanks for your quick reply.. I went ahead with the CV repais that weekend. and I pretty much refreshed my whole suspension while I was at it. new ball joints. tie rods, etc..

It was indeed an inner cv problem. And there is no more leak since I replaced the axleshaft seals.