The pan was dropped, filter replaced, new gasket and refill. Standard trans service.
So “and flushed” had no meaning in this case? It’s important - some flush techniques can screw up transmissions.
YEah - just standard trans service.
If you shift to neutral car you push the car, or does it act like it’s still in park?
Acts like still in park - vehicle totally immobile
Great! That means it’s probably a linkage problem, not an internal transmission problem. I’m guessing you’ll need a shop to check it out.
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Great? If I need a shop - that’s not great. 
Is there an actual linkage or is it just computer controlled?
I was thinking it was a cable lnkage - but I can’t find parts anywhere for that so I’m confused.
You can’t find parts , you don’t know if it controlled by linkage or electronics . So yes you need a shop and it will have to be towed . Life is not fair .
Thanks for the parts link - all the places I was going didn’t list anything for that area. You’re a big help!
I have a buddy coming over and we’re gonna look together and see if we can’t figure this out.
Thanks again for the help!
No need to be sassy. I just happen to be a poor man who has a family and doesn’t have the disposable income to just tow it and pay for a huge repair bill.
Why we gotta be like this?
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Now that you know what term to look for, before you buy anything check to see if Rockauto has it. If you’re wrenching on old cars on a budget, they’re your best friend.
UPDATE: Ok - so my buddy came over this AM and we started doing some diagnostics - and the cable - well, the cable is fine. Now that I know what I’m looking at - it’s no wonder that the shifter doesn’t feel any different…it’s shifting and moving lever through all the gears. No problem with the linkage.
So - checked the fluid again - perfectly clean and smells fine. The thing just DOESNT MOVE!
Now - I think it interesting that it won’t go into neutral even…isn’t that something it should do if the linkage is moving the shifter at the very least? I mean-sure the bands and such internally might not engage anything - but neutral should be there, right?
Anyway - the puzzle gets harder to solve - this thing is cherry - a great running engine - but no go.
Any help you can provide is welcomed!
You’re right, it’s not fair. We already know that. No need to rub it in.
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What he meant by that is that you’ve narrowed down the problem, so you’re closer to a solution.
Unless you have the skills to rebuild a transmission, I don’t see this getting any better without involving a qualified mechanic, and based on the trouble diagnosing the issue, you need more help than anyone can give you online.
Money budgeted for auto repairs isn’t normally considered disposable income, it’s more like an expected operating expense, a part of car ownership. That isn’t going to help you come up with the money for a professional diagnosis and repair, but it might help you budget and plan for the future.
What might help you get this car back on the road is applying for a store credit card, something like a Goodyear or Firestone credit card (although I don’t think Goodyear or Firestone do transmission work). Does AAMCO have a store credit card? I know they don’t come highly recommended, but I can’t think of any other national chain transmission shops that might offer a store credit card.
These store credit cards usually have a high interest rate near 20% APR, but on a charge as high as a transmission rebuild or replacement, they often offer six months or a year to pay it off interest-free.
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I read a few online problems, one was replacing a bad solenoid solved it, as long as you can see the lever on the trans move.
Column shifter correct? When you select another gear, does it just move a pointer to show the gear selected or does that gear light up? If it is supposed to light up, does it?
It is a column shifter - however I’m not sure I’m understanding the rest of the question.
The shifter moves - the indicator moves - the linkage moves the arm - but nothing acutally happens.
I found this for an '01. Scroll down to MERLIN2021
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