'01 Montero Sport torque converter not locking up?
 

I just bought a 2001 Montero Sport from one of my coworkers - it has 138k miles on it, 3.5l with 4 spd automatic. I took it out on the highway a few days back, just to check things out.

One of the things I noticed specifically is that the engine was turning 3k rpm @ 70mph - seems a bit high to me. Doesn't ever seem to settle into lockup on the converter once it reaches 4th. Not that it's necessarily related, but the gear shifter doesn't have that 'square' around it that normally indicates overdrive, so maybe it isn't supposed to do that?

:confused: Thoughts?...

One other thing I noticed on the above - the indicator on the dash that shows what gear you're in doesn't light for 4th gear either. Again, no idea if that's related or not.

Blane, the indicator lights can be burned out, so i wouldn't rely on that for diagnostics. Do you have any warning lights on the dashboard? Does your orage C/D (center diff) light flash when you drive? It would be helpful to scan transmission computer for possible errors. Can you manually shift gears on your Montero? If so, do the following diagnostics - as you are driving at highway speed, shift into one gear lower. If the engine RPM does not change, you know that you were in that gear already (say third) instead of the higher gear (fourth). That will indicate that the PCM never shifts up to the last hear and you have an issue. If on the other hand, RPM changes and the third gear light goes on, then most likely all is working and you have a burnt out bulb.

I'll do the test you recommend after I get my tags - it's just sitting in the driveway @ the moment. I'll check the codes to see if there's anything there...

FYI, this Montero is RWD. Everything I'm seeing online about the C/D is for 4WD models. Am I missing something there?

Sorry, by bad - I've only known Montero's to be 4wd. It did not even occur to me that they are offered as a 2wd option. Ignore the C/D light thing. I doubt that transmission codes can be red that way. Do check if the engine RPMs change if you manually downshift though.

Boy, I wish it were 4wd... ;-)

I'll be getting tags on it shortly, so I'll keep you posted.

OK, finally got a chance to get it out on the road. The transmission shifted manually just fine, all the way up to fourth. Still running high RPMs in fourth though - 3k @ 70 mph as noted before. I tried to wiggle things around and move back and forth from fourth (as noted in some other posts), but it didn't help.

got the codes pulled from the CPM, and there are a couple, with some repeats. O2 sensor bank 1, and a P1400 is the other big one (Manifold differential pressure sensor circuit malfunction). Read somewhere that the P1400 could cause transmission shift issues.

Thoughts or experiences?