What are these buttons?

[Harleyguy]

I just bought a 1990 'Runner with a 4 cylinder automatic. The transmission doesn't seem right, but it has all these buttons that I don't get. Alright, I do get the overdrive button. But what is the ECT for and when do you use it? When it is in "normal" mode the thing has little power and shifts really fast through gears. Should I run it in "power" mode unless highway driving?

Then there's the "shift lock override". What is that? When do you use it? I have pushed it from time to time, but nothing seems to happen.

When it is cold it runs fine through third, but doesn't want to go into fourth. Later when it is warm it seems to shift fine into fourth, but then rapidly drops into OD. Sometimes when it shifts up, it drops back down right away. It does have a new filter and fluid in the trans. Is it going to puke on me?

Any help is greatly appreciated.:50cal:

 

[NoDak]

ECT = just changes the shift points of the transmission.

Normal will shift into the highest gear as soon as it can (OD)
Power will hold the shifts up to about 400 rpms from redline

Shift Lock Override is when the shifter is stuck in park. you pop the cover off and shove a flat head screw driver into the slot and it will manually release the shift lever.

until the transmission fluid warms up, it will hold in a lower gear.

all 13+ toyota's i have had have always done this, just more noticeable in the trucks/suv's.

 

[Harleyguy]

Thanks, NoDak! It was shifting so differently from what I am used to that I thought the trans was bad and I was had. I paid $1900 for it and a rebuild would cost about the same!

I hope to use it next fall to come over to your neck of the prairie and hunt Huns and prairie grouse.

 

[NoDak]

just wanted to add a note, it will go into a higher gear but you have to run the rpm's higher and may pop back down a gear until it warms up. i have notice until the gear oil warms up, it tends to stay in 2 or 3 gear longer than normal. after it warms up, it shifts normal. but then normal isnt always the case when its -20F outside up in the northern tier. i have had it not go into OD when it really gets cold out, say around -40F and no cardboard in the front grill. but its rare.

otherwise, if it is not doing this then you may have a problem.

 

[Harleyguy]

That sounds exactly like what it is doing - when cold it will stay in third for longer than normal, but once it warms up it is fine. Thanks for all the help.

 

[mikes4runner]

That sounds exactly like what it is doing - when cold it will stay in third for longer than normal, but once it warms up it is fine. Thanks for all the help.

Yes that is exactly what it does. My 93 V6 auto. does the same thing, your Transmission is fine.

 

[.o2 Lost Hiker]

Here's what I've found. If my ECT is on, the engine revs higher on each gear, so I think it's good if you are towing or going uphill.

As for the transmission not shifting immediately whenthe engine is cold, I do get that problem also. I sit in the parking lot for about 5 minutes and I turn the heater switch to HOT without turning the fan on, just the red/Blue knob.

 

[Harleyguy]

Thanks, Hiker. BTW - I took it in for a tune-up and it was 10 degrees off time. They reset it and it was worse! I knew the other owner had a timing chain break, so I feared they didn't line up the timing marks right. Had the mechanic check that, but it was fine. However, the distributor was improperly installed, which was fouling up the injection sensor so everything was working against itself. No it runs great. Paid $1900 originally and have another $500 into it - still a bargain.

 

[.o2 Lost Hiker]

You paid a good price for the runner. They normally cost an arm and a leg. I don't regret getting my .02. Only I hate the bumper with the plastic sticking out. I took my Tacoma when I had it to the dealer for the timing chain, I figured, it's a major componet so I let the experts do it.