Hello,

I have a 98 v6 with the 3speed trans. I noticed a funny smell coming from it (not transmission fluid), smelled possibly like warm electrical or belt type of smell? not sure on smell. My blower motor quit working and I thought it might be related because I had heater switch on. Anyhow later in the day after making 2 other stops I slowed to make a turn and heard a sound similar to muted fan blades rubbing or something with teeth and I lost transmission. if I let it set for awhile (20 seconds at idle) I could get some forward movement but no reverse. the fluid level was fine and it is not burnt. I let it set for close to hour and reverse worked fine to back up from parking spot and it drove normally for a about 20-50 yards and then nothing again. I am unsure if this transmission has electrical component but I am thinking that possibly it does and that is what failed and explains the strange smell....hopefully this is not a rebuild scenario and more of a solenoid or switch but I don't have any experience like this symptom or the dodge 3 spd transmission. I got the van with 98k and it has about 113 now.

thanks for any ideas on what these symptoms sound like if anyone has an idea.

Jeff

 

Did the previous owner before you do a maintenance service on the trans and if not its time,according to scheduled maintenance at 100,000 miles. Drain and refill, change filter and adjust bands. This is directly from the owners manual. My 2001 has had two oil and filter changes at 99,130 miles.

 

For the blower motor problem, I'd suspect the "blower motor resistor" located on the right front cover of the big black plastic heater core box (passengerside under the hood)
Do you get any airflow at all, High speed maybe? Check the 4 wire plug connector for burnt looking connection. pull the resistor out and also. When mine had gone out a few years ago, the fan quit working along with a bit of smoke and electrical burnt smell through the vents.
Through the years leaves and other crud had collected and found a home inside that black box just under the resistor which is basically a heat coil and would smoulder the dried leaves and crud, for quite a while I could smell burning leaves while driving but could never figure out why... and then it finally burnt out.
How'd the leaves get in there you ask? Not completely sure, but think there is a fresh air vent into the box to ventilate the heater core, I think it had/has some sort of screen to prevent stuff getting inside. Has a drain hole at the bottom too for condensation, hence the puddle of water under your rig while running the air condition in summer time, but leaves and bugs tend to not break down quickly enough to drain off and tend to pile up and block the drain hole when wet...
This was a few years ago and I never took the time to take off the top of the cover but was able to loosen and pry the front of the top up enough to scoop what I could by hand and blow the rest out to clear the bottom out and then replaced with the new blower motor resistor. My electrical plug wasn't burnt so spliced the new one on and the fan and heater has worked well enough since.
Wish I could suggest something helpful for your transmission problem, but not real smart in that department. Not sure what transmission you have either, 44re or 46re? Don't take my word, hopefully someone with knowledge will help you, but, I've think read in the forum you might disconnect the 8 wire plug on the side of the transmission, see if it will shift manually (you shift 1st, 2nd and 3rd) on the column

 

yes they had transmission service records in glove box when I got it, the owner had prepped it for a trip to Alaska but hit a deer and sold it to me. I didn't change the fluid in the 15k I have owned it but it doesn't seem dark color. I will check into the band tightening and open it up to take a look and consider the filter change with fluid if it isn't a more serious issue. I drove it onto the tow trailer today to get it back home. when it starts cold it engages normally and drives in Reverse or Drive but soon after (30-50ft) I hear the faint whirring and the drive goes away (I had to to turn it around to get it on the trailer so I found out today). it never slipped like I have experienced in past with other transmissions that went bad.

 

Thanks for this tip on resistor for blower. I will check it out. this wasn't a regular driver for me and at first the low speeds went out and I only had high speed but now they are all out. Hopefully what you found is the issue for me too. I tried tappping on the blower motor housing to see if it would get the motor going but I didn't find out about the resistor you mention but I think I see it is likely if the low and high speed were out separately. Like it was for me thanks maybe the funny smell was something like that burning you experienced with the resistor. It was a strange smell I had not smelled previously and was unsure what it was exactly, I smelled it outside the vehicle (not inside) and at first I thought it was from another vehicle but found out next time I got out it was me!! hehe I just thought it might be connected to the trans issue since it was same day but it could be coincidental...it was 28 degrees out so I wanted a heater and missed blower.

 

Are you just low on fluid? My van is the opposite of yours, when I get in to go the fluid has usually drained into the pan so it won't move until I leave it in Neutral for a while to get things flowing again.