95 Stratus ES Stuck in 2nd Gear

FredHicks · #1 07-07-2007, 05:47 PM

I have a 1995 Stratus ES with the 2.5L V6 and automatic transmission.

A couple of months ago it would intermittently get stuck in 2nd gear. Turning the car off and back on again would usually solve the problem. It was taken to the dealer, but they couldn't recreate the problem. They said mechanically everything was fine and it was probably something electronic. The check engine light never came on and they didn't mention finding any codes. Since then, the problem has become more frequent and at one point the speedometer needle made a complete revolution and is now sitting below the pin where it usually rests at 0 mph.

After reading this forum, I suspected it might be related to the speed sensors on the transmission. I found the sensors online for about $20 each and it sounded like a simple fix so I shelled out $25 for the Chilton Manual thinking it was worth trying. The dealer wanted $140 to replace them.

Unfortunately, I could not find the sensors in the manual so now I'm back to square one. Before going back to the dealer, I figured I should run my questions past the experts in this forum. So...

1. Do the symptoms I described point to the transmission sensors or something else?

2. Where are the sensors located and is replacing them a simple do it yourself job or should I take it back to the dealer?

3. How do I fix the speedometer needle? An acquaintance said to try removing the instrument cluster and turn it upside down to see if gravity could help move the needle to the top side of the pin.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

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backyardbill · #2 07-10-2007, 04:19 PM

The output sensor drives the speedo. You should be able to get to it from underneath the left front of the car. Jack carup and put on jack stands. There is a diagram of the location of these sensors in this newsgroup somewhere. You will need a 1" socket to replace the output sensor. Good luck.

backyardbill · #3 07-10-2007, 04:23 PM

Oh and you will probably have to remove the instrument cluster and then the face shield to physically lift the needle over the pin. There is an old school trick: drill a very small hole right in front of the tip of the speedo indicator and insert a bent wire, catch the needle, and lift the needle over the pin.

FredHicks · #4 07-17-2007, 12:16 AM

Thanks for the advice Backyardbill!

The hole in the face shield worked great and is barely noticeable. The speedometer worked fine after that.

I was able to find the output sensor and it was very easy to replace. Iâ€™m still not sure if that fixed the problem. When I initially started the car after replacing the sensor, every letter of the P R N D 3 L had a block around them, the speedo wasn't workingand it was still stuck in 2nd. I tried it again today and it was working fine. Guess Iâ€™ll have to watch it for a few days to be sure.

If this does not fix the 2nd gear problem, any ideas as to where to look next would be appreciated.

FredHicks · #5 07-27-2007, 04:39 PM

I replaced the input speed sensor and still no luck.

Guess it's time to take it to a professional.

master tech · #6 07-27-2007, 10:56 PM

On some 1995 model cars the transmission will not set a ck engine lite.You would need to go into the trans controller to get codes. See if you can pull any codes from the TCM and post.

FredHicks · #7 08-06-2007, 04:17 PM

Turns out it was the Transmission Control Module. $327 to install and program a rebuilt module. The car runs great now.