Removal
Transaxle - 2.3LSpecial Tool(s) (Part 1):
Special Tool(s) (Part 2):
Removal
All vehicles
1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist. For additional information, refer to Maintenance/Service and Repair.
2. Remove the battery and the battery tray.
3. Remove the air cleaner as an assembly.
1 Remove the bolt.
2 Disconnect the mass air flow (MAF) sensor electrical connector.
3 Disconnect the brake booster vacuum hose.
4 Disconnect the wiring harness retainer.
5 Disconnect the breather tube.
6 Loosen the clamp and remove the air cleaner assembly.
All wheel drive (AWD) vehicles
4. Disconnect the power transfer unit (PTU) vent hose from the clip located on the fill tube.
All vehicles
5. Remove the nut holding the wiring harness bracket and unplug the bulkhead electrical connector.
6. Remove the main control cover vent tube.
7. Disconnect the shift cable from the manual lever.
8. Disconnect the wire harness retainer from the shift cable bracket, remove the 2 retaining bolts and position the cable and bracket aside.
9. Remove the selector lever cable retainer from the transmission fluid filler tube.
10. Disconnect the transmission range (TR) sensor electrical connector.
11. Remove the 3 upper transaxle retaining bolts.
12. Install the special tools.
13. Install the special tools.
14. Remove the LH transaxle mount through bolt.
15. Remove the 2 nuts, the bolt and the through bolt and remove the rear transaxle mount.
AWD vehicles
16. Index the driveshaft to the yoke and remove the 6 bolts holding the driveshaft to the PTU.
17. Remove the 2 center bearing nuts and position the driveshaft aside with mechanic's wire.
All vehicles
18. Remove the 4 bolts and remove the cross brace.
19. Remove the front wheels and tires.
20. Remove the 7 retainers and the LH splash shield.
21. Remove the 6 retainers and the RH splash shield.
22. Remove the bolt for the mount and the 2 bolts from the cross brace.
23. Remove and discard the nut and remove the cross brace.
24. NOTE: If transmission disassembly or installation of a new transmission is necessary, the transmission fluid will need to be drained.
Remove the drain plug and drain the fluid.
25. Disconnect the LH suspension.
1 Disconnect the sway bar link.
2 Remove the tie-rod end retaining nut.
3 Remove the lower control arm knuckle bolt.
26. Disconnect the RH suspension.
1 Disconnect the sway bar link.
2 Remove the tie-rod end retaining nut.
3 Remove the lower control arm knuckle bolt.
27. Using the special tool, disconnect the LH and RH tie-rod end from the steering knuckle.
28. Carefully pry down on the LH and RH lower control arms, disconnect the steering knuckle from the lower ball joint and position the steering knuckle aside.
29. Remove the brake hose retainer and the ABS sensor retaining bolt from the RH strut.
30. Using the special tools, remove the RH halfshaft from the intermediate shaft and secure the halfshaft aside.
31. Remove the brake hose retainer and the ABS sensor retaining bolt from the LH strut.
32. Using a pry bar between the transaxle case and the LH halfshaft, carefully disconnect the halfshaft from the transaxle case and secure the halfshaft aside.
33. Remove the 2 intermediate shaft retaining nuts.
34. Remove the intermediate shaft.
35. Remove the 3 nuts and separate the flexpipe from the exhaust manifold.
36. Remove the 2 exhaust bracket-to-intermediate shaft bracket bolts.
37. Remove the 2 exhaust-to-intermediate shaft bracket nuts and remove the bracket.
38. Remove the 6 PTU bracket bolts and remove the bracket.
39. Remove the bolts from the PTU.
40. Remove the bolt and remove the PTU.
Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles
41. Remove the 3 bolts and the dampener.
All vehicles
42. Remove the 3 bolts holding the transaxle front mount plate.
43. Remove the fluid cooler line.
44. Remove the fluid cooler tube.
1 Disconnect the output shaft speed (OSS) sensor electrical connector (black).
2 Disconnect the turbine shaft speed (TSS) sensor electrical connector (white).
^ Disconnect the wiring harness retainer from the transmission case and position the harness aside.
3 Remove the transmission fluid cooler line retaining bracket bolt.
4 Remove the fluid cooler tube and position it aside.
45. Remove the OSS sensor.
46. Disconnect the starter terminals.
1 Remove the battery cable nut.
2 Remove the starter solenoid terminal nut.
47. Remove the wire harness clip retainer and the ground wire from the starter bolts.
48. Remove the 2 bolts and remove the starter.
49. Remove the starter motor isolator.
50. Remove and discard the 4 torque converter nuts.
51. Using the special tool, lower the transmission.
52. Push the converter back from the flexplate. Use a suitable transmission jack to support the transaxle and remove the 3 rear bellhousing bolts.
53. Remove the 4 remaining transaxle-to-engine bolts.
54. CAUTION: The torque converter is heavy. Install the special tool before lowering the transaxle.
Move the transaxle back far enough to install the special tool.
55. Lower the transaxle from the engine compartment.
