Chrysler Shifting Woes Reversible

Being stuck in a parking lot at the mall after shopping all day is no fun…especially if you're a dad with daughter in tow, the sun's going down and her first high school homecoming dance is in three hours. That was my new customer, Dan's, predicatment.

Working late on a Saturday afternoon isn't something I relish, but being a dad myself, I could relate to Dan's situation. So, while the tow truck driver was picking up the car, a 1995 Chrysler® LeBaron® convertible with a manual transmission, I checked my ALLDATA automotive information system for a factory technical service bulletin (TSB) that might cover the problem he had described.

When he backed the car out of the parking spot and tried to shift into first, the transmission stayed locked in reverse. He said that the last time this happened, the transaxle had miraculously "fixed itself" during the trip home on the tow hook.

Luckily, I found a TSB that described his problem, and by the time the car got to the shop, I had the information I needed, a repair order written and the parts necessary to make the repairs.

The Chrysler® models affected are 1990 - 1995 Spirt®, Acclaim® and LeBaron® sedan, coupe and convertible. Also included are the 1990 - 1994 Shadow sedan and convertible, Sundance® and Caravan®/Voyager®.
The manual transaxles used in these vehicles may lock in neutral or reverse after shifting out of reverse. A rotated detent roller or clutch that is not fully disengaging will increase the chances of this condition happening. The repair procedure involves installing a stronger spring for the reverse detent.
Here's what the repair entails…
1. With the shifter in neutral, remove the lock pin on the gear shift housing and reinstall with the long end down (refer to Figure 1). If the transaxle is not equipped with a lock pin, skip to step 2.

	2. Remove the six bolts attaching the gearshift housing and remove and set aside the gearshift housing.
	3. Inspect ALL roller detents for improper alignment or damage. Properly align any misaligned roller detents and replace any damaged detents with P/N 4531302.
	4. Ensure the reverse lug is in the neutral position. The reverse lug should be shifted fully toward the engine and contact the 5th reverse lug (refer to Figure 2).
	5. Replace the original reverse detent spring with revised spring P/N 4798366 (refer to Figure 2).
	6. Clean all old sealer from the transaxle case and gearshift housing. Apply a quality silicone sealant to the gearshift housing and install using new bolts. Note the position of the shouldered pilot bolt locations (refer to Figure 1). Torque the six bolts to 26 Nm (21 ft. Lbs.).
	7. Remove the lock pin on the gearshift housing and re-install with the long end up.

If the transaxle is not equipped with a lock pin, use the following procedure:
1. Gain access to the crossover shift cable adjustment screw, located at the floor shifter in the vehicle interior.
2. Loosen the screw to allow the crossover cable adjustment fitting to slide freely (refer to Figure 3).
3. Shift the transaxle straight back into 4th gear, straight into 3rd gear and straight back into 4th gear. Leave gearshift lever in the 4th gear position and tighten crossover cable adjusting screw to 4.5 Nm (70 in. Lbs.).
4. Reinstall all hardware removed in Step 1.
While I test drove the car to make sure it shifted correctly, Dan's daughter Kristen got changed for the dance in our rest room…thankfully it was just cleaned. The transaxle operated flawlessly, and we completed the job with and hour to spare. Dan gratefully paid the bill and they both drove off to pick up Kristen's date.

About a week later, we received a thank you card with a delightful picture enclosed of Kristen and her date posing at their homecoming dance. It's customers like these that make the long hours and scraped knuckles all worthwhile.