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HELP!! i'm in "LIMP MODE"

47K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  Samakhan 
#1 ·
Hey guys, can you guys share any successful stories about the famous "Limp Mode" ?? have you guys ever fix the problem? did you spend lots of money? Well, my 1995 Eclipse GS with automatic tranny is stuck in 3rd gear and and i'm seeking help...let me tell you guys that I've been in "limp mode" since last summer 2004...last summer my car used to be in "limp mode" once in a while not always (maybe 2 times a month) and as time passed it kept doing it more, more and more often, and now it does it everyday....if i'm stopped at a light it goes into "limp mode", if i make a quick stop if i'm driving on the freeway it does it too....it's unpredictable....when i turn off my car and then turn it on again, everything works well for like 5 or 10 minutes and then "limp mode" happens again......i've heard the possible causes such as, blown fuses, a fried TCU, shift solenoids and the connections to it, harness, and the speed sensor (but i can't even find the damn speed sensor).. i'm about to do the diagnosis with a miltimeter to get any TCU codes...but i still need any other ideas, anything i should check....please i need HELP
 
#2 ·
Dude I made almost the same post today i have a 97 eclipse GS Auto tranny sometimes gets stuck in second but suddenly went away...

Do you have a check engine light on? if so that means ya have a sensor crappin out on you or like some others say replace the TCU. I am taking my tranny down to local shop going to get them to flush it take a look if there is any damages as well as replace the shift sensors. You should do the same
 
#3 ·
Astrogalax said:
Hey guys, can you guys share any successful stories about the famous "Limp Mode" ?? have you guys ever fix the problem? did you spend lots of money? Well, my 1995 Eclipse GS with automatic tranny is stuck in 3rd gear and and i'm seeking help...let me tell you guys that I've been in "limp mode" since last summer 2004...last summer my car used to be in "limp mode" once in a while not always (maybe 2 times a month) and as time passed it kept doing it more, more and more often, and now it does it everyday....if i'm stopped at a light it goes into "limp mode", if i make a quick stop if i'm driving on the freeway it does it too....it's unpredictable....when i turn off my car and then turn it on again, everything works well for like 5 or 10 minutes and then "limp mode" happens again......i've heard the possible causes such as, blown fuses, a fried TCU, shift solenoids and the connections to it, harness, and the speed sensor (but i can't even find the damn speed sensor).. i'm about to do the diagnosis with a miltimeter to get any TCU codes...but i still need any other ideas, anything i should check....please i need HELP

I tried putting in a Apexi auto timer last week. I bought the harness and everything. My car went into "limp mode" just from putting the harness in. It turned off my cooling fans and i was too stuck in 3rd gear. Once i took it out, my car worked fine. I have no idea what this is about. I was looking on here to see if aneone else had the same problem. Aparently so.
 
#5 ·
perhaps0369 said:
According To The Dealer Any Time You Mess With The Wiring, The Car Will Go Into Limp Mode, I Was Told You Will Have To Have It "reprogramed" With The New Harness For It To Come Out Of Limp Mode.

The dealer must be wrong because i have the same timer with no problems. I didn't use a harness, I wired directly into my ignition and O2 wire on the ECU.
 
#10 ·
Yes the actual caps are under $4 (get the 105 degree C type) for the TCU.

Labor to do a preventative replacement is often $25-45.

Repair to the circuit board when the caps leak and short out the copper traces is about $195. Sometime one can get luckly and do this at home with some circuit board cleaner (or alcohol.) The caps still need replacement though.

If a chip is burned up by a short, the TCU is often not repairable (because the surface mounted chip can't be removed, is not available or can not be identified.) A rebuilt TCU with 18 month warranty once cost me $425.00.


Regards,

Mark
 
#11 ·
reptiles said:
Yes the actual caps are under $4 (get the 105 degree C type) for the TCU.

Labor to do a preventative replacement is often $25-45.

Repair to the circuit board when the caps leak and short out the copper traces is about $195. Sometime one can get luckly and do this at home with some circuit board cleaner (or alcohol.) The caps still need replacement though.

If a chip is burned up by a short, the TCU is often not repairable (because the surface mounted chip can't be removed, is not available or can not be identified.) A rebuilt TCU with 18 month warranty once cost me $425.00.


Regards,

Mark

Yes if you don't catch it in time it does get costly.
 
#13 ·
Have you tried to pull any TCU codes yet? Most of the time, a transmission going in to limp mode will not throw a CEL. I reccomend picking up a multimeter(analog is best-digital will work, however) and getting the codes from the TCU and fixing the problem.

Here is a how-to for pulling TCU codes:
http://www.plymouthlaser.com/tcucodes.htm <-do this.. its REALLY easy!!!

You might also want to pull the TCU and check the caps. If you see any leaking on there, you will need to replace them. I also have a TCU in excellent condition from a '92 that I would sell for $50 shipped. If you need it, just let me know!

ADAM
 
#15 ·
i got a '92 talon tsi awd a/t i have it in the shop right now. i just got the tranny rebuilt and it is still stuck in limp mode. they cant get any code readings form the tcu and they also are not sure if the wireing harness is bad. does anyone know where i can get the wiring diagram with the pin outs off the tcu? they have been working on my car for well over a month and i want it back.
 
#16 ·
onecallaway8705 said:
i got a '92 talon tsi awd a/t i have it in the shop right now. i just got the tranny rebuilt and it is still stuck in limp mode. they cant get any code readings form the tcu and they also are not sure if the wireing harness is bad. does anyone know where i can get the wiring diagram with the pin outs off the tcu? they have been working on my car for well over a month and i want it back.

I beleive the factory manual should have it.

I had a problem with my wiring harness and luckily solved it by taking a miniature scewdriver and re-spacing a few of the contacts and spraying some contact cleaner on them.

I hope you're car isn't stuck at one of those national trans shops. I wound up in a nightmare situation with one of those shops and wound up paying $475 for a REBUILT tcu that they took the liberty of ordering for me in addition to paying MEGA-BUCKS for a rebuild I wasn't even satisfied with.
 
#17 ·
i went to the shop where my car is and got my tcu. i replaced the bad cap put it back into my car and it is still in limp mode. when he hooked up the scanner it said not to use the power pack but if he doesnt then the scanner just shuts off. even with the power pack he cant access the compter or the tcu. it says there is a connection but the scan times out. if anyone can help me i would appriciate it
 
#19 ·
What shop did your tranny? Did you try swapping the two plugs that could accidentially be plugged into one another? I would try a known good a/t ecu to eliminate that. Then go to the wiring. Usually if the tcu is good and something is wrong, you can reset the tcu and it will work until it runs into whatever is wrong and will go into limp mode. So with that being said, on the other end of the spectrum, if something isnt mechanically wrong, and it is shorting somewhere in the wiring, it will be in limp mode as soon as you start the car. with or w/o the reset it will be in limp mode constant. I wouldnt preach that as gospel but as a starting point.
 
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