Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

[nimrod.sixty9]

Sorry, I know this isn't an F-body but alot of you guys are mechanics.

The van is a 1998 Auto Chevy Venture. The problem is, is that no gears work, R N D 1 Nothing. The engine will REV fine but soon as I let off the gas it goes directly to idle! No slow de-REV! It really feels like something is dragging the engine, in park, or even flooring it in reverse! What the hell happened here? I've never heard of a tranny losing all gears at once. Fluid is fine and less than 400 miles, filter was also changed. SES light is on and all I get is the same old EGR open/close codes, and its been like that forever. So thats def not the the problem, and no related codes. If anyone has any idea what happened here, please post! I will check back often!

Thanks in advance! ~Steve

EDIT* 3.4V6 FWD

[blue night]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

When I worked at a gm shop, I ran into a couple vans that had the same problem, It ended up beingthe shift solenoids in the tranny, it is actualy a common problem with those trannys, if this is your problem, there is a certain test procedure for it, there is even a bullentin out on it, hope this will give a place to start.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Thanks for the reply! Where are these silenoids? Are they in the Tranny or is it somthing I can replace? Im guessing since this isnt about the engine it wont throw SES codes. These are the exact symptoms, including engine symptoms? What can I do to test them?

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Some one must know some of my questions... Hopefully AZ will let me borrow an OBDII scanner, that way I can get more up to date codes. :poke:

To admin: You can move tranny section since thats what seems to be the prob.

[blue night]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Yes there are in the tranny, in order to test the solenoids you need the tech 2 scan tool, used only at gm shops, with this tool you can comand the solenoids on or off, other than that I don't know any other way to test them. sorry.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Yes there are in the tranny, in order to test the solenoids you need the tech 2 scan tool, used only at gm shops, with this tool you can comand the solenoids on or off, other than that I don't know any other way to test them. sorry.

So there will be no codes in the computer? Do I have to remove the tranny to get to them? I am willing to replace them w/o testing, there quite cheap to get. Thats of course if I can do it myself. Also another thought, from my mother of all ppl, she said possibly a kinked vacuum. That makes since to me, pressure from the engine that now cant go anywhere, and the tranny isnt getting what it needs. I also seen somthing like this in the Haynes manual, vac line thats hooked into something called modular vacuum (plunger of some sort), sound familiar? Thanks again!

[blue night]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

So there will be no codes in the computer? Do I have to remove the tranny to get to them? I am willing to replace them w/o testing, there quite cheap to get. Thats of course if I can do it myself. Also another thought, from my mother of all ppl, she said possibly a kinked vacuum. That makes since to me, pressure from the engine that now cant go anywhere, and the tranny isnt getting what it needs. I also seen somthing like this in the Haynes manual, vac line thats hooked into something called modular vacuum (plunger of some sort), sound familiar? Thanks again!

They some times leave a code but not always, no you don't have to remove the tranny, but will have to remove your valve body, the cheapest would probably be that vaccume module, try that first, then the solenoids.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Thanks for all you help! Will be checking into it asap!

[blue night]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

your welcome, and good luck.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Changed the Vacuum Modulator, and still no go...

Scanned the SES again, only P1404, EGR...

So where are these solenoids and how do I get to them?
BTW: I hear other vac leaks, any tips on how to track them down. Tried by sound but just too much noise.

[blue night]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

well, as far as vacume leaks go, take an old spray bottle and fill it with water and soap, and spray the vacume lines with it and watch for bubbles or take a vacume gauge and track it down that way, as for the solenoids they are located in the tranny pan, and as far as how to change them, I can't realy remeber, its been a while since i did one.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

well, as far as vacume leaks go, take an old spray bottle and fill it with water and soap, and spray the vacume lines with it and watch for bubbles or take a vacume gauge and track it down that way, as for the solenoids they are located in the tranny pan, and as far as how to change them, I can't realy remeber, its been a while since i did one.

Unfourtunatly the leaks are on the back side of the motor, damn FWD! One leak is just really loud and another is a whistle at an exact RPM.

Thats good to hear, as long as they are in the pan I know I can def do it. Ive already been thier once to change fluid and filter. And why do you say "solenoids"? At AZ today I got a glimps of the comp screen and they only listed one shift solenoid, and it listed under it that it was for all gears and lock out. Or am I wrong? Maybe need two of them for one tranny. Something like one controls 1st and 2nd and the other 3rd and 4th? I know Im using you like a book here, all I can say is thanks for all your help! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[blue night]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

like I said earlier It has been awhile, most trannys have more than 1 solenoid, this might only have 1 depends on the tranny, and options, to be 100% sure you'l need to drop the pan, hope it works for ya.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Ummm...... Crap!!!!!!!!

Ok so I take everything out I can get to trough the pan. Nothing there is electrical, no solenoid nothing...

But what I noticed when I took the pan out from under van is what worries me now....

Looks like flat metal pieces, and quite a bit of them too! One is even one inch square!!! Is it time for a u-pull-it now? And this situation doesnt explain the engine fast de-rev.

[nascar24jd]

Re: Chevy Venture HELP! Engine/Tranny?!

Does not sound good. Tranny replacement maybe???