I am thinking about buying a 2000 dodge grand caravan 87,000 miles on it for $800
All gears work except reverse.my question is .Is it worth it?How much money to fix?..I have no idea.
Automatic or manual?
All Caravans that year were automatics. I know, she makes it sound otherwise.
Personally, based on my experience with these vans, budget $3000 for a new or rebuilt transmission and if you end up with a cheaper fix, you’re ahead. No way to know for sure without taking it to a trans shop, or if you’re lucky, transman might have some ideas.
This situation indicates an internal problem, as Reverse is hydraulic in this transmission. Get a genuine Mopar rebuilt unit installed at a dealership. If you shop around, you can get a decent price (under $2K, IIRC), and the warranty is good (3 years/36K miles).
Just be aware that this could be a sign that the van was abused, and therefore other problems could be lurking in the background.
3K for a rebuilt tranny? ^%$#@ and I cried when my windstar blew it’s tranny and cost me $1400 for a total rebuild. Are Chrysler’s really that much more?
If there is anything wrong with the way it drives, you never buy it. All malfunctions should be fixed before you even see the car. A mechanic can buy these cars because he can git-er-done for under $200 if he uses the shop for free at night. It’s maybe $3,000 to you. Then it’s more for all the other things that will go wrong in the first six months. If you would be willing to pay $5,000 for one that works with 87,000 miles on it, go ahead and buy it. It’s perfect.
Probably could do it for 2K or around that, I’m just saying in her case, with all the unknowns, I’d budget $3K so there are no surprises.
If you have a good 1st gear start, the problem is probably in the reverse input clutch. Either the snap ring holding the stack us been pushed out of its groove, the seals on the reverse piston are leaking, or the slip ring passing the oil to the reverse clutch piston is leaking. You might get by without a complete rebuild. However it usually is not cost effective to only do a spot repair as the mechanic has to R&R the transmission anyway. You might be looking at replacing the input shaft and shell.
If you are still considering buying this van, take it by a transmission specialist; have the line pressure checked in reverse; and get an opinion regarding costs and options. Then you can make a decision regarding the true purchase cost of the van.