just got the '96 Intrepid 3.3 and recently changed out the fluid and filter, which looked in very bad shape, just before changing it it was refusing to go into OD, but the new fluid fixed that immediately.
Skip ahead through 2 days of perfect driving, not a problem in sight, then I take it out and it refuses to engage anything but 1st gear and reverse. If I move it into 3 or OD it immediately acts like it's in nuetral, even if I shift back to 1st, that won't work anymore. The only gear I have at that point is reverse, which I never lose. Here's where it gets weird, if I've lost 1st gear by upshifting, with the car still rolling I can drop into nuetral, shut off the engine and restart and magically 1st gear is back. I took this to advance and autozone and neither could get a code of any kind from the reader..like it's all good. All guages work fine so I know it's not the output speed sensor.

I lost my job a while back and unemployment will run out soon, I used my income tax return to buy this, I need it so I can have a job here, there aren't even buses within a mile of home, Please somebody help me figure this one out quickly!

And please, I can work on cars but am not a transmission man... is you mention a part I might not know about, please describe location.

 

it might be the motor computer bro..
its always the damn computer with this cars..
i have a 96 intrepid myself as well

 

Thinking of a main ECM? I keep reading about a secondary just for the trans but I'll be damned if I can find it..
to be honest, computer is at the top of the list due to just having to momentarily power off to regain 1st gear, but on the other hand I would think the code reader would come back with something...
but on a good hint, I woud change the computer before going through changing the trans, I may just 1st gear it into the nearest river before I go through a trans swap I'm not equipped for..

 

You may want to try a speed input sensor (not the output one) if you just want to try a cheap "shot in the dark". I am not a tranny guy either, but my understanding is the input tells the tcm what the engine speed is, and the out put tells the PCM what the tranny output shaft speed is. You may also want to try another flush, filter, fluid change and ensure you use the correct fluid.

 

wouldn't that shut down the tach?

 

I don't think so, I believe the tach signal is generated elsewhere. I will look into a drawing when I get a chance and let you know.

 

Thanks for that...because the internet is just hurting for solid info on this kind of thing it seems. But you can learn to build a nuke and grow pot!

 

OK, per the 97 service manual, the tach signal is computed by the BCM (body computer that controls lights, gauges, alarm etc) with info supplied from the PCM. Nowhere did it mention the transmission speed input sensor. I know traditionally (old cars) the tach signal was nothing more than the freq of the coil. Every time the coil fired, the pulse was counted, more pulses/second= higher RPM. I think the new way is based on the crank and or cam sensors. Unfortunately, I don’t have the service manual for the transmission so I don’t know for sure… An easy test would be to disconnect the plug from the input sensor and see if the tachometer goes off line.

Now the output on the other hand, is used for the speedometer. I actually had one go bad and my car went into limp in mode where I had low gear only, and my speedometer was bouncing all over the place. Here is what the shop manual has to say on it “the PCM receives its information on vehicle speed on the G7 circuit from the TCM." This is why I didn’t suggest the output sensor.

The input sensor is located near the driver side (I'm pretty sure the driver side) CV. There is an electrical harness that comes down the side of the tranny. It splits into three connectors. The one nearest to the CV is the input sensor connector. (BTW the furthest back one is the out put sensor and looks exactly like the input connector. (The middle one looks different.) They are not interchangeable parts, so don’t swap or pull both and forget which is which!

Let me know what happens,
Kurt

 

[edit, got it]
Well, I popped the connector off the sensor, and the car makes it about 20 feet in 1st before loosing it and doing the same now...
So I just don't know.... with it connected, I have 1st gear all day, without, everything stays except 1st looses it too..
Any words on what the 8-plug thing is on the opposite side of the tranny is? I swiped one off another one and am dealing with pulling the exhaust down to get at it on this one, thinking it had to deal with the solenoid pack, but it just was covered in a plastic piece with one 10mm bolt covering it, it went a couple inches into the casing I just pulled it out.. topside passenger behind torque converter..

 

How about the tac with it off? Is it there or gone? As for the other plug, I'll see what I can find out, but like I said before...I'm not a trany guy and I don't have any books on it either.

Kurt