Won’t shift out of second gear
If you own a Chrysler, Dodge, or Plymouth vehicle and discover that the transmission will shift from first to second gear but will not shift beyond that point, your vehicle has locked itself into “limp-in” mode. That means the computer has detected a problem with the transmission and will not allow it to shift out of second gear in order to prevent further damage to the transmission. The vehicle may shift properly after a restart, only to lock back into limp-in mode again which won’t allow it to shift out of second gear. To diagnose, follow these instructions.
First, check for transmission related trouble codes in the computer. You may find any of the following codes: P0700, P0715, P0720, P0731, P0732, P0733, or P0734. You can read any of these codes with an inexpensive code reader. But you’ll need a scan tool with some live data capabilities to continue the diagnosis. Quit whining, they’re not that expensive and if you want to fix your own vehicle you have to have the right tools
The problem is usually caused because the Transmission Control Module (TCM) cannot determine the input or output shaft speed. To the TCM that can mean one of two things; either the sensor is bad, or there’s an internal problem with the transmission. 
Connect your scan tool and start the engine, leaving the transmission in PARK. The engine RPM should closely match the Input Shaft (also called the Turbine shaft). This should be logical; the engine turns the torque converter at the same speed as the engine and the Input Shaft sensor is clocking the speed of the torque converter. If that checks out, drive the vehicle slowly and watch the speed of the Output Shaft Sensor. It should rise slowly, corresponding to your vehicle speed. If either sensor is off or completely dead, replace it with a factory sensor. You read that right, a genuine Chrysler part. Trust me on this, you’ll regret buying an aftermarket sensor. I’ve seen too many people put those in and continue to have the same problem only to find the aftermarket sensor isn’t accurate.
You can also test the sensor with a digital ohm meter. It should read about 800 ohms. Also, verify that the wiring harness and connectors are in good shape.
These instructions apply to the following vehicles:
Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8, Chrysler Voyager 3.5, Dodge Caravan 3.5, Dodge Grand Caravan 3.5, Chrysler Voyager 3.3, Chrysler Voyager 2.4, Dodge Caravan 3.3, Dodge Caravan 2.4, Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3, Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.8, Plymouth Voyager 3.8, Dodge Caravan 3.8, Dodge Grand Caravan 3.0, Dodge Grand Caravan 2.4 Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.3, Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.0, Chrysler Voyager 3.0 Dodge Caravan 3.0,Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.3, Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.0, Plymouth Voyager 3.3,Plymouth Voyager 3.0, Plymouth Voyager 2.4, Plymouth Grand Voyager 2.4, Dodge Stratus 3.0, Dodge Stratus 2.7, Dodge Intrepid 2.7, Dodge Intrepid 3.2, Dodge Intrepid 3.5, Dodge Stratus 2.4, Dodge Avenger 2.5, Dodge Stratus 2.5, Dodge Stratus 2.0, Dodge Avenger 2.0, Dodge Intrepid 3.3, Chrysler Prowler 3.5, Chrysler PT Cruiser 2.4, Chrysler Sebring 3.0, Chrysler Sebring 2.7, Chrysler Town & Country 3.5, Chrysler Cirrus 2.0, Chrysler 300M 3.5, Chrysler Sebring Convertible 2.4, Chrysler Concorde 2.7
1998 – 2003 Chrysler Intrepid 2.7, Chrysler Concorde 3.2,Chrysler Intrepid 3.2, Plymouth Prowler 3.5, Chrysler Concorde 3.5, Chrysler Intrepid 3.5, Chrysler Sebring 2.4, Chrysler Town & Country 3.8, Chrysler Town & Country 3.3
Chrysler LHS 3.5, Chrysler Cirrus 2.5, Chrysler Cirrus 2.4, Chrysler Sebring 2.5, Plymouth Breeze 2.4, Plymouth Breeze 2.0, Chrysler Sebring 2.0, Eagle Talon 2.0, Chrysler Intrepid 3.3, Chrysler Concorde 3.3, Chrysler New Yorker 3.5, Mitsubishi Eclipse 2.0,
Got a car question? Click here and send it to me. I’ll do my best to get you an answer.
For more information on this repair or any others for your vehicle, buy an online subscription to either Alldatadiy.com or eautorepair.net. Click on this link to compare the two services: Compare Alldata and Eautorepair.
If you just need information for a single repair and want to save money,eautorepair offers a lower price 1-week subscription for only $11.99. Or, if you’ll be working on this vehicle in the future, you can buy a 1-year subscription (Alldatadiy.com for $26.99, or eautorepair.net $29.99)
© 2012 Rick Muscoplat
Alldatadiy.com
eautorepair.net
Alldata and Eautorepair are both professional grade shop manuals. You’ll find more in-depth information and more complete wiring diagrams, along with descriptions of how the systems work. And, you’ll get all that at a price you can afford. Check them out!
Click HERE to read AUTO REPAIR ARTICLES sorted by topic
Click HERE to read some cool DIAGNOSTIC TIPS
Click HERE to read ACURA articles
Click HERE to read AUDI articles
Click HERE to read BMW articles
Click HERE to read CHRYSLER articles
Click HERE to read DODGE articles
Click HERE to read FORD LINCOLN MERCURY articles
Click HERE to read GM articles
Click HERE to read HONDA articles
Click HERE to read HYUNDAI articles
Click HERE to read INFINITI articles
Click HERE to read JEEP articles
Click HERE to read KIA articles
Click HERE to read MITSUBISHI articles
Click HERE to read NISSAN articles
Click HERE to read SUBURU articles
Click HERE to read TOYOTA articles
Click HERE to read VOLKSWAGEN articles