New auto box problems

[ex-derv]

I've had a search for this but can't find anything - apologies if it's already been covered.
I'm having another auto box fitted as we speak which apparently runs fine in tiptronic but won't work in drive. Also, it starts in neutral but not in drive. Any thoughts?

[Wobble]

yeah, do a manual conversion :p

[elnevio]

It shouldn't start in drive anyway. Only P or N.

The problem with not working properly in D may be that it is a facelift gearbox mismatched with a prefacelift autobox ECU. Or some similar configuration. Do you know the provenance of both the gearbox and gearbox ECU?

[Nutter_John]

You have a mis match between the gearbox and the gearbox ecu

replacing the gearbox ecu with one from the car the gearbox came from will fix it

[Nutter_John]

The park issue is down to them no aligning the control box correctly , does the dash display the P symbol when in park ?

or it could be the selector control box on the top of the gearbox is faulty

[ex-derv]

Sorry, being thick - I meant P
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MITSUBISHI-LEGNUM-VR4-2-5-T-T-AUTOMATIC-GEARBOX-/370487586206?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5642c7ed9e

this is the box advert from ebay. Mine is a june 1998 slightly odd combination of a pre facelift body with quite a bit of facelift stuff underneath. Dave had a good look over it at donington last year but I've no idea if it's actually a facelift box

[ex-derv]

I think the package had been dropped by the couriers and some of the parts had to be changed for bits off the old gear box.

[Nutter_John]

Right this is where it gets difficult , you car has a combination of PFL and FL parts as it was around the up lift time on the production line

Your original gearbox is actually an early FL one but I suspect that the GB you have put in is either a late FL or an PFL one

so the easiest solution is to check if the ecu that controls the GB is a plastic case (suspect it is ) or a metal one , if it is a metal one then you need a plastic one or if a plastic one you need a metal one

This has happened twice this year on cars made around May/June/July of 1998 , Benh had the first issue and I hit it a week later

I would go back to Nippon and insist that they provide you with the correct gearbox ecu , esp given they are selling a gearbox for £400 and it will not function correctly with out it

[Nutter_John]

You can't just swap parts over between the gearbox's , if the couriers dropped it you should have reported it and claimed a refund etc

[ex-derv]

Difficult to know what to do here - its gone too far to return it now. I would think it'll be a case of making it work somehow

[ex-derv]

Where abouts is the gear box ecu on the gear box?

[elnevio]

It is stacked directly below the main ECU behind the centre console.

[ex-derv]

So hopefully if we get the right one in there it will solve these issues or is it more complicated than that?

[elnevio]

It should be straight forward.

Definitely go back to the supplier though. After all, you currently have a gearbox that doesn't work properly! Get the matching ECU off them.

[ex-derv]

cool, I'll get onto that in the morning. Thanks for the advice fellas, will keep you posted

[peter thomson]

From experience of this even matching the gearbox to gearbox ecu does not always sort other issues as the engine ecu may not be happy with the combination either.

[Nick Mann]

There are certainly other possibilities. For example a facelift gearbox ecu and box can cause issues with traction control when fitted to a prefacelift car.

[ex-derv]

looks like we're in for some fun then. I suppose I'll have to wait and see how it pans out.

[ex-derv]

Nippon autospares only supply gearboxes not ECUs and are adamant that the legnum model changeover came in 2000 not 1998. Hmmm

[Wobble]

send them over here to do some research .

[swinks]

For example a facelift gearbox ecu and box can cause issues with traction control when fitted to a prefacelift car.

IIRC from Donington Park, Tim's car has no TCL, so it's like early FL.

[ex-derv]

right, new metal cased ecu installed but a couple of niggles
1) tends to kick down 2 gears rather than 1 if the revs will allow. eg at 90 if you half press the throttle nothing happens - press it more then it goes into 3rd.
2)hangs between gears on change up for a couple of seconds. Doesnt over rev even with the throttle buried but it isnt a quick change

the bloke who changed the box for me reckons that although the ecu is better i still dont have the right one yet. Any thoughts?

[horndog]

Is it just the ecu relearning? How many miles you done since refitting,
Mime was like that when I let the battery go flat

[ex-derv]

i've put 600 miles on it since yesterday morning and it's smoothed out a bit - definitely a bit better but it's still hanging between gears at full chat for too long. Still ate a couple of WRXs though :flamed:

[Nick Mann]

That might improve with time. It could just be learning your style. It's worth sticking with for a few weeks to see if it all slots in to place.

[peter thomson]

Keith's never has . The right box seems to be the only real solution unless the ecu's can be re-progrmmed as well which i doubt anybody will be able to put the time and effort into

[ex-derv]

according to John there are 8 different ecu's and i've tried 3 of them so far. Maybe it's just a case of ticking them off until i get one that does the job. It seems that the box I have have is a facelift one which at least narrows things down a bit.

[Nutter_John]

Tim if your at the RR day I will come out for a blast in it with you , it maybe just a charactoristic of the new gearbox

[ex-derv]

cheers John, would appreciate that. I'll be there for about 11-12 until about 4 i reckon.

[Nutter_John]

I have replaced quite a few boxes and most times the owners notice the difference more than I do , as they have driven it before and after , but if the gearbox is driving normaly for a vr4 then it is just a re-adjustment period for the driver :)

[ex-derv]

I hope it is an ecu problem rather than that because the change up at high revs takes 2-3 seconds which seriously affects the performance. I'm sure the kick down isn't right either - very hard to make it go down just one gear - see what you think on the 13th John