Lurching forward while in park can be a sign of something as small as it
being overfilled combined with some wear in the parking lock, (pawl). This
is most noticeable when parked on an upward incline. It can also be s sign
of warped clutch plates or the ATF being burnt, contaminated such as gear
oil from the final drive getting in there. As for the stalling I would look
at an engine performance/cold idle issue first. The only connection from the
engine to the transmission is the fluid coupling of the torque converter.
When placed in any gear the engine control system should be able to
compensate and maintain idle speed.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Arlene Sondergaard
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 10:04 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Transmission issue

I have a 1987 Wolfsburg Carat tin top
With auto transmission problems.
In the morning when cold,
I start the van in park & it lurches forward.   When I leave from work 8
hours later, I put her in reverse to pull straight out of my parking
space-she stalls or dies the first try.
Do any of you have a recommendation for a transmission shop in the Vancouver
Portland area??  I looked at the mechanic list you all put together but, I
don't see a transmission shop in my area.
Thanks for any thoughts!!

Sent from my iPhone