97 neon no park

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furz4

furz4

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Was wondering if anybody else here has had a problem with Dodge Neon 3 speed automatic loosing park function? I am pretty sure transmission is shifting into park but the sprag doesn't hold. Am wondering if clip came off park rod on valve body or if thats a common problem?
 
not common for clip to come off park rod unless some has had valve body out.never had it happen in my years in crysler dealers.will start in park ?
 
It has been out before was rebuilt about 30K ago. Starts fine in park, trans works good no noises seems normal.
 
Thats what I was thinking. Never any noises ever like an internal problem. Will pop it off this weekend and have a look.
 
Rebuilt my 96 Voyager 2.4L transmission apart 9 months ago, w/ same 413 tranny. The park lock is a pretty strong assembly and I think no way the pivot pin can come out. I agree it is probably just the link from the input shaft. Maybe the e-clip didn't snap into place. Of course, you also may not be fully in park, so check the cable adjustment per the manual first.
 
Will check it out. It does start in park and all the other shifter positions seem correct and work ok but maybe it's just off a little.
 
just also remembered that some times the battery tray thats made of plastic will crack and rub on linkage.after being out of the dealers for 4 years and no longer repairing car for a living take awhile for memory to kick in.
 
On the park linkage rod there is a spring that allows the rod to go into position for park when the cogs are not lined up yet.
Then when the gear turns just a bit and the cogs line up the spring engages the parking pawl.
On mopars mostly, I have seen the part that moves because of the spring hammer itself past the end of the shaft and fall off in the pan.
This is probably what the problem is.
You should find the knob in the pan along with what looks like a small peice of tubing.
The little peice that looks like tubing is what stops the peice that the spring moves and was crimped on the end of the park rod by the factory.
Just put it back together and weld/braze the little peice of tube back on flush with the end of the shaft.
Fixed forever.

I tried to find a picture of it, but couldn't.
I'll be pretty obvious once the pan is off.
 
Ok took pan of neon today park rod clip was intact but I found this in piece in the pan am wondering where it came from. Kinda looks like an 1/4 allen head bolt sheared off at 3/8 ". Will try to get a pic re-sized to post.
 
Sorry picture would not load. I found the problem to be a broken bolt head found in pan and the test of the bolt was wedged between the park prawl and the case so the park rod just moved on the spring and did not cause the prowl to engage the spragg. I hope I have those terms correct. Anyway where did a 1/4 fine thread torx head bolt 1 1/4" long aprox come from?
 
furz4 said:
Sorry picture would not load. I found the problem to be a broken bolt head found in pan and the test of the bolt was wedged between the park prawl and the case so the park rod just moved on the spring and did not cause the prowl to engage the spragg. I hope I have those terms correct. Anyway where did a 1/4 fine thread torx head bolt 1 1/4" long aprox come from?
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Sounds like a valve body bolt, or possibly a bearing retainer plate bolt.
It could be that if it's ever been rebuilt they snapped it and didn't say anything.
Also keep in mind that there's no telling how long it's been down there, before it managed to get in that exact place.
Slap it back together and drive it, unless you have so much money that you are just curious.
 
Ok I put everything back together, park rod engages correctly now but still have no locking of the wheels on jack stands anyway. An wondering what exactly I broke. It's definatly not a valve body bolt. Will try to get a better look tomorow once everything is done dripping.
 
furz4 said:
Still don't know. Looked tonite just don't see where it came from.
Click to expand...

On jackstands they won't actually lock in park.
Try turning both wheels the same direction at the same time while in park.
Do they turn or act like they are fighting against each other?

They should not turn the same direction at the same time in park.
They will however, turn opposite directions in park when they are off the ground.
 
Ok thanks for the information will check that. Tranny guy said he though bolt was from retainer and came from differential side of case. When in park it does stop the internals from rotating so perhaps I have that issue fixed. Will check it out, hopefully I can replace bolt without removing trans from car.
 
Sounds like you got it then.
If the trans acts and sounds fine, I really would'nt worry about the bolt.
That's just me though.


furz4 said:
Ok thanks for the information will check that. Tranny guy said he though bolt was from retainer and came from differential side of case. When in park it does stop the internals from rotating so perhaps I have that issue fixed. Will check it out, hopefully I can replace bolt without removing trans from car.
Click to expand...
 
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