Gearbox Concern

[Simon5030]

Hi all, my first post so go easy on me!

Just purchased a lovely 2005 LC4 D-4D Auto, few niggles i am working through but could use a little help
The gear selector in P does not appear to be sprung loaded from side to side, so it has a little play there, moving to D runs fine and is sprung loaded to D but when i select 4 (to the right) it just springs back to D!
When i select 3 its fine, 2 is fine, but if i try and select L it just spring returns to 2

Never having had a 4WD car (although i would suggest a more approriate word than car here?) before, am i overlooking something? is it supposed to return? is there a method to lock it in 4? /manual is no help there!

I noticed this when i first drove the car, never having driven an auto either i automatically wanted to change gear and ended up resting my hand on the gearstick, noticing that the led display on the dash was moving from D to 4 until i let go of the gearstick!

Any comments or help appreciated

Many Thanks
Simon

 

[Chris]

Simon. Don't rest your hand on the shift lever. You will find that the light stops changing then You are moving the lever slightly and underneath is a series of contacts that sense where the lever is. Sometimes they are adjusted right at the edge so minor movement makes the light change.



I had an LC125 auto ad I don't recall it doing that. It stayed where you put it. Springing out of position sounds odd.

 

[Simon5030]

Chris, thanks for the info
Already been told off for resting my hand on it
Really don't understand why there is no way to lock into 4 or L, gears are there because if you hold it into position it does what its supposed to but let go and it just springs back to 2nd or D
Might have to take it to a gearbox specialist!

 

[GeekOKent]

in my 2005 LC, the gears stay pretty well where you leave them. Moving away from D to 4 is actually a major movement, I'd say 2 to 3 times the effort needed as compared to moving from P -> R -> N -> D ; from 4 to 3 to 2 it flows again, and moving to L is another major movement.

 

[Chris]

It's not right. it should not spring back. I just can't think quite why it would do that. I wonder if the linkage is slightly out of adjustment and the detent isn't setting correctly.

 

[Gary Stockton]

There is a plastic gate under the cover that may be a bit worn The console comes off easily enough with care so you should be able to get in there ok - side trim off, knobs off unzip at the handbrake lever and carefully lift up the panel then unplug the loom. Lifts off then to expose the gubbins - sounds more like a mechanical issue on the selector mechanism itself.

 

[Simon5030]

There is a plastic gate under the cover that may be a bit worn The console comes off easily enough with care so you should be able to get in there ok - side trim off, knobs off unzip at the handbrake lever and carefully lift up the panel then unplug the loom. Lifts off then to expose the gubbins - sounds more like a mechanical issue on the selector mechanism itself.

Thanks for all the comments,
Finally got the LC back and there was a shaft broken causing the problem!

Now i finally get to drive my prized LC i am getting a whistle from the turbo, while it was in i got them to check it and they confirmed it was a bit noisy but still very servicable (bearings!), fully understand that these things happen and its covered under warranty so as soon as it goes ui get it sorted, no problem
The bit that confuses me is that the whistle is there all the time except on deceleration, so i am cruisinng along a flat road at 50mph just tickling the accelerator and it whistles, same at 5mph, being no expert i thought a turbo came in on demand ie pedal down, overtaking, up hills ect but it seems that if that was the case then the turbo is on the minute you touch the acceleration pedal?

Can anyone shed any light on this matter?

Thanks

 

[Crispin]

The turbo is always (well, almost always) blowing and keeping pressure - at cruise it is just less than when you're doing 90. The whistling you are hearing could be a leak on the high pressure side so somewhere between the turbo through the intercooler and back into the engine. It is all rubber pipes connecting it together, bit thick ones, take a look around the unions for signs of a leak (probably won't show anything) or loose fittings.

Unlikely to be a bearing (bush) in the turbo as they would not hold out for very long if there is a problem.

The turbo and pipes are very easy to see and dismantle (pipes). Gaskets are also 2 a penny from Simon.

 

[Simon5030]

Crispin

Although i am not experienced in turbo's my best guess would be that the noise is like a gearbox whine more then a whistle, i will try and get a recording and make a link to it (once i have worked it out) its a very distinct noise and i am trying to assess the source, one gearbox specialist has checked the gearbox over and after a linkage repair has given it clean bill of health, always trips in at 1500 RPM and changes pitch slightly when the the gearbox changes gear!

Regards
Simon

 

[Crispin]

always trips in at 1500 RPM and changes pitch slightly when the the gearbox changes gear!

Regards
Simon

If memory serves that is where the turbo lag stops which means that is when it's spooled up and working its hardest so a leak would give itself away around there.
As for it changing with the gearbox, also possible - when the gearbox changes the RPM drops which would reduce the boost slightly.

Try spraying or just drowning the pipe unions with soapy water and rev the engine while in neutral. Do you hear the sounds and / or see bubbles?