1995 Plymouth Voyager shifting into 1st for no good reason. [Archive] - Dodge Talk Community Forum


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deusexaethera
12-18-2008, 09:43 AM
First of all: Quarter million mile crew checking in. :rck:

My 1995 Voyager has 283000 miles on the clock. It still has the original engine (3.0L) with no rebuilds (still passes emissions too!), and it's on its second transmission. Sometime earlier this year it started exhibiting the weird and more-than-slightly suicidal behavior of trying to shift into 1st gear on the highway. It's not just downshifting a gear or two -- I had that problem, and it was cured by replacing the throttle position sensor. I thought maybe it was the transmission speed sensors (input and output) that were causing problems this time, because why else would it try to shift into 1st unless it thought the car was stopped, right? Well, replacing those sensors made the engine feel like I'd shaved 1000lbs off the weight of the car (much better pickup), but it still tries to shift into 1st for a split second -- accompanied by a sudden drop in speed, a sudden increase in RPMs, and a nice seatbelt-tightening jerk. (None of that is surprising, of course.)

If the throttle position sensor and input/output speed sensors are all new, what else could be causing this problem? Remember, it's not just downshifting, it's downshifting into 1st gear, regardless of speed.

deusexaethera
12-19-2008, 03:49 PM
Nothing, huh?

deusexaethera
12-21-2008, 07:59 PM
Bump for the people who actually read this forum.

tactransman
12-27-2008, 07:30 PM
You need to have it scanned for codes.

deusexaethera
01-04-2009, 09:09 PM
Well...yes, I suppose so. Unfortunately it's a '95, so my OBD2 scanner won't work, and it's a quick $90 to have the shop check the codes. The CEL light isn't on, and the ignition-switch trick didn't make the CEL light blink any code numbers, so...I guess I was hoping that someone might have had a similar problem at some point in the past, so I could at least go into the shop with some vague idea of what could be wrong. Going to the shop with nothing at all is a perfect way to get ripped off -- all they have to do is open the hood, point at the engine, say "ah, there's your problem", and charge $1000 for their trouble.

tactransman
01-04-2009, 10:12 PM
On an overdrive transmission,you are beating at the wind without scanning it. Can you get an auto parts store to do it ,then post what they come up with here?

deusexaethera
01-08-2009, 10:56 AM
Hmm. I didn't think auto parts stores could scan pre-OBD2 cars. Yeah, I'll give that a shot.

tactransman
01-08-2009, 11:17 AM
Maybe they can't. They will have to use the blue connector under the dash usually by the fuse panel.

nocturnalsst
01-08-2009, 11:27 AM
It will be by fuse panel or one of the kick panels, advanced auto will be able to tell you where, and its free service.

>subscribed, interested in outcome.

lrning
01-11-2009, 09:49 PM
hi
Do you have any more update?
I have a 1997 Caravan, and it's sluggish the first two minutes when I drive at about 25-30 mile per hour. The engine increases rpm (or louder) but the car does not go faster!!!, things getting better after 10 minutes. It almost the same like the car is carrying a 1000lbs ( two overweight persons) unnecessary.
I am not very good at mechanical stuff.
"When you replaced the throttle position sensor because of the down shifting a gear or two", what is the symptom? how does it feel ? a little bit more info would be good.