KevShek

as the title says.
This is my first AT car ive had. Recently, ive been doing a few things. Ive installed a WR header which caused the engine to run a little lean so adjusted it accordingly with the Camcon. During this time, ive noticied that the car doesnt hold in gear as high up in the rev range. It did at first but has gradually changed.

If i floor the accelerator, it would go all the way upto 6K rpm, then change from 1-2 gear, then again at 6K rpm from 2-3 gear.

Now, when i accelerate hard, it changes at about 5K rpm, seem to over rev as it changes, and seems to take longer to change from 1-2gear. If i continue accelerating, 2-3 gear will change about 4.5K rpm, again, a slow gear change.

Ive also noticed that if im rolling along in 3rd gear, and press the accelerator fully open, it wont kick down into 2gear to pull high up in the revs.

It simply seems to be avoiding higher revs. What could be happening? and what can i check? Could it be something to do with fueling or pinking (which i do/did suffer from a little)

KevShek

anyone?

PunkInDrublic

The only thing I can think of is your adjustment with the camcon.

Did you reset your ECU and give it time to relearn when you installed your header?

KevShek

no i havent recently reseted the ECU. I would like to but simply dont know how.

Since running lean when the header was installed, the CEL did come on a few times to date, showing a P0174 code, running lean, which i used my drapper tool code reader to reset the CEL with. But at the moment, there is NO CEL, and the drapper wont or cant reset whats not there.

How can i reset it then? it would be worth a try.

PunkInDrublic

Try this. Restore your camcon settings back to factory.

Disconnect the battery and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Reconect the battery and let the car idle for 10 minutes so it relearns the new air/fuel ratio.

This will reset the ECU along with your radio presets, auto up window controls and your sunroof.

To get your windows back to normal, for each the passenger and driver side windows, push them open with the control, hold for 3 seconds, put into halfway position, then push them all the way up and hold for three seconds. You must do this on the passenger door as well, not the passenger controls on the driver side.

For your sunroof, open all the way, hold 3 seconds, close all the way, hold 3 seconds.

You will probably still get a CEL after you reset your ECU but that is because the sensor is in a direct line of air coming out of your header. You will need to do the anti-fouler trick in order to remove the CEL.

KevShek

ok thanks, will try that tonight.

TongMan

What? There are tCs in the UK?

roflitzjinno

^^ just about to say.

KevShek

unfortunately not, but my car does share some similarities, the engine being the main thing.

TheQuietThings

a header alone shouldnt be causing the car to run lean. Is it possible you damaged the main 02 sensor in the install?

KevShek

i sure damage would not have occured, as the sensors were not removed until the old header was off, then one by one, removed, passed over by hand and replaced into the new one.

when i say running lean, i assume you know im boosting right? its when the boost kicks in, the engines reving high and hard, the AF gauge goes from~15 to 17.

KevShek

i tried reseting the ECU tonight, but no luck. Its still doing the same and wont hold revs in gears. The only way i can rev the engine up past 5K rpm is to switch OFF O/D and keep it in 3rd gears all the way up to the redline.

Im gonna change the tranny fluid tomorow, it might not be the cause, but it certainly wont do any harm.

TheQuietThings

you should bring it to the dealership, unless you are having transmission trouble that the ECU senses, the car should shift at redline. Did you get the reflash for the transmission shifts?

peteyd

hmmm.....your car sounds like its running in retard mode(i know it doesnt sound right but thats only way i can put it) you may need to get the o2 extender to permentaly remove the cel. if not...im not sure if th camcom can adjust shifts point( i dont think it does) ill look into it for you. if not you may have to get an emanage ultimate.

KevShek

the camcon was removed on the weekend, it was doing it before the removal and still is now im running with the Emanage Ultimate.

im not getting the CEL anymore, and from what i can see on the ultimate, the timing seems to be reacting as normal. DUring acceleration it can be around 25 degrees, then as it approaches a gear change, it goes to about 15 degrees.

i have discovered something this morning which is a bit alarming. On my first oil change about 5-6K miles ago, not being familiar with the underside of the car, i accidentally drained the ATF instead of the engine oil! doh! so i had to go out and buy me some ATF and all i could get was general AT fliud. Now today after looking thru the hand book, ive discovered that the ATF i should use is genuine Toyota ATF Type-IV (type 4) which can only be bought from the main dealers. As i didnt buy mine from the dealers, i know it was wrong!

This over time/mileage could have caused the shifting problems im having now, but until the Type IV comes into stock tomorow morning, i wont be able to change it. I just hope i havent done any lasting damage if this is a simple case of using the wrong grade of ATF.

io333

From your description, it sounds like your transmission is slipping at the 1-2 change. I think you are having mechanical issues. Using the wrong fluid in an auto is *bad*.

You need a complete flush. Good luck, I hope it helps with the problem.

KevShek

is there a flush treatment out there, like STP do one for engine oils?

io333

A good transmission shop will know how to flush it out completely. Generally it's hooked up to a T connector at the radiator cooling line. Don't let them "pressure" flush it. The transmission should pump all of it's fluid out on it's own, while being simultaneously refilled.

KevShek

for reference, ive found a match for Type IV ATF, Amsoil Synthetic ATF is the same product.

Im gonna get hold of some, drain out as much as poss, fill it with correct ATF then do another change about 100 miles later. Hopefully this will rid any of the old stuff.

io333

Seriously, drain and refill is *not* the way to go. If you don't want to have someone else do it, dig around the net for an AT flush procedure you can do yourself. Basically you pull the lines off the radiator, and set up two trays, one that sucks up new fluid, and one that spits out old, so that you can swap out *ALL* the fluid, without sucking in any air bubbles. It's not that hard and you just need some plastic tubing.