I've noticed a weird phenomenon on our 4x4 99 Exped. There is a driveway to a business in town here I had to get into a couple days ago and couldn't. It is a very steep driveway with a right hand corner. I got half way up, and the Exped stopped moving. Letting off the throttle results in a quick backward decent, of course...but keeping throttled up only keeps the vehicle in one place...the wheels stop moving. This is in auto 4wd and Drive, with OD on or off...doesn't seem to make a difference.

In 2nd or 1st, the Exped goes right up the driveway, no problem...but shouldn't my auto trans be doing this for me? Granted I didn't step all the way down on the throttle to get it to downshift for me...but that would be dangerous anyway as it is a pretty tight driveway...don't need to be interupting anyone's lunch by caving in a wall!

So my questions are: Is there possibly a line pressure problem here within the trans that isn't allowing it to lock the converter and thus keeping the vehicle from climbing the way it should? Is this a sign of worse to come? Or totally normal wear that just needs a tq converter adjustment/band adjustment, or line pressure modification? The Exped has 152,000 miles on it.

Thanks all!

Sam

 

There's some problem here but I'm too ignorant to point to the cause.

 

Have you changed the fuel filter?

 

Interesting, no...I have not changed the fuel filter. How would that affect it just in 3rd/4th gear and not 1st/2nd?

 

Check the tranny fluid level. It may be low enough that the fluid pickup is sucking air when you're trying to ascend that steeper grade.

Steve

 

Now THAT makes sense to me...I'll go check it now and look closer!