transmission scare in 93 Grand Caravan

Boy, did I get scared on Sunday morning. We backed on to the road to
go to church and my 93 Grand Caravan then refused to go forward. Then
it refused to go backwards. We pushed it off the road and took another
car to church.

It had been 45 degrees over night. When we got home from church it was
much warmer. I checked the transmission over and didn't see any
external problems. Checked the fluid and the stick was dry. I had a
few ounces of ATF3 so I put it in and tried to move the van.

It moved forward and backward, so I drove to WallMart and got 3 more
quarts of ATF3. After putting in another quart I drove home and looked
under the van. There is a leak in the passenger side seal on the
transmission. I have scheduled a repair.

I never knew low fluid could act like that. I guess the cold temp.
took it below its operating point. And when it warmed up it worked
again.

I admit I was ignoring low fluid symptoms. I had just had the fluid
changed at Pennzoil 3 weeks earlier and was thinking they had put in
the wrong type or something. It never dawned on me to check the level.

Gary Stewart
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