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This is a good news, bad news item. The good news is that one solenoid is usually accessible on the transmission’s valve body. The bad news is that the second on used is on the inside of the valve body. And, yes, getting to the solenoids means that you do have do some partial disassembly to get to the valve body and get the cover off.

Indeed, unless you are skilled at mechanical takedowns, then I would suggest taking the Sportage to an independent shop where a technician can handle the work.

Now, it is possible that you might get lucky and find that the solenoid on the outside of the valve body is the one you need. The reason being is that the solenoids are used together to determine the actual gear setting. For example, it is possible that the solenoid controlling first and third might be on the outside of the valve body while second and fourth may be on the inside of the valve body, but you can’t be sure of that. So, you will have to assume that if the problem is in the solenoids that you will have to do a minimal teardown to reach them.

I would recommend, though, that as I noted, the teardown work be left to a knowledgeable technician as they will make sure it is done quickly and properly unless you feel confident that you can do that work and that you have the tools, as well.

If it’s happening when your F-150 is in two-wheel-drive then I would have the gear selector looked at for starters. It sounds as if it may be slightly out-of-kilter and instead of clearing the 4WD selection (your F-150 is “drive-by-wire” or computer-controlled when it comes to choosing the gearing), your pickup is still in 4WD.

I’d bring it into a good repair facility of a dealership to have it checked out ASAP because of your upcoming move.

It is possible that there is more to the problem than just the selector as it could be in anywhere in the electronics, however, I think if you have a diagnostic run, you will find the return will put the problem somewhere in the front-end of the electronics.

The good news is that the problem is, I think, where it is in the front end of the electronics chain. This means it should be relatively easy to access and fix. The bad news is that it could be in the console area where something is either shorting or open and giving a false indication to the engine control module. If that is the case and the console has to be opened then it could mean you could be without your ride for the day. However, when it’s fixed you should be able to go on your way in two-wheel or four-wheel.

To add a bit: Your problem still is in the return lines, but, I would also re-check the flywheel installation. If it isn’t mating to the clutch plate correctly, then you will have problems once you have cleared the return line problem. Hope this helps. MS.

For the money, the best engine oil for a high-revving 660cc engine is a true synthetic like Mobil 1. The reason I advocate a synthetic is quite simple: a true synthetic is engineered from the start to work in high-stress, high-temperature situations that leave other oils breaking down.

A true synthetic is blended so that it uses complete carbon chains to do its work. Not only are the chains engineered to slip easily past one another, but they are also built to handle the heat because they are full carbon rings.

A standard mineral-based oil like a good 5W-30 works up to a point. It is thin and has good short-term wear characteristics but you will find that after a relative short time, depending on the service your 660 is in, the oil will start to break down, leaving you with little more than a black mess in the oil sump.

A synthetic, on the other hand, easily stands up to the heat and wear high-revving and temperatures bring.

I know that where you live 5 quarts of Mobil 1 may be expensive. It is, after all, a premium commodity. That said, because you choose that particular synthetic, it means that you care about your engine and vehicle and want to give it the best chance you can.

The question I have is why didn’t the service facility act on the information it had and repair the problem? Did you authorize the repair? I know that BMWs are incredibly expensive to repair, but I would have thought that if a shop does the diagnostic and gives you the results it should have done the repairs, as well.

I honestly think I know the answer and it is simply that the shop might be overwhelmed with other work and the amount of time needed to run each line in the loom from source to termination can be enormous. And, even if they were to do the work they might find that by the time they have finished doing the work you would be into a very four-figure repair bill ($2,000-#3,000). So, that I suspect is why the bounced it back to you.

With that said, though, if you have to do the work, I would start with the solenoids first. The X5 uses a six-speed transmission and that means there are three solenoids tucked up on the valve body, one on the inside and two on the outside. Here’s the way to work this:

Locate the power leads and their colors at the base or top of the device — there are usually four to six wires per device. Once you have located the color, check for continuity by setting a volt-ohmmeter on the RX1 setting, placing one test probe on the appropriate wire color and terminal on the loom and then placing the other probe on the similarly colored wire and terminal. Be sure the circuit is de-energized or else two things will happen, you won’t get your reading and you will be out a VOM as it will destroy the meter.

Yes, it will take time and you will have to open up the valve body to get to one of the solenoids and do those tests. However, I suspect when you are finished you will have found the offending wire so you can replace it or find the place where it is worn and chafing or open and you will have repaired it. In doing so, you have saved yourself a whole bunch and fixed the problem. Please let me know what happens so I can share this with others.

I have to assume that you are driving a Ford Taurus that was built sometime in the last decade because that does a great deal to explain your question. Getting to the root of the problem, it has to deal with the computer setup in your Taurus.

In every modern vehicle (car, truck, SUV), there are a number of computers controlling everything. Indeed, there are very few mechanical systems controlling things anymore. For example, the transmission is controlled by a computer called the Transmission Control Module (TCM). The TCM reports directly to the Engine Control Module (ECM). However, it also takes directions from the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), the Fuel System Control Module (FCM), as well as from the Brake Control Module (BCM), and others.

In turn, each of the other control modules not only listens to the others on the CAN (Car Area Network) but also to the ECM as they pass information and instructions back and forth.

Tying everything together is the CAN which serves to bind the engine electronics together so each control module acts when it has to or passes information on to other systems. You see each control module — there can be from eight to 15 controlling an engine — have a number of subsystems reporting to them. the subsystems are usually sensors. However, there may be a number of activators turning things on and off in response to the information provided by the sensors.

If this seems like a complicated information web, it is. Because it is and because it is electronic, there are times when orders from the boss (PCM) can be delayed or broken up. The transmission is a good example.

At one time, the transmission was mechanically controlled. You pulled down on the PRNDL lever and a cable in a carrier started the process that ended up in the car going into gear mechanically. Everything else was also mechanically controlled, including step-downs, gear choice and the like.

Now, the ECM, after listening to all of the subsystems on the CAN, as well as the sensors, determines how the transmission reacts. You start things off by selecting a gear, D(rive) for instance. Next, the ECM lines things up to answer your request. Let’s say a glitch happens in the “shift-by-wire” transmission. What happens then? It’s quite possible the indicator may read R(everse) while the transmission is Drive. That’s the answer to your question. It’s all the result computer control not reading things correctly.

I think you have hit the nail on the head. The continued p0753 code does indicate that Solenoid A, which controls the first two speed selections for the transmission, is bad, but, here’s the issue: why does the code keep popping?

There are three possible reasons:

1. A burned out wire
2. A chafed wire
3. A bad connector

Suffice it to say, wires burn out. And, since the solenoid is an electronic device, linked to the electronic system in your Monte Carlo by wire, it is very possible for a wire to burn out, given the age of your Chev. It is, after all, 22 years old and the fine magnet wire used for the solenoids and other sensors, over time, can get brittle and break. Or, it can burn out due to overvoltages. I would start at the wire loom connecting to the solenoid pack, checking the signal (voltage) on each wire and then following each wire into the vehicle as far as you can go. Hopefully, you will be able to trace each test point to the source. It will take time as miles of wire are used in each vehicle, however, there’s nothing else for it. There are some very expensive testers out there that will power a de-energized circuit that will find out where breaks or burnouts might be.

Besides burnouts, wires can also short out because wires have chafed against each other or they may have chafed against an exposed screw head or the body. Or, wires can go open — which appears like a short — and the electricity will stop flowing, as well.

Finally, the crimp terminal at the base of the solenoid may have worn to the point where it has gone short and you may not even notice it because the wire still appears to be in good shape. The only way to test this is to place a volt-ohhmeter in the 13.8 volt position, hook one wire to ground and then probe the wire at the base and on the connector. If there is a test point available, test there too. Try to find where the voltage — hence the device — is failing.

One thing to remember if this is the problem, if you have to replace any wires, it it best to route from source to the device. That is not an inexpensive proposition. And, since there are roughly 36 possible combinations to troubleshoot before you get to the right wire or wires, it will take you time. And rewiring will cost you money. If you cn do it yourself, then, you will save up to $150 to $200 per wire. If it is simply a connector that should cost about $75 to troubleshoot and replace.

It sounds to me like you are having a solenoid problem. The solenoids ensure that your transmission switches from gear to gear cleanly and holds that gear until the conditions change and powertrain either downshifts or upshifts.

At one time, an automatic transmission relied solely on mechanical means to shift — bands/clutches, gears, torque converter and the rest — and that was it. As more precise shifts were required both for the best mileage as well as top emissions, the automakers began using electronics to take over the jobs that the mechanical devices handled.

For example, instead of relying solely on the clutches and bands and gears to make sure the right combinations were selected, today’s transmission uses a series of electronic sensors — the throttle position sensor and mass airflow sensor, as well as others — plus a number of solenoids and the valve body to ensure that the right gearing is chosen.

Let’s assume, for example, that your Mustang is shifting from 1st to second. At one time, it would take a combination of the right rpm point from the torque converter plus the clutches picking the right gear timing the upshift through the use of the clutches bands and valve body, to make sure the upshift happened. For years, it worked reasonably well, but it wasn’t precise.

As more precision was needed, the automakers added sensors that watched, among other things, the position of the throttle, the pressure flow through the manifold, as well as the air flow at the intake. There were also sensors at the wheels and on the crankshaft watching to make sure everything was in sync for the proper upshift.

Successful upshifts are enabled by a number of solenoids or switches that divert the transmission fluid through the proper galleries in the valve body. All of this must work properly to make sure your car upshifts and downshifts correctly.

Now, you have lost third gear and the way it is acting, it is likely the solenoid is either sticking or has failed completely. I would run a diagnostic looking for the right codes that indicate a solenoid failure and I believe you will find the OBD test will show you which solenoid has failed.

You will find the solenoid packs are located externally on the valve body or internally. If it is an internal solenoid, you will have to pull the valve body, which means a partial transmission teardown and replace the proper solenoid pack. If it is external, which it may well be, then you are looking at simply swapping the proper pack yourself.

If you can repair it yourself, you are looking at about a $200 investment for the part. If you have to have a technician tear things down far enough to get to the internal solenoid, you are looking at about a $1,200 bill.

I hope this helps. Please let me know what happens as I would like to share your outcome with our readers.

Here’s another thought. At one point, your question makes it sound as if this is a dual-shift-type of transmission. That is, you can run through the gears or let the transmission do it for you. Now, I won’t change my thinking on the automatic side of the transmission, however, on the other side, I would suggest you look closely at the gearing and related mechanicals. It is possible that dog collar is slipping. It is the device that ensures that when you have chosen the gears not only go home but that they remain there. If it is slipping then your transmission just won’t work correctly. It will, in fact, do much as you describe.

And, one other area to check is the clutch plate, friction plate, engine interface. It’s quite possible the plates are locking up, rather than slipping (it does happen in a small number of vehicles). When it does, it is also possible that your BMW will act as you describe. Just an added thought.

Actually, you have hit the nail on the head, though you probably don’t know it. You said your 2000 Durango will start and run but it won’t go anywhere and that there’s no display in the LCD display on the dash. That’s what gave a major clue about your Durango’s problem. The other clue was the shorting wires at the transmission pressure sensor. You replaced the wires and connector, as well as the sensor, but you did not go far enough.

You should have obtained an OBD-II diagnostic tester and run a full series of tests to see where other problems might lie. Granted, the generic OBD-II testers that are out there will only point to general areas because they use very generic software drivers. Unless you have access to a Dodge ODB-II tester and up-to-date manufacturer-backed software, then generalities are all that is possible. Specifics are generated by the Dodge-backed ODB-II diagnostic tester.

Once you have obtained your diagnostic results and you have printed them out, look at them closely to see what might be going on with the Engine Control Module (ECM). I am willing to bet you a candy bar that you won’t see any results for the ECM. Indeed, you might see error codes that point to a problem with the ECM, but that’s about as specific as it will get.

The reason is this (it relates to the problems you identified earlier with sensors) at some point your Durango must have experienced a major electricity spike running through every major system. It might have been generated by a static electricity spark (lighting, for example) nearby or it might have been generated when a wire connected to the ECM shorted and took out the module.

Without the software that it pushes out to electronic parts like the display, there is nothing to provide the various control modules and systems with instructions and so your Durango is effectively left high-and-dry.

For example, if there is no PRNDL display in the LCD on the dash, the Transmission Control Module (TCM) that takes its instructions from the display as to gearing and movement has no driver software telling it what to do. The result is the transmission won’t work.

You see, in drive-by-wire systems like your Durango’s transmission even if you can shift into a gear, how is the TCM supposed to tell what gear it might be?

That’s the problem and the only solution is replacing the ECM with a brand-new one from the box. At the same time, your SUV needs to be reprogrammed so that all of the libraries that it depends on for its functionality can be accessed. As it is now, you just have an SUV that can’t get from A to B because it doesn’t know which gear you want to access and whether you want to do it frontways or backwards. The cost for this will be in the range of $1,250, depending on where you obtain your new TCM (salvage yards can help) and how much the software load will be.

Thanks for the update, it gives me a bit more to go on. Here’s what I would suggest. You mention that it “goes uphill” and sometimes works “with the AC on.” That tells me that there is some life in the CVT and that it may just be possible to revive things with a bit of work.

My next suggestion is to either get an OBD diagnostic tester and plug it into the diagnostic plug near the kick panel. I would then suggest running the car for a time in whatever modes you can to make it move so that we can get some information about what ails the transmission. The OBD tester — they are available very inexpensively — should give you a range of codes that should, at least, give you an indication of where the problem is.

From my experience, it sounds like there are several problems confronting your Nissan. It is more than likely more than one set of gears in the main body of the transmission are shot. The good news is that they can be rebuilt with time and patience. The bad news is that it will tie up your Nissan and it can get costly — though likely less than a new CVT — if you have to rebuild very much more than half of the transmission’s main parts.

Again, your first step has to be a diagnostic one so you can see what might be going on. Your next step should be getting a qualified technician involved who can read the diagnostic codes or who has the software that can read the codes. Then, you can set up a strategy for your Nissan’s repair with the tech.

Now, I don’t know exactly how much of your CVT is salvageable but you may be lucky and find it is not as bad as it seems. It’s just that you need someone to get in there with you to not only give you the information you need but also to get you going in the right direction with repairs.

Though it could be one of several possibilities, I think the most obvious choice here is the torque converter and or the impeller. The torque converter is the part of the transmission that gets everything going as it spools up to operating speed and begins sending transmission fluid toward the impeller when then sets up the current that circulates through the tranny case.

What I suspect happens is that given the age of your Camaro and, even if you’ve driven conservatively it’s still likely 15,000 miles per year. This means your Camaro has upwards of 300,000 on the odometer. Now, I don’t know how often you have the transmission fluid and filter swapped out and replaced as well as the tranny filter, but, I have to suspect that given the age and possible mileage on the Camaro, the transmission — it’s one of GM’s stalwarts — that the transmission is giving up the ghost.

The torque converter is one of the first parts that goes. And, since you also heard a rather large clunk I suspect that the impeller may have also bitten the dust. Between the two, you are either going to pay a fortune to replace the items — roughly $3,500 — or you are going to have to bit the bullet and drop in a rebuilt for $4,000.

Why would I make this suggestion? After, it would seem that if it is only a couple of discrete parts, then it would be cheaper to replace them. It might look that way on the surface, but when you get into it, the transmission is like an independent ecosystem. Every part is interdependent on the parts earlier in line. Now, if the torque converter/impeller combo is shot and you replace only those devices, then it is only a matter of time — I can almost guarantee it — before the next piece in the chain breaks and leaves you high and dry again. Instead of paying a king’s ransom to replace the parts individually, it is best to drop in the rebuilt. And, why would you wait until the next part fails before you replace it?