Help with A604 transmission

re-learn procedeure/reprogram. Those era mopars had a specific procedure reguarding this. If I recall it started with disconecting both battery cables and touching them together for 20 seconds to de learn the puter.

then it was put the positive cable on the battery, then the negative.


i am fuzzy about it as the method used at the mopar shops involved a vetronics programming device i think.

is this a used trans you installed??

three rapid cycles of the key, on,off,on,off,on should allow power loss light to flash out codes...

code was set and lites are on prolly from a abs wheel speed sensor un hooked or damaged when axles came out or in?????

used trans could have been reason vechicle was in junk yard?? foward clutch pack or band bad?

did donor vechicle have foward motion before pulling??

The transmission actually uses its very own computer, mounted in my minivan against the firewall on the passenger side. At first glance it looks like the engine's brain, but it's actually the transmission's.

It looks like from the chart that second gear requires the 2/4 and UD clutches to be selected, but if you don't have any clutch solenoids engaged then it actually naturally leaves everything to be as if it's in second. So this forces the four-speed transmission into its “limp“ mode. Engaging no solenoids can be accomplished by simply pulling the plug to the solenoid pack connector, shown highlighted in this picture:



It has one 8mm bolt holding it in, and it's pretty simple to reach with a 12“ extension.

Once I pulled this, although of course the van had no top end whatsoever, it was at least driveable again. No more grinding! It wasn't the torque converter after all. And both forward and reverse work, incidentally due to the reverse running off a fluid-based clutch, not an electronically controlled one. Acceleration was not nearly as bad as I feared, and top speed was around 60mph at 4000 RPM. Fuel consumption at this speed on the guage claimed 15mpg. Usable, but not great on the freeway. It has gone 50 miles so far in this mode.

So now I'm of the opinion that the problem is either with the OD clutch itself or with a sensor that fools the transmission controller (TCM) into thinking it should be engaged when really it shouldn't be.

Moral of the story: if you have one of those wretched trouble-prone A604 transmissions found in all the Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler vehicles listed below, and you start having transmission trouble, you can put it in its limp mode yourself to at least avoid towing charges, and maybe use it until you can buy another ride!

yank the plug and see if its got foward before you pull the bad used trans out again!!! bummer I know they suck to do. they make good coal bins when properly located on the property on blocks.....

well..... you mean it only moves foward at 3K rpm????

ya check the ole filter??

mopar 7176 fluid is the right stuff. atf+4 will work or dextron/mercon with the "black" bottle of "lubeguard" wil convert the fluid to the correct friction modifyers....


there a procedure "back door" method for most computer learn procedures....

for example any 3.1L gm...when replaceing battery they will stall at lights ect no shift ect...


ya start the car, hold foot on brake and put in drive for Exactly 10 min, then shut off and shift to park for Exactly 20 seconds, then start and put in drive again with foot on brake for Exactly 5 min, then shut off and puter is relearned to shift. drive the car like ya stole it and it will shift and perform like that!!! those slug camaros had that 3.1 for a while.......

your mopar sounds like it has potential!!