When I bought the Plymouth Voyager, I thought to myself – at last, a decent vehicle. And then everyone told me that a Plymouth is in fact a Dodge, and that Dodge has a reputation for its unreliable transmissions. Strange, no one ever speaks up before I sign up.

It wasn’t long before the power steering pump exploded, and I spent more than $150 replacing components only to find the rack and pinion also leaks and will need replacing – but not before the mighty transmission problem is solved!

Yes, the Saturn has sent its sister to ruin my life. On a trip home from a gig one night, I came off the highway to a stop sign. I was on the phone with my wife at the time, I pulled out and started accelerating… 1st… 2nd… neutral — wait, that’s not right? CLUNK! And we’re back in 2nd, and apparently 2nd is the only gear my transmission has now.

After much research, it has become apparent that when this transmission is stuck in 2nd gear, it generally means it is in limp mode – or limp home mode as some people have dubbed it. Limp home mode is meant to give you just enough power to push the van over the side of a cliff with yourself in it.

On comes the diagnostics. Like a fool, I bought a solenoid pack without really diagnosing things properly. Replacing the solenoid pack made no difference. The truth is, although I tested the original relay pack, I did the test with an analog multimeter which incorrectly lead me to believe that the solenoid circuits had shorted out when in fact they hadn’t, they just have naturally low resistance. So, now I have two working solenoid packs.

I decided to re-start with a circuit diagram, with the helpful aid of a skilled electrical technician over at geometroforum.com (thanks mwebb). I found that the ground wire on the input sensor had no continuity, and of course this means that the input sensor circuit is broken. I repaired this – and suddenly the van would rev up in 1st gear and clunk into 2nd. Previously it would go from 1st to 2nd to neutral and then clunk into 2nd. PROGRESS! I’m not sure if I’ve progressed forwards or backwards at this point.

Anyway, I picked myself up a pair of sensors (both the input and output sensors) from a junk yard. I plugged these in, and the same problem persists.

I intend to spend no more money on this transmission, instead I am going to start seriously testing it.

One thing I’m going to try before testing it – purely out of curiousity involving what I read somewhere – is splicing the +12v supply to the solenoids and providing power to it directly from the battery. Apparently, when the TCM (Transmission Control Module) activates limp mode, it de-activates the transmission by shutting off the relay that provides +12v to the solenoids. I read somewhere that splicing this wire and bypassing the relay will make the transmission work again. Although, obviously, if it does work I still haven’t solved the underlying electrical cause, but I would be able to at least confirm that my transmission mechanically functions!

My plan over the next few days:

1. Put the van on jack stands so I can accelerate but not have to chase the van down the road with a multimeter in one hand and my will in the other.
2. Test the input sensor’s voltage to make sure that it corresponds nicely to the engine speed.
3. Test the output sensor’s voltage to make sure that it corresponds nicely to the vehicle’s speed.
4. Test both sensors again, but while wiggling the connectors on the sensors to see if I lose connectivity.
5. Wire up test lights to all four solenoids on the solenoid pack, so I can see what (and/or) if the transmission is trying to engage.
6. Replace the ‘overdrive’ wire on the solenoid pack’s harness connector, as this is the single wire responsible for activating the solenoid that engages 3rd gear. I have already tested continuity on this wire, but it became apparent that the wire could still be damaged despite having continuity and therefore might not be capable of carrying the amps required to engage the solenoid.

Beyond this, I’ll have to come up with another course of action. This is a test that I’ll be taking pictures of, and posting more posts about.

If I can repair the transmission successfully, I’ll be removing and rebuilding the rack & pinion in another post.

I need to go see if I can get my transmission back, or if it has been melted down into its elements, I’ll have to go buy another – I found one for $150. I also need to rebuild the 3 cylinder engine or just find a replacement for that too. Then I need to alter the engine mounts on the 96. Then I need to get another wiring harness. Then I need to fix the rust. Then I need to lose weight.

Okay, there’s just so much I need to do. The only thing holding me back is money. I’ll probably get the motorbike done in the next couple months, as I hope to have a little money to play with – and I really want to ride.

I have considered getting rid of all the Metro parts I have and saving up for a working model… but I’m not sure about that at this point.

Sadly, its frame broke today. Well, yesterday actually, it’s 1.25AM now. I have a lot of work to do. I need to remove the engine and gear box, so I can get into the engine bay to weld the frame. Supposedly, the engine and gear box together weigh less than 200 pounds – I’m sure with a couple friends to assist me that I’ll be able to get those suckers out without a hoist!

I’m going to use starscream5000’s G10 engine removal guide at GeoMetroForum.com to do this.

At least I have some projects to keep me busy.

But even 30mpg isn’t going to be enough, when we’re used to 64mpg from the Renault Laguna we had in England. So, we went out and bought ourselves a 1996 Geo Metro with an EPA 40mpg. It’s a 1.3 litre four cylinder – and it’s non-interference, so if the timing belt snaps it isn’t going to cause catastrophic damage. It is, of course, a stick shift.

So far I’ve really enjoyed driving it, but it does have a few problems that need to be sorted out:

1. The brake pads need replacing. I’ve already made an attempt to change them, but I couldn’t even get the wheels off!
2. There’s rust that needs repairing and painting.
3. The radio and auxilary power socket appear to be dead – maybe a fuse?
4. The check engine light is on, I need to get the code(s) read.

I’ll document my work on this car. Now for some pictures… (these were taken directly from the listing, I haven’t taken my own yet!)

Oh isn’t she a beaut!

Using a pair of needle nosed pliers, I managed to pull the seal out. It looks as though someone had connected the MAP sensor with the seal off centre causing it to warp. Without a doubt, this must be causing a vacuum leak.

Whether or not the MAP sensor I currently have is working properly – I don’t know – but I do know that the readings it gives to the ECU are next to useless.

At the moment my car idles high if it’s moving, and is achieving 20 MPG. I intend to replace the MAP sensor shortly, and will report any changes.

• One the cylinders may have lost compression.
• Bad fuel mixture.
• Spark plugs may be fouled.
• HT leads might be shorting out.
• Coils could be damaged.

But something I haven’t read anywhere is that an alternator can cause misfires – and last week, this was proven to be true.

If I started my car in the morning to drive to work, a few miles down the road my car would begin to misfire. To begin with, I suspected the coils – but looking down, it was evident that the coils weren’t showing any sign of shorting out and they also weren’t hot after running.

I thought back to the time I jump started my car and wondered if it may have caused damage to my alternator. I noticed that while the car was running, the interior dome light was flickering – a sure sign of a failing alternator.

My next test was to see if the car could run on its own power – by removing the battery. To do this:

1. Lift the hood with the car running.
2. Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery. (if the car keeps running, the alternator must be producing some power)
3. Try turning your lights and blowers on to see if the car stalls. If it does – your alternator is probably dead.

Based on the results of the test, I went out and bought a second hand $50 alternator from a parts yard. After several hours of drilling through the side of my Saturn (more on that later) I finally managed to connect the replacement alternator.

Sure enough – my car no longer misfires. I’ve also noticed my battery seems stronger too.

You get outside, jump in your car, stick the key in the ignition, and try to turn the engine. The engine turns a few times and then CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK. The dreaded sound from a dead battery.

At this point, you need to jump start your car.

First, you’re going to need another car, or a mobile jump pack. You’ll use one of these to either boost your battery (if it isn’t completely dead) or start your engine.

To begin with, we’ll assume that the battery is not dead.

Turn the engines off on both cars. Lift the hood on both cars, and look inside for the battery. Make sure that you can clearly see the POSITIVE and NEGATIVE terminals, as mixing them up can be dangerous.

Connect your jump leads in the following order:

1. Connect the RED lead to the POSITIVE terminal of the DEAD car.
2. Connect the other end of the RED lead to the POSITIVE terminal of the LIVE car.
3. Connect the BLACK lead to the NEGATIVE terminal of the LIVE car.
4. Connect the other end of the BLACK lead to a shiny metal part inside the engine bay that is distant from the battery.

The fourth step may sound a little odd at first, but the reason we connect the black cable away from the battery is to reduce the risk of explosion. Batteries can release hydrogen gas – you don’t want to ignite it. The whole car is connected to the battery’s negative terminal, so as long as you connect the black cable to a nice SHINY piece of metal, the connection should be fine. (note: do NOT use a painted piece!)

Now that we have the cars connected, we need to start your dead car.

Jump in to your dead car, and turn the key to start the engine. Don’t attempt this for longer than 10 seconds, we don’t want to drain the other car’s battery.

BIG Misconception: Some people believe that revving the engine on the LIVE car will provide enough power to start the engine on the DEAD car, this simply IS NOT true. The power the DEAD car will use to start will come from the battery, the car’s alternator cannot produce enough amps to turn the engine and fire the plugs at the same time. Putting this additional strain on a car’s alternator can actually cause it to fail – who’s going to take the bill on that one? It is safer to turn the LIVE car’s engine off while trying to start the DEAD car.

If the engine doesn’t start, start the LIVE car and leave for ten minutes. Before attempting to start the dead car again, make sure you switch the live car off. Jump in your dead car, try starting the engine and take note – if the engine is spinning as slowly as last time, then your battery probably isn’t up to the task.

At this point, you’re going to need a new battery. You might want to repeat the process again to be sure, but if your battery can’t hold the charge, and your car isn’t starting, you’re fighting for a lost cause.

This brings me on to the second possibility – the battery is dead. What now? You need to start your car, but the live car doesn’t seem to be providing enough juice to start it. You’ll probably need to get a tow truck. But before you donate your wallet, have you checked your jump leads?

If the live car can start its engine, it can probably start your engine too. However, if your jump leads are cheap (cheap leads are typically light leads) they won’t be able to transmit the power needed to start the engine. Invest a nice heavy set of jump leads and keep them in your trunk. Even if your battery is dead, you’ll probably be able to start your car with a set of these.

You can find jump leads at your local Walmart. Just don’t be cheap.