Transmission Locked in 2nd - engine light on! - Help!!

[bigger_hammer]

Hey all,

I was heading home from work, when I felt my 2001 PT (2.4 non-turbo w/ automatic & about 148K miles) shifted "funny".

The tone and check engine light both came on, and now the transmission is not shifting (stuck in 2nd in limp home mode I guess)

I took it by Auto Zone and had ODB codes read for po700 & po755.

Can anyone tell me what is going on and how badly this may be? I am in very tight straits financially, and a very expensive auto repair is the very last thing I need or can afford.

If I hooked up an ODB reader and hit the "reset" for the codes, would that allow the transmission to keep running, or am I completely boned?

Any and all advise greatfully accepted!

[CREWZIN]

PT Do-It-Yourself.net had this to say with someone with the same problem.

. I have a 2002 PT with 23.5k miles. The check engine light came on then, suddenly the car went into "Limp" mode and code P0700. The OBD2 says it is 0755: Solenoid B Malfunction. Should I try to change ATF-4 fluid in transmission and filter, or should I just change the Solenoid pack? How can I reset the computer in the car in order to take it out of limp mode? Thanks for your kind suggestions. – Marvin, from Honduras.

The second gear limp-in feature allows the vehicle to be driven to a dealer for servicing without damaging the transaxle. In the event that the problem has been momentarily the transaxle can be reset to regain all forward gears. Stop the vehicle and shift to park (P). Turn the key off then restart the engine. Shift into D and resume driving. If the transaxle can not be reset, dealer service is required to resolve the issue before it can be reset.

P0700 DTC is an informational DTC letting you know that a DTC(s) is stored in the Transmission Control Module. Erase this DTC from the PCM after all Transmission DTC(s) have been repaired. According to the 05 Transmission Diagnostic manual P0755 could be a number of things:

A DTC is the result of a system or circuit failure, but does not directly identify the failed component or components. It could be any of the conditions that I identified below. I would not assume that it is the solenoid pack without further tests with a DRB scan tool and diagnostic manual. The diagnostic manual suggests checking the transaxle fluid level to make sure it is correct before conducting any tests and to see if it resolves the issue.

P0755

Related Relay DTC's Present
Transmission Control Relay Output Circuit Open
2/4 Solenoid Control Circuit Open
2/4 Solenoid Control Circuit Short To Ground
2/4 Solenoid Control Circuit Short To Voltage
2/4 Solenoid
Powertrain Control Module
Intermittent Wiring and Connectors

[bigger_hammer]

Thanks Crewzin,

I saw that bobdole369 had posted a similar problem with same code that was the transmission solindoid pack that he replaced.

Transmission Locked in 2nd - engine light on! - Help!!

Was hoping for an "affordable miracle" as I really need my car for work, but have next to nothing to repair it. The A/C was out & I had almost just saved enough to fix it (Houston in August without A/C is brutal!) , but if I am looking at expen$ive tran$mi$$ion work, then I don't know if I ought to stay in the Black Beastie (son's nickname for the PT Cruiser.)

[xwing777]

Try resetting the PCM by unhooking the battery cable and pressing brake (to bleed off voltage) wait a few minutes and re-hook up the battery cable.