limp mode..now making a funny "howl"

[overdoseheroin]

for a while now ive been driving my beater auto in limp mode and all of a sudden under light to medium throttle it makes a loud howl and i can feel a vibration, then the vibration stops and the howl goes away for a second then it all comes back, and last night it almost felt like it dropped into a different gear or locked up. i just changed the the t-case fluid and rear end with synthetic 75w-90. did i smoke the tranny from just driving it around in 3rd gear?

 

[TSiWarrior]

I'll save 92AWDGSX a post

something is seriously wrong with your transmission

Add some more details of the problem, and the things you've tried to fix it so far, and i'll see if i can think of anything.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

Well, limp in mode is just for that. Getting home so you can make arrangements to have the cause repaired. Cause and effect. Driving extended periods puts a strain on the transmission as you are doing everything in 3rd gear. God only knows how many times it has sustained a take off from dead stop.

I can assure you that once you have the trans rebult, you will have to repair the original problem which caused limp in, or you will be right back to square one.

Final thought, get some good trans flusher and flush the cooling lines to the transmission as they are usually the reason it overheats and pukes. This is after you repair the trans. This is not the repair.

Good Luck

 

[92awdgsx]

I'll save 92AWDGSX a post

.

Just like Mitsu Tech said, limp mode is for just that, to limp it home. Starting out in 3rd gear is extremely hard on the tranny and converter. I would say it is fried now. It will need gone over completely.

 

[overdoseheroin]

well i tried replacing the caps on the tcu but they were leaky for so long that it smoked a trace, but good, im glad to hear its junk so now i can swap the motor into a 5 speed AWD.

 

[EclpzLvr97]

Maybe there's 2 (or more) different reasons for limp-in mode, but when mine did it, it was stuck in 2nd gear....not 3rd.

From what I've *heard*, if it's stuck in 3rd gear, you got some real tranny issues....internal ones....not something more likely related to the TCU or solenoid.

Mine is a NT so I have the Chrysler tranny. We ran codes for the CEL and it had about 2 codes relating to the solenoid. So I ordered a new solenoid pack....they don't come individual....it's the whole damn thing. Anyway, once we replaced that, the car worked again.

All that is just FYI....

Is/was your car throwing any CEL codes? And finally....

If your car is in limp-in mode, why in the world would you keep driving it? You had to know that'd only make it worse.

 

[Bobster66]

Maybe there's 2 (or more) different reasons for limp-in mode, but when mine did it, it was stuck in 2nd gear....not 3rd.

From what I've *heard*, if it's stuck in 3rd gear, you got some real tranny issues....internal ones....not something more likely related to the TCU or solenoid.

If your car is in limp-in mode, why in the world would you keep driving it? You had to know that'd only make it worse.

Stuck in 2nd gear is not Limp Mode.

If it is stuck in 3rd gear it IS most likely the TCU, as this is LIMP MODE.

Although it can never be recommended, it is still possible to drive around in 3rd. Obviously Overdose didn't care about the condition of the tranny so there is no point in spending the money. My personal experience had me driving in 3rd for four months. The car is my daily driver and I blew two TCU's before an electrical short circuit was fixed. Did I damage the car by driving it in 3rd for so long? No. Did I increase the wear on the tranny? Absolutely. But a year and a half and 45,000 KM later the tranny is still running.

 

[EclpzLvr97]

Well, driving around for that long using only one gear can only do bad to the tranny. I believe you just got lucky.


As for it being stuck in 2nd gear, yes, that is limp mode.... "limp-in mode" to be exact.

 

[overdoseheroin]

Stuck in 2nd gear is not Limp Mode.

If it is stuck in 3rd gear it IS most likely the TCU, as this is LIMP MODE.

Although it can never be recommended, it is still possible to drive around in 3rd. Obviously Overdose didn't care about the condition of the tranny so there is no point in spending the money. My personal experience had me driving in 3rd for four months. The car is my daily driver and I blew two TCU's before an electrical short circuit was fixed. Did I damage the car by driving it in 3rd for so long? No. Did I increase the wear on the tranny? Absolutely. But a year and a half and 45,000 KM later the tranny is still running.

werd....a new tcu is on the way but for 2 months of just 3rd gear everything is still fine.