Description

Chrysler 42RE, A500SE 1994 Technical Manual

You have a 42RE or A500SE transmission on the bench and the customer wants it back by Friday. You open a generic online guide and the torque specs are missing, the wiring diagram is for a different year, and the band adjustment procedure tells you to “tighten until it feels right.” That’s not a repair – that’s a gamble. I’ve been turning wrenches long enough to know that the only thing worse than no manual is a wrong manual. The Chrysler 42RE, A500SE 1994 Technical Manual from AutoRepairManuals gives you the factory data Chrysler’s own engineers used. No filler. No translations. Just the specs.

Page 1 of the manual credits Chrysler Corporation directly for the information and illustrations. That’s the kind of source traceability you want when you’re balancing valve bodies or setting end play. The 42RE is an electronic version of the 42RH – the mechanical governor is replaced by a governor pressure solenoid and sensor mounted in a redesigned valve body transfer plate. If you don’t understand that difference, you’ll waste hours chasing hydraulic circuits that don’t exist. This manual walks you through it.

Index Overview: 104 Pages of Factory Data

The index on page 2 is your roadmap. It lists 19 sections – from APPLICATION CHART to OIL FLOW CHARTS. Every page is a TIF image of the original Chrysler publication. You get DIAGNOSTIC FAULT CODES, HYDRAULIC AND GOVERNOR PRESSURE TESTS, ELECTRONIC GOVERNOR COMPONENTS, WIRING SCHEMATIC, TRANSMISSION DISASSEMBLY, SUBASSEMBLIES, CHECKBALL LOCATIONS, BAND ADJUSTMENTS, OVERDRIVE SECTION DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY, and SPECIFICATIONS. That’s the full scope of a 104-page technical manual, not a condensed aftermarket summary.

Electronic Governor Components: What the Manual Covers

The governor pressure solenoid and sensor are the critical difference between the 42RE and earlier A500 units. The manual includes a dedicated section on ELECTRONIC GOVERNOR COMPONENTS with wiring schematics and diagnostic connector locations. You get the pinout for the 60-way connector and the specific resistance values for the solenoid. I’ve seen techs replace a perfectly good solenoid because they didn’t have the factory resistance range. Stop guessing – page 8 through 12 give you the numbers. For comparison, a Manual Transmission doesn’t have any of this electronics – but you already knew that.

3 Critical Tests from the Diagnostic Section

Before you pull the pan, run these three checks from the manual:

• Governor Pressure Test – page 7 gives the procedure for tapping into the governor pressure port and reading pressure at idle and stall. If the pressure doesn’t match the chart, you’ve got a solenoid or wiring issue, not a mechanical failure.
• Line Pressure Test – same section shows the line pressure tap and the correct values for each gear range. A low line pressure reading points to a worn pump or a stuck pressure regulator.
• Diagnostic Fault Codes – page 6 lists the 2-digit codes you can pull through the diagnostic connector. Code 12 means battery disconnected recently; code 24 means TPS voltage out of range. Don’t clear them until you’ve written them down.

I’ve seen shops throw a whole transmission at a code 24 because they assumed the shift solenoid was bad. The manual stops that nonsense.

OEM vs Aftermarket Documentation

I don’t trust aftermarket manuals for torque values or wiring colors. They copy from each other and errors propagate. This is a direct Chrysler-sourced publication from 1994, reproduced from the original TIF files. The band adjustment specs on page 73 are the same ones Chrysler sent to dealerships. The overdrive section selective measurements on page 92 tell you exactly how to measure clutch pack clearance with the correct tool (you’ll need a dial indicator and a press). If you rebuild the overdrive unit without those numbers, you’ll get a soft 4th gear or a burned direct clutch within 5,000 miles. The A500SE shares the same overdrive housing, so this applies to both transmissions.

Why 104 Pages Matter

That’s not a thick manual by Chrysler standards, but every page is dense with usable data. The OIL FLOW CHARTS at the end show the hydraulic circuits for each gear position. Combine that with the wiring schematic and you can trace a no-3rd-gear complaint to a stuck shift valve or a shorted solenoid in under an hour. I’ve done it. This manual is for anyone – DIY mechanic or pro – who wants to rebuild a 42RE or A500SE without learning the hard way. If you’re used to working on a Manual Transmission clutch system, the hydraulics in this automatic will seem foreign, but the manual breaks it down stepwise.

Does this manual cover the 42RH (A500) transmission as well?

No. The 42RE is electronically governed; the 42RH uses a mechanical governor. The valve body transfer plate, governor body, and wiring are completely different. This manual is for the 42RE and A500SE only. Don’t buy it for a 42RH – you’ll be missing the governor assembly details you need.

Can I use this manual to diagnose a no-shift condition without pulling the transmission?

Yes, up to a point. Start with the DIAGNOSTIC FAULT CODES on page 6 and the HYDRAULIC AND GOVERNOR PRESSURE TESTS on page 7. If the fault code points to an electrical problem, the WIRING SCHEMATIC and ELECTRONIC GOVERNOR COMPONENTS sections will guide you through testing the solenoid and sensor at the connector. If the pressure tests show mechanical issues (e.g., low line pressure in all gears), you’ll need to drop the pan and inspect the pump and valve body. The manual covers that in the TRANSMISSION DISASSEMBLY section starting on page 30. You can do 90% of the diagnostics with the transmission still in the vehicle – just follow the order the manual gives. I’ve seen too many guys pull a transmission only to find a rusted connector. Check the electrical first.

You’ve got a 42RE or A500SE on the lift and you want to get it right the first time. You don’t need a hobby – you need the factory data. Access the Factory Manual now and you’ll have page 1 open before your coffee gets cold.