My transmission totally crapped out, help!!!!

Folks--

Today my van died for the 1st time ever.

I always had a feeling if this van ever died it would be the auto tranny, it was just a hunch, and today it all came true.

I was coming home from picking my son up and at one point the transmission shifted down when it shouldn't have, revving up the engine. I thought that was weird, but just kept on driving.

Then it shifted down and wouldn't shift.....so I pulled over, put the van in park, and tried to move again.....and NOTHING!! It wouldn't engage in any gear whatsoever. I called for a tow and while I was waiting I tried the van again......this time it engaged in drive and I drove for a few hundred yards and then it wouldn't shift again, so I pulled over, and then the same thing: it wouldn't engage in any gear.

While waiting for the tow truck I got out my FSM and did some checks, the shift cable is fine and there's plenty of fluid in the tranny.

Am I totally screwed here? The van only has 176k and I was hoping for alot more! But I can't afford to mess with any transmission repairs unless its something simple.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts!!

thanks,

mark in Maine w/ '87 LE 4X4

Sorry to hear about that Mark. Auto transmissions are one of the few things I never cared to learn about in cars. I rebuilt the one in my 1st car when I was 16. It took me a couple of weeks to figure everything out & it did work, but after that I never wanted to open one up again. Now when I need one gone through I remove myself, then carry into a shop & pay somebody else to do the work. I typically pay around $500 if only "soft" parts are needed or as much as $800 if other things are messed up. I'm lucky enough to have found an honest transmission guy though. Last time I called around (about 5 years ago) several places quoted me between $1,300 - $1,500 for a "carry in" rebuild :dizzy:. Over $2k for a shop removal, rebuild, & reinstallation isn't too unusual (sorry) :doh:.

I guess at this stage you'll probably need to trust somebody at a transmission shop. In my opinion it sounds serious, but there's always a chance it's something simple. There's a couple of things you can do yourself to get a better idea of what to expect. Take the dipstick out and sniff the ATF..........does it smell burnt? Wipe some on a white paper towel to see if it's red or brown. If that looks good then drop the pan and look at the strainer to see if it's got junk in it. Seeing a bunch of particles here indicates the clutches are coming apart (rebuild time). If that looks clear then check for metal flakes in the pan. It's normal to see some black "dust" stuck to the pan magnets, but it shouldn't be excessive. Hold the pan in the sunlight or up to a bright light & tip it so the remaining fluid moves around. If you see metallic particles glistening (like a metallic paint job), then that's a very strong indication the transmission needs a complete rebuild. Tim

Does anyone know what Auto transmissions would work in the '87 LE 4X4??

I'm in a real bind, we're moving between houses (only 15 minutes away) and this was our only vehicle, so I HAVE to buy another vehicle in the meantime.

So I'm faced with selling the van for parts, or dealing with taking it in to a transmission shop, or dragging it to the new house where MAYBE I can track down a verifiable used transmission.

Of course, without a real diagnosis its hard to invest much time and $$, and the truth is I just don't have ANY extra time or $$ right now. Real bummer!!

mark

87-89 automatic 4wd vans used the A45DF transmission. Here's a used one on eBay for $400, but they want $200 to ship & it's a roll of the dice as to it's condition. At least it comes with the transfer case, so that would make the job a little easier.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/87-88-89-90-...efc05c&vxp=mtr