A bit cheeky

[Trinity]

Hi guys

I hope some of you remember me - i used to have a surf then had to sell due to rocketing fuel prices....the bought a saab...then regretted it...then bought a Landcruiser colorado...now skint from even higher fuel prices lol

I have a question - i know it's a bit cheeky as it's not a surf but it is the same engine etc and you lot sure know your stuff so am hoping someone can help me out

A couple of months ago while driving along at about 55 the LC started to vibrate really badly and wouldn't go into 4th gear - i pulled over then started off again and it was fine

Since then, now and again, it either refuses to go into 4th or the overdrive seems to turn off so i only have 3 gears and it changes at 3000 revs

Occassionally the AT/P light came on when i stopped and put it in park (telling me the engine brake couldn't be applied as the 4x4 box was in neutral although it wasn't)

Had the gearbox and transfer box oil changed and the neutral switch on the transfer box cleaned as it was mentioned that if the switch was dodgy it could send a fault to the ecu and the car would go into limp mode (hence the O/D coming off)

It is still doing it once a week or so and sometimes i can be driving and it drops out of 4th into 3rd and the revs shoot up but then 10 seconds later it goes back into 4th again

My local garage have no clue - spoke to Toyota today and they have no clue either although they say it is not gearbox or it would do it all the time - possibly an electrical problem but would have to strip it out and i cannot afford to remortgage my house for them to do it!

I have had it plugged in and only a fault on the idle speed control valve showed up and there is no diagnostic on the gearbox

Any ideas?

Cheers

Amanda

[BUSHWHACKER]

Without actually driving it, I would say it's either a torque converter problem or something to do with the overdrive switch/circuit.

Overdrive on (button in) is '4th gear'.

The next time your driving at 55mph and it drops out of 4th gear, switch the O/D button off and back on again and see if it shifts back into top gear.


Also, you can check for transmission faults the same way as for the Surf, except make sure the O/D button is off (out) and count the number of flashes the O/D light makes.

[TonyN]

when you say there is no diagnostic for the gearbox, do you mean no fault, or have been told no diagnostics, cos thats not true, there are fault codes for the gearbox.

EDIT, well there are for 3rd Gen surfs, and they are basically the same. Unless the UK trucks are weirdly non-electronic, but the engines in colorados are all EFI like surfs, so no reason why not.

[KERRSURF]

Or the ECU is playing silly buggers.

[Diezel Weazel]

Sound like the ECU is putting the gearbox in a "safe mode" just like it would do with an engine fault ..

Jess

"Cos short cuts cost more in the long run"

[JUDWAK]

i had my gearbox and torque converter recondtioned
taken and fitted
all in 680 quid
a bit back now tho
i can give ya the number if ya like
he can collect too

[Trinity]

Thanks ever so much guys - i knew you lot would be able to give me some advice

Not wanting to sound ignorant about the number of flashes the O/D light makes - when i switch it off then on it doesn't flash - just comes on

Should i be driving or parked to do this?

Toyota told me there is no diagnostic on the gearbox so nothing will show up - maybe it is different being the UK model?!

One of the techs did mention the torque converter but thought it would play up all the time if it were that rather than once a week but said you never know

xxx

[TonyN]

Not wanting to sound ignorant about the number of flashes the O/D light makes - when i switch it off then on it doesn't flash - just comes on

normally, once you've joined the connections in the diag box with a jumper wire, you turn the ignition on, then press the O/D button, then count the flashes of the O/D light for the fault code.

[Trinity]

Thanks for that Tony - i had no clue you could do that!

I have bigger problems now though - been out all afternoon and it is much worse to say the least

When i went out i only had 3 gears and was it changing at 3000 revs as if in sports mode

When i came home at 60mph it was swapping from 4th to 3rd constantly - like every 2 seconds just bouncing from one to the other. I slowed down and it then bounced from 2nd to 3rd at 40mph

I wondered if it could it be one of the O/D or PWR switches malfunctioning as it seems to be swapping between these two modes

Will ring toyota again in the morning to tell them it is now doing it all the time - also i wonder if i would be worth plugging in the diagnostic again to see if it shows an electrical fault now that the fault is occurring?!

Arrggghhh! Should have kept my surf - never a days trouble with that car

FYI: Checked the gearbox fluid level which is fine and the oil is a reddy browny colour - nice and clean

xxx

[Trinity]

Hi all

Just to let you know we finally sorted the gear problems

It turned out to be the throttle position sensor cracking up

It did show up as a fault when we first had it plugged in back in february but Toyota said was nothing to do with it!

All running perfect now thank god - driving me potty!

Cheers

Amanda

[stormforce]

Glad its all sorted now Amanda

[Trinity]

Argh!

Not sorted - within 3 days of having the tps changed it started doing it again and is now much worse.

I have no 4th gear at all and it will only change into 2nd and 3rd between 3000-3500 revs. A/tp light also coming on in park - have tried changing through high low on transfer box but makes no difference.

Have been to Toyota again - they have looked on computers etc but have no idea what's causing it.

Waiting for them to get a diagnostic cable that works with older cars so they can try plugging it in again to se if any new faults are showing up (existing fault code was cleared after the tsp was changed)

It was showing code 33 which they said is unrelated to the fault we have.

Code 33 relates to 3 possible faults:

1 = idle air control valve

2 = speed control system malfunction

3= intake manifold air control solenoid malfunction


Anybody got any further ideas?

Anybody want to buy it off me?! Lol

Cheers

[stormforce]

i take it the truck has an ecu and if so it sounds like its that playing up if its not going into top gear/over drive just like the surfs do

[BUSHWHACKER]

Argh!

Not sorted - within 3 days of having the tps changed it started doing it again and is now much worse.

I have no 4th gear at all and it will only change into 2nd and 3rd between 3000-3500 revs. A/tp light also coming on in park - have tried changing through high low on transfer box but makes no difference.

Have been to Toyota again - they have looked on computers etc but have no idea what's causing it.

Waiting for them to get a diagnostic cable that works with older cars so they can try plugging it in again to se if any new faults are showing up (existing fault code was cleared after the tsp was changed)

I wouldn't go back there if I were you, there's no mechanics working there, only 'technicians'.

[Trinity]

I wouldn't go back there if I were you, there's no mechanics working there, only 'technicians'.

Lol I had an argument with Toyota customer relations cos they were messing me about and that's what I told them

They're computer technicians....no idea how a car actually works

Their 'top technician' reckons it's the torque converter but all the others disagree as this causes loss of power and juddering which I don't have.

I think he's only saying it because he's changed one and that's the only part he knows lol

Only reason I am having it plugged in there is the hope their software will look deeper and pick up the fault which other diagnostics haven't

Incidently I moved through the high/low box this morning and the ATP light went off - and now it is behaving although I don't think it will last!

Can't figure out the link between the neutral switch and the gear problem though (apparently the neutral switch on the h/l box gets manked up and misbehaves causing ATP to come on)

xxx