Questions and Answers

Dodge Stratus Doesn't Move In Gear Q. My daughter has a 1997 Dodge Stratus, 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine, automatic transmission, P/S, P/B, A/C and 70,000 miles. The other day the car just stopped moving. The engine was running fine but would not move. I was told by a repair shop that it was probably the transmission.

However, a friend said that it could be the transmission control module. The car did not make any unusual noises before it stopped driving and is full of transmission fluid. My daughter doesn't have much money for repairs and we are financially unable to help her at this time. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Wayne

A. Before condemning the transmission, I would check the shift cable for proper operation. Look at the side of the transmission where the shift cable attaches. Have someone shift the transmission from PARK to FIRST. The engine should not be running. If the operating lever on the transmission moves, then you probably do have an internal transmission problem.

If the operating lever does not move, you have a broken shift cable or it has popped of it's attachments at the operating lever or gear shift handle.

A bad Transmission Control Module (TCM) would not keep it from shifting. In the event of a bad TCM, the transmission would go into fail safe mode and you could continue driving the vehicle.