Automatic transmission problem 1998 dodge van

With the van in park or neutral with e-brake on, and engine running, pull the transmission fluid dipstick, notice there's no fluid on the dipstick. Put a quart of transmission fluid in the dipstick tube, with e-brake still on, put the van in gear. R or D, and see does the van try to move against the brake. If it tries to move, engine speed drops, put it back in neutral or park and check the fluid level again. If it's still low, put in a little more till it's to the full mark.. Done. Check under the van and find the area where fluid is dripping out and fix it. If it's the pan gasket, replace it. Replace the filter while the pan is down.

known fault of the transmission design and a large covered Van
it is electronic and the sensors fail if overheated
the fix
is a service and add an aftermarket transmission oil cooler
two pictures of known areas of failure
A604 / A606
The transmissions above are 4 speed front wheel drive automatics that are all computer controlled. If your transmission starts shifting erratic or stays in second gear only, a scanner is required to tell you which senor has failed

Lots of possibilities from a bad solenoid pack to a broken gear or blown internal seal. No way you're gonna DIY your way out of this. Get it to a shop.

bad transmission mount.

Sounds like there is a problem with the Torque converter in the transmission or Transmission itself. When you put it in gear it should initially go into neutral but occasionally the transmission will stick part way in gear and partially in neutral putting a load on the motor. It is not enough of a load to get the vehicle moving but it is enough to stall the motor. This could be a simple clutch adjustment in the Automatic clutch to a PCV valve issue to a need to rebuild the whole transmission because of a problem with the control body or transmission pump itself. Sorry for the bad news.

Take no chances and change the fluid and filter on the van. If that does not correct the problem then you will need to take it to a transmission shop for repairs. Hope this will help you.

try replacing the fluid and adding some LUCAS brand stop slip to the fluid also check the transmission mount and motor mounts

Most likely the second gear section of the transmission has gone bad. There are 3 or 4 different gear sections or assemblies in an automatic transmission, when they go bad, they go bad.

Hello;
Ahhhh I see from the next post why. Have you changed the transmission fluid and filter?
Let me know, and is this the only problem with the transmission you are aware of?
Thanks;
Rich
RPM Northwest

you might have the module checked but it sounds like the tranny is going out on the van