Hi Everyone

I purchased a white 1991 TR magna about a year and a half ago with around 165k on the clock.

She's a 4 cylinder Automatic.

About a month ago I gave the car to my girlfriend for work purposes - but unfortunately it has started having some issues (the car, not the girlfriend)

Just wondering if you could help me to diagnose so I can take some information to the mechanic - and hopefullyy it won't cost a fortune to repair because money is horribly tight at the moment :(


Anyhoo, from the start of February, the engine light and battery light were coming on. After about 3 weeks or so, when the engine light came on it would make the car go to just over 3000 revs before changing into 3rd gear. Then the engine light would go off and it would be back to normal. Then engine light would stay on for different amounts of time each time it came on.

It was doing this for about a month, and then just yesterday, it started seeming only to change gears twice. Every time the car starts and does it's first gear change, it goes up to nearly 3500 revs before changing into 2nd gear, and then changes into 3rd gear fine. Yesterday there was a moment taking off from the traffic lights where it wouldn't change into second gear at all... got up to over 4000 revs and sounds awful. The fuel consumption isn't great either, filled her up Friday, done under a 100Km since and has used nearly half a tank of fuel...

Any help would be endlessly appreciated & thanks in advance

check regulator and alternator
you must have 13-14 volts charge
any drop in voltage
can cause the tranny moduleTCU to fail
the battery has to be in good condition

engine light can be lots of things

what is the service history

Thanks for your reply Magna buff

I had a full service just after I bought it - so around November 2009 - then it was very rarely used throughout 2010 - towards the end of last year, the battery gave up, so I had the RAA replace it on site. We then had a problem free 1000 km (ish) trip to the Barossa.

It says to take it back for a service at a certain number of kilometers, which we haven't reached yet. But yeah, I don't know if the car is in imminent danger of dying in the arse but we have to get it fixed. Is it likely to be the kind of problem that costs more than the car?

well replace the tcu first (get one from a wrecker )

its on the floor panel below the radio

thats a usual fault with a tr auto with funny change patern

Thanks dude! Will look into this. What's a fair price to pay for a tcu?

used to be $75 in brissy last year`
dont know how greedy the wreckers are over your way