My buddy's auto 420a

[fifthgearvtec]

So my buddy just recently bought himself an automatic 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse with a 420A. He asked me if i wanted to go for a ride, i said sure! He was telling me about some transmission problems he was having and proceeded to show me that the car won't shift into gear unless he turns the key off and then back on! i was like whoa this car definitely has problems. Any ideas on what this can be?

 

[fifthgearvtec]

I have been thinking of taking this car off his hands. Is this a good idea for a daily driver. Is it a cheap fix?

 

[knochgoon24]

Does it just stick in 3rd? The tranny might be in limp mode. The TCU might be bad. Does the car have the CEL on?

 

[fifthgearvtec]

It gets stuck in every gear from 1st till 4th. Like I said he turns the key to the off position then back to the on position and it will be in the proper gear that it should be in.