I can't feel, hear or see(revs) any gear changing at all... I've gone upto 140km/h and it was still sitting around the 4500 mark, it takes off slow as s*** but picks up ok after 60km/h ish, even if i put it through L 2 D its no different... could my tranny be locked in a high gear or something?

2.6L l4 Astron Auto TR Executive

sounds like its in limp mode. I'd be taking it to a mechanic to get the codes checked over. Common problem for the TCU going on these though

was thinking as I wrote this.... i bet TUFFTR will have an idea

sure sounds like limp mode, stuck in 3rd gear..

yeah stuck in third bud.... get a fluid and filter change, if that doesnt help maybe its the TCU

first, try resetting the system mate, might just be a glitch in the TCU. disconnect the battery for a minute to be sure (should be just 10secs) and try it again...

had to disconnect to replace/charge so should have been reset then?? How much to replace TCU? is it hard? I started Automotive cert 2 at TAFE today so i have access to heaps of tools+hoist woooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

I've still got reverse, neutral but its stuck in 3rd gear, wont kick into overdrive so I'm thinking TCU... where is it? lol

middle of the dash down on the floor. under heater box.

best way to get in there? do you mean the centr console? please tell me you do :( lol

gold colored box, right in the centre and up the front. Lift the carpets from either drivers side or passengers and you should see it. Take off side panels. 4 bolts underneath box. (use a torch and get low) Off course a search on this site will give you more details. I have a spare TCU (also spare ECU) which can express post if interested.

yep i found it. is it a 3 pin?

My car has/had a similar problem, only did it on a cold morning after idling down a hill, a couple of times. Stopping, turning the engine off and back on fixed it each time, and ive recently had the battery out doing electrical work and the trans fluid changed with new half shafts. Haven't had a cold morning in a while to see if it still gets stuck though...

mines been doing it always since I've owned it and who knows how long before. def not same issue

fixed it. cost me 5 bucks, for a damn pack of fuses! -facepalm-

I can do gravel spinnies and bitumen on a corner! lol. goes pretty hard, when going flat out is it ment to go to 5500 revs before shift to 3rd? PWR on O/D on

fixed it. cost me 5 bucks, for a damn pack of fuses! -facepalm-

I can do gravel spinnies and bitumen on a corner! lol. goes pretty hard, when going flat out is it ment to go to 5500 revs before shift to 3rd? PWR on O/D on

Ha, ha.. sometimes it's always the simple things.. but good on ya for diagnosing and fixing!

Ha, ha.. sometimes it's always the simple things.. but good on ya for diagnosing and fixing!

actually I got help from a newer member VRXXX6, he specialises in auto and was a HUGE help, scored me some bits and pieces, and sold me a sub, and helping hook me up with work experience...

So it was just a fuse?

yeah, a 10 amp fuse lol

when going flat out is it ment to go to 5500 revs before shift to 3rd? PWR on O/D on

sounds about right. if u turn the power button off it should change around 5000. not much power past 5000rpm anyway

Mines definately in limp mode now. Was playing with the cd player power cable again and missed one cable with the tape before i put the battery back on. Now i have limp mode, no fan, and no lights to display where the gear shifter is up in the dashboard (P, N, R, D etc). I cant find any blown fuses in the engine bay or in the drivers footwell though? Which one of your fuses was blown? Im going down to u-pull-it tomorrow to try and see if i can find a tcu, $44.

Mate you would of blown a fuse. if it is a TCU and a V6 I have a few for sale (gaurantee'd to work)
double check with a test light. touch the test light to either prong on the top of the fuse

2.6, i think its a 2 plug one? is one plug bigger than the other? The original problem i had was that if i had the inside light come on when i opened the doors, the radio memory would reset, and it also seems that the power and accessory wires on the radio are back to front, so i have a thin wire for power and a thick yellow wire with an inline fuse for accessory otherwise it wont turn off at all :S

You may have a problem with the HU itself?

Its had the same problem with the pioneer head unit it came with and with the clarion one i put in, i had it all apart last night and put a wire straight from the battery for power to try and avoid any problems in the wiring loom, still didnt help. The power end to the radio from the magna loom is plugged into nothing now, but id imagine that wouldnt do anything to the trans? Ive looked at all the fuses and going to go back over them with a test light tomorrow morning. I took a photo of the cable side of the tcu (at least i think it is) but i couldnt read any numbers off the top. Any tips for getting it out? the centre console and side wings are in the back seat.http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af198/ebonymichelle/magnaaa.jpg

Yep, that's the TCU.

My memory is a bit vague here, but when I replaced my TCU, it was just a matter of disconnecting the cables and unscrewing four small nuts on the underside of the TCU that secure it to that large mounting plate. Usually you can get in under it with a small socket, shifter or pliers and undo them, then just lift the TCU up and out from the drivers side footwell. It helps to remove the drivers footrest as well to aid clearance in removal, thankfully it's only a couple of screws. Installation is the reverse process of removal.

I spent a good hour trying to remove the nuts that hold the mounting plate to the floorpan and firewall before discovering those four small ones under it. My shifter went flying shortly after followed by "Damnit", but at least we got there in the end... lol

My car was stuck in limp home mode I had to get a new computer for auto. But what I have been told the capcitors in genral leak on the PCB board and cause this fault. But you can get recondition CPU.

I found it... No fuses blown, but someone has wired in a toggle switch into one of the wires from the ignition key, in the drivers footwell. Flicking it around to try and stop my head unit issues ive left it on the wrong side. Im still not sure exactly why its there since it isnt exactly a kill switch, just an extra slow down switch.

Lol that one way to slow down hijacker

Especially since i need a big run-up to get up the hill out the street in limp mode.

I had no hill issues with mine, just took time

I only had trouble with a standing start uphill while it was still cold, full throttle and i could have walked faster up the hill. Once it gets to 50/60 its fine. Still went to u-pull-it and got a clock instead of a tcu =D

lol try contact VRXXX6 I've got him in my friends, he specialises in automatics

I found it... No fuses blown, but someone has wired in a toggle switch into one of the wires from the ignition key, in the drivers footwell. Flicking it around to try and stop my head unit issues ive left it on the wrong side. Im still not sure exactly why its there since it isnt exactly a kill switch, just an extra slow down switch.

Getto Valet mode!

stops your mates from doing skidzzz lol

I hate these undocumented "extras" some people put on their cars - what was he thinking of?

in my case one of those would give me my reverse gear back lol