Zachariah Garrison

First here is my Answer:
**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap**************Check Ground Strap*****************

Second here is My Story:

So I just wanted to post this to the board for anyone that may have issues with this same transmission. I AM NOT A MECHANIC but just wanted to share this if it helps anyone having the same issues that I had had.

Bought this van last summer in Colorado. Seemed to have a couple issues at the beginning.

1- Had a hard shift at times going into "Drive" when I passed "Reverse" it would jolt quiet heavily.
2- When I would turn the A/C to high and Max A/C the transmission would start down shifting and then try to shift up and rev high and low all over the map.

I took it to a local Transmission Shop in Colorado they were very confused as to why on their computer reader it showed the RPM's going up and down left and right when we turned on the A/C.

They started off by replacing the "transmission speed sensor". = NO FIX, but seemed to be a little smoother until I turned on the A/C. Cost $80
So they pulled the housing where the solenoids were and replaced the "shifting solenoids". They said that the transmission oil looked very clean no metal shards or anything. Cost $280

That day at 2PM we drove it to San Francisco for a job. Started off with no A/C for the first 8hrs driving through Utah I decided to give the Max A/C a try.... bad idea put the transmission back to where everything had been. We continued on for about 6 hours driving at 35mph maybe 45mph for 3-4 hours(1 hour of this I was holding a flash light out the window because my lights decided to go out) before pulling over and sleeping in the desert. Woke up at 5AM continued to drive another 3 hours before making it to the next town that had breakfast/auto parts store to buy a new "transmission speed Sensor" because that's what I thought it was. My buddy and I get under the van and he notices that there was a ground wire that had been shredded and not connected from the Transmission Transfer Case to I believe the engine? not sure... He tied them into a knot and Unbelievably to us it solved every issue that we were facing "shifting issues, max A/C making the transmission go all over and then no headlights in the middle of the desert".

Haven't had any issues for 6 months since then.

( we're not mechanics and we don't know what issues to be looking for but neither did my transmission guys or anyone else know to look at this.......)

Then recently it wasn't shifting out of 1st gear. Uh-Oh ------- But I had Reverse. So i guess it wasn't "Broken Drive Shaft"

Started doing research into what else it could be.
Videos: = many
most helpful-ish for others = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcUo3rDHaLU

1- Shifting Solenoids? - didn't replace was contemplating it
2- Brake Switch? (Replaced it because someone else on a forum mentioned these years had a slight computer issue and that if the brake switch was bad the computer will try and protect the transmission by not allowing it to shift...?) So I replaced that. Cost $18 + 6 hours because I am not a mechanic and like the struggle. Also the clip was a tight space and very difficult to put back on but extremely easy once I spread it wider and used a crudely fashioned fork to create a hook like function.
3- Vacuum Valves? - didn't replace....don't think I could.

Guess what it was for my instance....?
************GROUND STRAP************** (from the transmission case) =Cost $4.00

Drives and shifts like a CHAMP again!

For my case all in all I probably could have saved $378.00 if I knew anything about vehicles. Also though everyone I spoke too didn't think this would have been the fix.......... soooooooo there ya go hope this helps anyone.
I'll post photos soon