Edmunds Answers questions

Can a bad CV joint cause four wheel drive to not work?

fishinggod — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:27:11 GMT

My 4-wheel drive stopped working. I was told I have a bad CV joint. Any relation?

Does the brake pedal switch effect overdrive on a 1995 Dodge Ram 350 5.9? It drops out of overdrive.

tretter — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:52:28 GMT

customer says truck drops out of o.d. whenever. found broken pedal switch bracket.was thinking pedal was bouncing and disengaging o.d.? /

1998 Dodge Ram 2WD pickup slipping transmission and failure to upshift to 2nd to 3rd and sluggish.

pouchpopper — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:02:54 GMT

i've been informed that a servo could cause band slippage and thus create the sluggishness in upshift from 2nd to 3rd/ and slipping, whats your take?

Why does my clutch chatter and jerk?

scottpark — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:26:07 GMT

Had engine replaced now clutch is jerky.

I have a boat question. Can someone help me to fix it?

CHUMA — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:38:19 GMT

I have this boat for five years and I believe the problem is the transmission because when I took it to the water and the motor would work but the transmission wouldn't respond to the motor. The motor would just accelerate but the the transmission wouldn't do nothing. Is there someone that can help me fix this problem?

Car stuck in neutral.

dusty22687 — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:58:06 GMT

i just bought a car, and it worked fine. but later on it got stuck in reverse. whenever i go into any other gear (except park) it just acts like it is in neutral. What is wrong?

Why would a 97 Chevy transmission not shift out of second gear when the weather starts to get warmer?

r_dickey12 — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:29:00 GMT

It worked fine the first year that I had it, then it started acting up on me during the summers. It wouldn't shift to 3rd at higher rpms. If I let off the gas and let the rpms drop then it would shift.

The next winter came, and it shifted just fine all winter long even at higher rpms. I put a tranny treatment in and thought that fixed the problem but then the next summer came along, and it wouldn't shift to third at all, so I was driving around in 2nd gear doing about 35-40 everywhere I went.

Then this winter came, and it was acting just like it had during the summer where at lower rpms it would shift into 3rd.

Now it is summer, I am done with my bankruptcy payments, and will have the money to get it looked at and either fixed or get me a new tranny. Can you tell me if it might be something quick and easy that I could do myself, or do you think I would be better off just finding me a used low mile tranny for it?

Thank you for your time,

Robert

1993 Honda Accord (automatic transmission) won't shift into 3rd or 4th gear

birdman86 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:23:24 GMT

Hey all,

My car won't shift (manually or automatically) into 3rd or 4th gear. When I shift it manually from 2nd, sometimes it automatically shifts into 1st and sometimes it acts like it's in neutral. This problem started today, but I had to drive to and from work; so I tried different things in the 40 minutes of driving but the problem is persistent. I don't know if it's a related issue, but yesterday I got my car washed and I turned off my car during the wash. Well, when I turned my car an again, it was acting funny. Without touching anything, it would rev up to 1500 RPM and then drop down and almost die (in fact, it did a couple times). Also, it wouldn't let me shift out of park when it was idling like that. I sat there for ten minutes, turning off my car, letting it sit, then turning it back on and revving it a little bit (to about 2500 RPM. Finally, when I took my foot off the gas after revving it, it held the idle at 1000 RPM. It had the same idling problem this morning.

Car facts that may or may not help:
1993 Honda Accord LX
Automatic Transmission
230,021 miles
4000 miles since last oil change
All fluids checked at the last oil change
Check engine light is on but has been for a while (I had a mechanic check the computer and it came up as an A7 error, but he didn't have the time to look into it and said it could still be driven.)
I have been shifting manually for about 6 months because it wouldn't always shift if just left in D4.

Toyota Tacoma 2005 manual transmission problem?

sierragrl — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:16:36 GMT

I have a VERY hard time getting the transmission into first gear in the cold. Either it plain and simple won't go or I get lucky and can shove it in really hard. I have to lug in second trying to pull out etc. This is a used truck I just bought. Is this 'typical' or is there a problem with the transmission? Can one return a certified used vehicle for a problem like that? I live in the mountains where mornings fall below freezing year round, so this is a big problem for me. All of the other gears work just fine, and in warm temperatures I only have to push a little harder than the others to get it into first.

My reverse won't shift on my 2006 Chrysler 300.

dorinar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:56:18 GMT

My 2006 Chrysler 300 is not shifting gears.

2000 Ford F-150, v-8, 5 speed transmission.

kmfmgk — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:40:12 GMT

2000 Ford F-150, v-8, 5 speed transmission. Replaced clutch. May have a linkage problem. I can crank it in neutral, with clutch pushed in. When I let clutch out it is in gear and moves forward. Any ideas?

'01 Chevy S-10 5 speed won't go into gear. I have new clutch kit but not sure if that's the problem or could it be internal?

giffdoggydogg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:42:44 GMT

My '01 S-10 wouldn't go into gear. I have new clutch kit but want to know for sure that's the problem before installing and installing the transmission. How can I troubleshoot this?

My 2000 Isuzu Rodeo does not seem to shift to fourth gear, or if it does the RPM still stays around 3000 at 60 mph.

wesrut — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:35:34 GMT

Changed transmission piston cover recently and now the transmission does not shift to the fourth gear or if it does there is almost no difference in RPM between third and fourth gear.

I trust that you have heard things such as this Olds Delta 88 roaring noise before

steviej71 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:49:51 GMT

You answered my question about the 73 Olds Delta 88 roaring noise. Well after taking the vehicle to two independent auto repair shops i have come up with this scenario. I add that both shops build race cars. The transmission specialist drove the car and he said that the tranny shifted just as it supposed to. next, I took the car to another specialist. This mechanic drove the car and his comments were he thought the timing may be off. I did not tell Engine specialist what the tranny specialist diagnosis. It came down to having incorrect brakes on the rear and the Universal joint needs to be replaced. I spoke with another Mechanic and stated the problems and he thought I should check into the U joint. What do you think?

Rubber smell and a reluctance to change gears on my Dodge Dakota.

sejuron — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:01:00 GMT

97 Dodge Dakota 5.2L 2 wheel drive, started having a rubber smell while driving and shifting is reluctance, anyone seen anything like this, any suggestions?

2000 GMC Jimmy, automatic transmission, sometimes it shifts fine, other times it won't shift out of low?

scottmon — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:30:30 GMT

it's an automatic transmission and it doesn't matter if you shift it manually or put it in drive and wait for it to shift, it sometimes just stays in low. other times it shifts just fine, smooth as can be. Any ideas??

Thanks for your input on 2001 Ford Explorer shifting

leonc — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:47:49 GMT

I had it at the dealer before i was able to determine exactly what was happening. Ford mechanic put it on the frwy no problem. I drove it with the mechanic and i could not hear the noise that it makes, however i was not driving very fast. Now i'm somewhat of an expert. Ford mechanic said that my fluid was dirty and suggested a transmission service, which i let him do. $283.00 later i still have the problem. Since i know how to clear it, it drives very well. Also, when it drops out of gear the ignition kind of hesitates. That is also corrected. I drove this for about a month before i fiquered out what my problem was. Then it happened again a week later. I cleared it and now it drives very well. Best vehical i've ever owned. I will talk again with Ford on my next oil change. I'll keep you posted.

Transmission problems on 06 Mercedes ML 350?

ram45 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:37:23 GMT

boght a ml 350 2006 with 26 k miles on it. I feel a jerking motion when the car is in slow speeds around 10-15 miles per hour especially when slowing down kinda like a new driver learning to shift on a manual, brought it to the dealer but they said nothing is wrong with it. how or where do i go from here, any suggestions?

re: Mercedes ML350 2006 Transmission Shifting

ram45 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:55:04 GMT

Thanks for your response, yes it feels like a quick jerking motion when it downshits from 2nd to 1st and when i make a complete stop and when its in 1st gear going to second gear but after that on higher speeds the transmission is smooth. that problem should be covered by the warranty right? thanks again for your advice.

2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser. Is it normal to have difficult shifting on a grade? Should there be any grinding any time?

slim42 — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:46:07 GMT

Is it normal, when shifting and you are on a hill or a grade of any type really, for there to be difficulty in the shifting? Should there be any grinding at anytime you try shifting in this type of situation? or is this normal for a stick shift. I have driven an automatic all my life and this is the first stick I have ever had? The car is fine on slight slopes and straight aways but in the hilly areas I have problems in trying to shift into first gear. Sometimes reverse as well. Is this normal for any car with a stick shift?

I have a 2006 Chevy Aveo Hatchback with transmission issues, does anyone else?

swimmingsalama — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:19:31 GMT

Okay so my car is at 30000 miles and was purchased in Febuary 2006. Since about a month after I got it home, I have been experiencing what I have called yo-yoing. I will allow my car to get up to normal city speed *35-40 mph*. Since I live in a pretty flat place, I normally allow it to coast. But when this happens the RPM meter bounces back the forth between RPM's. I have determined that it cannot choose between being in 2nd and 3rd gear. She gets normal oil changes and her tranmission is checked every time she is down for one. I am at a loss as to what to do as they tell me nothing is wrong with it. And they can't seem to get the car to behave like that.

Anyone else have this issue or is it just my luck with cars? If so, what was wrong and how did they find the problem if you know.

Thanks

2007 Honda Odyssey EX shifting issue, please help me!

karnak — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:34:04 GMT

i own a 2007 Odyssey ex and when slowing down i can feel every shift around 40 and 25 mph is that normal? what is the solution? i took it to the dealership and they related the problem to a loose front motor mount. they replaced it no charge. but didn't fix the problem. anybody else experience that shifting or it's just me. i have 8000 miles on it and i want to take advantage of the warranty if possible before running out? i welcome any suggestion, opinion and advice!! thanks all.

What is the trick to adjusting the linkage on a 1979 4 speed?

mduey — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:38:19 GMT

I have recently got a new clutch plate, shifter, linkage,clutch fork, throwout and name it. Seems if I have all 4 fwd gears than I don't have rev. Now I have 1st & 2nd and rev. were can I get a printout of the whole tranny/clutch and info on adjustments?

96 Ford F-150 4x4 plow truck. Will not go into reverse when warmed up. Changed fluid and filter, no good. Any ideas?

kchap — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:10:52 GMT

1996 f-150 4x4 302 automatic. I use this truck hard for snow plowing.. when it gets warmed up it will not go in reverse it seems to go fine in all the forward gears. reverse works fine until its hot then no go backwards I changed the fluid and filter. still no change does anyone have an idea maybe of what my next step might be? I have been told to try a flush...trans shop wants to do a preasure teat.. thanks in advance for any input

My 1997 Hyundai Accent out of the blue lost reverse and overdrive, also shifts real hard from low to drive.

rockin3 — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:38:47 GMT

How do i know or diagnose whether my tranny is bad or if it is tranny comp.is out ? Lost overdrive without warning pulled over and noticed no reverse but had low and drive, tranny shifts hard from low to drive and not till at high rpm,please help and thanks in advance!

2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac - transmission slipping - help!

jkeele — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:24:21 GMT

I have a 2001 explorere sport trac with 102000 miles, and the transmission is slipping when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, and just before this starts happening, the OD light begins flashing. If you mess with the OD switch, or turn the OD off as soon as you start the car, this stops/does not happen. Help!

96 Dodge Caravan 3.3l prndl switch location

josh29 — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:06:19 GMT

prndl panel ligths up, lose trans power

I have a 93 Dodge Interpid 3.3L that will not shift. Any thoughts?

josh29 — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:35:18 GMT

when Running will not shift

1995 Honda Accord automatic transmission problems

chriskli21 — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:24:48 GMT

i have 1995 honda accord auto transmission problems
the d4 light doesnt come on at all
and the transmission shifts jerks when shifting gears

2000 Buick Regal GS. At times shifts rough. If shifting to 3rd at about 40mph, it seems to hesitate and then shift.

oldponi1 — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:00:44 GMT

97,000 miles transmission fluid & filter changed @ 88,000 problem seemed to start about 2 months ago . Fluid and filter changed about 5 months ago.

I have a 2005 Lincoln Navigator. When accelerating from a stop, it will stick in 1st to 4,000 rpm.

b4sure — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:47:41 GMT

I took it to the dealer 5 times for this problem and even let them drive it 150 miles or so. They say they cant duplicate the problem and its nothing they can do. This often seems to happen after coming off of a down hill stop. Then when accelerating, it will stay in 1st gear to over 4000 rpm. Then shift close to normal. The other problem is the sunroof wouldnt close and i had to take it to the dealer and they said it had to be reinitalized. They wouldnt tell me how to reinitalize. Is there any site that can give me that information

2002 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9L Transmission slipping. Truck tries to take off in 3rd or 4th gear. It shifts fine manually.

garryshay — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:56:30 GMT

Truck ias trying to take off in 3rd or 4th gear. If I manually shift it it works fine. It doesnt do this all the time.

I have a 95 Nissan Maxima and the gear stick gets stuck in park. Why is this? Can it be fixed?

ance — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:49:30 GMT

First it started off Being hard to get out of park . but now it's to the point it may take me a day or two to get it out of park. So i have been leaving it in Neutral and puttin the brake. I don't want to put in park not be able to get it out.What could be causing this and what can I do about it?

1990 Jeep Cherokee Laredo 4X4 Issues. I cannot get the 4X4 to engage.

mtscarecrow — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:43:52 GMT

I have a 1990 Jeep Cherokee 4X4 Laredo 4.0, and every time it pull the 4WD lever up the indicator light doesn't come on and the 4WD doesn't engage. I've been told that it's probably a vacum actuator problem. I was wondering how hard is it to replace the actuator, or could it be something else. I had a 1987 Jeep Cherokee "Cherokee Chief" and never had any problems, it was the best Jeep I owned.
Thanks, Joe
Great Falls, Montana

Why is my Dodge Ram 1500 truck hitting the rev limiter when it goes into the passing gear & not shifting out?

ram37 — Sat, 24 May 2008 12:44:21 GMT

I have a 2001 dodge ram 1500 4x4 quad cab w/ a 360 v8. I took my truck to aamco for a tranny rebuild last october. its been in & out of their shop 5 times since then for various reasons. i just got it back after 2 weeks of them working on it, & there's still problems. once the truck gets warmed up, every time i step on the gas & the passing gear engages it over revs & hits the rev limiter &wont shift out until u stop accelerating. aamco said to drive slower so the passing gear wont have to kick in. i said thats bullsh..! whats going on here?

What would cause the transmission to jump from 4 to 2 instead of 4 to 3 when the passing gear engages?

ram37 — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:47:29 GMT

what would cause this? aamco said this a throttle issue. another tranny shop said it could be the computer does this make sense?

Pontiac Grand Prix GTP drivetrain shifting?

hillbilly55 — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:52:45 GMT

1995 pontiac gtp 3.4l dohc car will not shift into park gear shift in furthest position up is reverse any answers?

Chevrolet Silverado shifts out hard and slow in 2nd and 3rd if you punch it. Transmission fluid is okay. What could be wrong?

peichez23 — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:27:14 GMT

its a 1997 chevy silverado 1500 5.7 liter 4wd.

I have 2002 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Cannot get it out of park. Have brake all the way down.

jerry82 — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:13:11 GMT

I have had a problem getting it out of park. Today I couldn't get it out at all. I have depressed the brake pedal all the way down. I am handicapped and have hand controls. Any ideas.

I have a 2000 Cadillac Eldorado that has developed an intermittent hard shift in all gears, especially overdrive.

eldo2000 — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:47:10 GMT

The dealer and several trans repair shops cannot the cause. When it does this the trans sounds and feels like it is coming apart. Any suggestions besides unloading it?

Does anyone have any information on the two shifting modes for the 1995 Land Rover Range Rover Classic?

bradyk — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:29:04 GMT

The shifting modes are diagramed on the underside of the lid on the center armrest.

Pontiac Aztek Transmission not shifting into fourth.

gzychowski — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:23:42 GMT

My 2001 pontiac aztek will not shift into 4th gear, why is this?

I have a 2000 Ford Escort ZX2. I went to down shift after leaving highway, shifter moves good. Stuck in 5th. HELP.

jeff103 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:43:51 GMT

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE IS THERE LINKAGE IF SO COULD IT BE BROKEN????

A spring in my 93 VW Passat in the stick shift won't go down. How do I make it go back down?

redadrian — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:08:53 GMT

i took the panel off the stick shift and when i did a spring that was coiled sprung. the spring was located under the knob on the shaft of the stick. It wont stay down anymore, can somebody tell me what to do?

We have a 1990 Honda Accord. The clutch is flat up against the fire wall. Can be pulled back but goes right back.

vaudie — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:31:43 GMT

Awhile back the gear shift was hard to put into geear. We bleed the fluid and it starting working. Could something be wrong with the clutch now staying flat to the wall.

I just changed the transmission fluid and filter in my Dodge Durango, why won't it shift out of low gear?

chief93061 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:30:32 GMT

I just changed the transmission fluid and filter in my Durango and now it will not shift out of low gear when you are driving? Any ideas?

How to install slave cylinderin a 98 Ford F-450 diesel?

jolds — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:39:29 GMT

98 F450 clutch free travel excessive.Clutch disengages at bottom of travel

94 Chevy Blazer 4x4 light flashes, won't go into high

will_ss — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:35:23 GMT

I have a 94 balzer with auto 4x4 and cant get it go into hi will go in low but i unplug battery to reset computer then plug it back in it will go in once other then that it just flash at me. Dose the number of flashes mean anything?

2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission concern

khamron2 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:16:53 GMT

I just purchased a 2008 Grand Cherokee Larado with the V6. Took delivery on Saturday the 25th of this month and arrived home with only 62 miles on the odometer. Just prior to arriving home the engine malfuction lite came on and the transmission seemed to shift frequently and changing from drive to park or vise versa a clunking noise from beneath, sounding like a universal joint or some part of the drive chain. I brought my vehicle to the dealer and spent most of the day there only to return home and find that that noise when shifting from drive to park or vise versa has not gone away. Would you have any advise for me? would very much appreciate.
My vehicle now has 180 mile on the odometer......

Is it safe to shift from Drive to Manual mode while my Mazda MAZDA3 is moving?

electrified — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:23:06 GMT

I remember the salesman at the dealership telling me something about this, but I wasn't paying too much attention as I was obsessing over how agile and smooth the car was.

This car is a 2007 Mazda3 s Sport w/Sport AT.

I just want to make sure it is absolutely safe to do and won't do any damage to the transmission or the car itself. A little spirited driving now and then is helpful.

Any answer would be appreciated !