Transmission Stuck in 2nd Gear

Well, here’s the good news! The transmission fluid is okay. Transmission fluid only is pink or reddish when it is new. As it ages a bit — and warms up and cools down — it begins to change color, eventually becoming red-brown and then brown. It does take a few months, but it is very normal.

And, now here’s the bad news. It sounds like your minivan is close to losing second gear. The reason it is only close, at this point, is because you can shift down to the 1 setting and then upshift from there. It’s obvious that, at this point, the transmission is still recognizing the gear combination that makes the vehicle go into first and that there is still enough left of second that everything will line up and go into second. How long it will last, though, is up in the air.

As second gear usually works with reverse, if you let it go much further you will probably lose reverse very soon and you may have other problems on the road — your minivan may not be able to move or, if it does, you may have only first gear.

You are going to have to fact the fact that your transmission needs some work, however, if you can get at it right now, the chances are good you may be able to replace a couple of clutch packs and/or bands or gearing and you will be good to go. This will be expensive, there’s no doubt of it, but, $1,500 for the work is better than the $3,000 you will have to spend if you wait much longer. If you do, then you will have to replace the transmission with another one or buy one from a salvage yard and hope it still have lots of life you (a less expensive alternative, but, not without risks).