Two weeks after getting stuck in some really deep water that I had to be towed out of, my car wouldn't start. It actually started three times only to idle down to shutting off, wouldn't stay running. Then it stopped starting altogether. It's been in the shop for 5 weeks now and the mechanic apparently doesn't know what he's doing. He told me to get an ECU so I bought a rebuilt, coded for my VIN ECU. No change. THe car is stuck in 2nd gear. I don't know if it starts in first, shifts to second and then gets stuck or if it's stuck in second.

My son did some online research and he said there is something about a safety feature that locks the trans into 2nd. Anyone know anything about that?

Anyway, this mechanic tells me I'm beating a dead horse and I should junk the car. I think he doesn't know how to fix the problem so that's his solution. I'm not giving up on my Sebring. Not yet. So the question is do I take it to a transmission specialist? Or do I find another mechanic who can handle computers and stuff?

Your transmission is in limp mode. This is meant to get it home. It is possible that one of the connectors going to the transmission has water in it still. A good code reader should give some idea. "Scrap the car" is a bad answer from a professional mechanic, and leaves his skills in question.

does the speedometer work?

The speed sensors on those cars (input and output) are very sensitive to change. Those would cause the problem you see.

if the speedometer is not working, it is the output sensor. Usually they are replaced as a pair.

I would take the car to a mechanic who is capable of diagnosing the correct problem instead of junking it.

There are several wiring connectors that are low on the back side of the transmission that may be creating this problem if they are still wet and allowing the "signals" to leak away instead of reaching their intended destination. (Think noisy, staticey phone call).



Kudos to your son, now pay attention to him and a few of us. ;) Check out your other thread. ;)



Junk the mechanic. Keep the car, IF you're willing to stay after it. Drowning a car can be expensive to repair if you use a parts shot gun and a lousy mechanic.



I willing to bet the problem isn't just the transmission. The issues you are talking about all have electrical "components" to them. That's why most of us seem to be leaning towards wiring / sensors (NO PARTS SHOTGUN PLEASE) / controls as the primary problem. Just remember, the sensors, controls etc not only have to be able to develop the information or process the command, but that information / command MUST travel through wires without corruption of signal to or from the bits to be of use and run the car correctly.

There are three potential specialists that could help.
1. A good, experienced mechanic with the right tools.
2. A good, experienced Transmission Specialist that doesn't mind checking out more than the transmission (rare to find but possible, I've got one down here) with the right tools.
3. Since this could be a wiring issue, an automotive electrical specialist with the right tools.

THis is exactly what it was. Connections/wiring in the trans got wet and the car went into limp mode. All is fixed. :) Thanks!

For anyone in the Reading PA/Berks County area, I can't say enough good stuff about Transmission by Argobast. Fixed my car in 3 hours while others gave up after 6 weeks. :)

That's wonderful! Glad all is well now. :D

Glad to hear it worked out right for you. Maybe the first mechanic should log on here when he's stumped with a customer's Sebring vert. Somebody here will give him the correct answers :thumbsup: so he can quit playing guessing games.

:jumpin: Glad to hear it is back on hte road.

Wow. A lot better than a tranny overhaul! :woot:

The only time this happened on my wife's '00 it was the speed sensor which was a cheap fix, under $100.00 at the closest dealership. I'd expected much, much worse. While irritating, not catastrophic. Glad your trans got fix right and cheaply.