Auto Box

[panyan1]

My terrano is having trouble going into top gear. You have to travel around 8 miles before changing into top gear and if you turn off overdrive it changes down 2 gears. Any idea wot the problem could be. Thanks PANYAN1

 

[elty001]

start with checking the transmission fluid as ive heard if its not topped up and in good condition it can make the auto box behave badly.
also check and adjust the free play in the selector.
sorry i cant be of any more help but that is about all i know about auto transmissions.

 

[lacroupade]

My terrano is having trouble going into top gear. You have to travel around 8 miles before changing into top gear and if you turn off overdrive it changes down 2 gears. Any idea wot the problem could be. Thanks PANYAN1

How long have you had the truck Panyan and what mileage has it done? Any very heavy towing during its life that you know about?

My missus now drives my auto but it used to do that sometimes, just depended on what the road was like but if there was even the slightest incline it didn't want to drop into top for several miles - but not eight. I found that if you gave it some welly for as bit then dropped the speed off it would eventually drop into top.

Bad news is it broke eventually and cost me 1500 for a rebuild...no idea if it was just coincidental or not though. Can't remember what broke now but something went bang when I put it into gear and I could only drive it with O/D disengaged....

Puzzled about you saying O/D takes it down two gears though when you switch it out?? I'll try wifeys at the weekend when I go home and see what rpm it does in the gears when its disengaged as I can't remember, but O/D should only drop a cog out in the gear your in. Are you baseing your 'two gears' statement on revs or something else?

I am sure you already know that the auto is longer-legged than the manual - my manual is doing 3750 rpm at an indicate 90 mph where the auto was dead on 3000 rpm.

So at 60 mph you know your in top when its doing 2000rpm exactly....

But definitely change the fluid....you'll probably find its never been touched.

 

[panyan1]

was used for towwing caravan only got 58000 on clock was working ok then went through large puddle then prob started

 

[panyan1]

oil; was changed in Janurary

 

[Timbo_1975]

Isnt there a temp inhibitor switch on the autos (certainly is on Isuzu's and Mitsi's) which inhibites 4th gear when the oil is cold? (speeds up the warmup)

tim

 

[panyan1]

had new switch fitted

 

[lacroupade]

I'd be EXTREMELY surprised if it was the water - my auto has done 165,000 and been underwater up to its nuts numerous times. 58k is relatively low mileage for an old'un so underuse won't help, plus as I'm sure you know, the towing weight of the auto is substantially lower than the manual, so depends how big your van is I suppose. I towed a miserably heavy twin axle van trailer down to the south of France several times laden with furniture, tools, building materials etc.. and I'm convinced thats what killed mine when it finally went.

But the advice I've always had from autobox specialists (and some very good ones too) is 'wait til it breaks', as its easier/cheaper to diagnose that way!