Nervous, Worried, Help Please!

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05/09/2006, 10:56 AM
nfpgasmask

Nervous, Worried, Help Please!

OK, so i've had my VX since this past Saturady. 2001 EB with 25,000 miles. Everything is kosher.

Today I drove to work (13 miles, non highway), no issues. Around noon I went out on lunch. I drove to the post office (3 miles away), no issues. When I left the post office, I noticed that the trans was making a hard shift out of first gear. At about 20mph, the truck made a disturbing "clunk", the rpms dropped quick and then everything seemed fine. I went another mile and stopped at a pizza joint for lunch. After lunch, I checked to see if I was leaking anything, negative. So I started her up and drove back to work, with no clunking anymore. I don't get it.

So, could this be a sign of something really bad? Or is this most likely a case of dirty trans fluid? I am going to get this looked at as soon as I can.

Any help from the expert on here would be much appreciated.

Bart
05/09/2006, 11:08 AM
etlsport

you should monitor your TOD display around the times when you feel the differences, it took me a little time to get used to the 4wd adjusting itself, i think there was also a post on here recently about someone having a clunking sound from the rear, maybe youre getting that and its not the trans at all? just do a search for the word 'clunk'
05/09/2006, 11:18 AM
nfpgasmask

Cool, thanks. I found the one you are talking about I think. So far, this has been sporatic, so maybe it is the "mode selector" switch?????

Bart
05/09/2006, 01:10 PM
Joe_Black

LOL! Welcome to Isuzu ownership! That heavy-truck driveline is known to make a lot of "clunking" noises as the torque converter and u-joints load up and unload. Don't worry, either you'll get used to it or never drive an Isuzu truck again. :p
05/09/2006, 01:31 PM
nfpgasmask

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe_Black

LOL! Welcome to Isuzu ownership! That heavy-truck driveline is known to make a lot of "clunking" noises as the torque converter and u-joints load up and unload. Don't worry, either you'll get used to it or never drive an Isuzu truck again. :p

Well, I don't think this was normal "clunking". Especially since it stopped after I parked for 30 minutes. From everything I have read on here, it seems like it is this infamous "mode selector".

Is this part easy to swap out? It sounds like I can get it from Merlin in MO pretty easily, but my next question is if I should attempt to do this myself, or if I should take it in. I am on the hunt for a qualified, good, honest Isuzu mechanic in the Chicagoland area.

Bart
05/09/2006, 01:47 PM
AlaskaVX

Now since it only has 25,000 miles on it I doubt this is it but if the previous owner installed Tone's interceptor (intercepts transmission electronics) they could have the line pressure set high and that would cause a pretty good clunk, but mainly during downshifts.

However I get a lot of clunks with mine as well, and it could possibly be normal...... maybe make sure your drivelines are solid as well, grease the zerks. Keep your eye on the dash lights to see if the light jumps around from "2nd" to "D" to "3rd" etc. this seems to be the real tell tale sign that your mode selector is out of whack.
05/09/2006, 02:41 PM
Ruflyf

First, check or have someone check the fluid lvl, making sure it looks right as well as being full. Then, I would try driving it with the "power" light opposite of how it was when the clunking happens to see if it still happens. Do you think the problem may be temperature related?
05/09/2006, 04:37 PM
nfpgasmask

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruflyf

First, check or have someone check the fluid lvl, making sure it looks right as well as being full. Then, I would try driving it with the "power" light opposite of how it was when the clunking happens to see if it still happens. Do you think the problem may be temperature related?

Personally, I do not think the temp could have been the cause. The weather here has been mild, only around 65-70 degrees, and I was not driving long when this started happening....but what do I know! I will check the fluid levels this weekend when I do the rest of the stuff. And, just to let you know, I drove all the way home (13 miles) with no clunking and then later went and picked up my wife from work, and again, no problems...so go figure.

Thx, Bart
05/09/2006, 04:41 PM
Ruflyf

Ok, but I was talking about the engine or transmission temp.
05/09/2006, 04:56 PM
nfpgasmask

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruflyf

Ok, but I was talking about the engine or transmission temp.

Yeah, I'm not sure, no lights came on. Anyway I can tell?

Bart
05/09/2006, 05:00 PM
Ruflyf

I would think if they light up during the pre-ignition start then the bulbs should be good.
05/09/2006, 05:07 PM
skunkworks

Could be the neutral safety/gear selector switch going bad, a common problem. If it does it again shift through the gears and see if it stops doing it. Switch is $120 to 150 depending on what kind of deal you can get at the dealer.

albert
________
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05/09/2006, 05:21 PM
nfpgasmask

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunkworks

Could be the neutral safety/gear selector switch going bad, a common problem. If it does it again shift through the gears and see if it stops doing it. Switch is $120 to 150 depending on what kind of deal you can get at the dealer.

albert

Is this the same as the "mode selector" everyone is talking about?

Bart
05/09/2006, 05:33 PM
psychos2

The first thing to check is trans fluid level !!! It solved the problem for me. After the isuzu dealer did not add enough fluid back to the trans after changing the gaskets on the drain plugs. shawn
05/09/2006, 08:20 PM
nfpgasmask

Will do! THX! Bart
05/10/2006, 01:41 AM
maxw

clunk

ISUZU issued a bulletin about this some time ago to their dealers/mechanics . Apparently the drive shaft length is such that gear changes can induce a clunk which is not necessarily abnormal. This is minimized by driving in the normal mode, ie not in Power mode.
I enquired about the same thing in mine and it is variable.
Just something to think about after you've considered the other above suggestions.
The VX is still a hell of alot of fun to drive tho'.
Safe driving to you.
05/10/2006, 06:05 AM
Maugan_VX

my stuff clunks all the time. All of my auto zu's have.

Go get a transmission service if you need to calm your nerves :)
05/10/2006, 08:08 AM
nfpgasmask

Hmmm, yeah, this morning I drove into work with "POWER" turned on, and everything was ok. So, in the last 24 hours, this only happened for the one little drive I made from the post office yesterday. And I know everyone is saying that the shifting is normally a little clunky, but again, this was abnormal shifting, I am sure of this.

Anyway, my little "jumping spider" is driving like a champ at the moment, so I will keep everyone posted.

Thanks everyone.

Bart
05/10/2006, 08:22 AM
VehiGAZ

I had a one-time occurrance of really-hard-gearchanges, which sounds like your problem. It happened on one trip only, and only affected the 1-2 and 2-3 gearchanges. The gear changes slammed hard, but otherwise everything worked. It went away after shutting off and restarting the VX, and hasn't been back since.
05/10/2006, 09:02 AM
nfpgasmask

Quote:

Originally Posted by VehiGAZ

I had a one-time occurrance of really-hard-gearchanges, which sounds like your problem. It happened on one trip only, and only affected the 1-2 and 2-3 gearchanges. The gear changes slammed hard, but otherwise everything worked. It went away after shutting off and restarting the VX, and hasn't been back since.

So far, this is exactly my experience, but it has only been 24 hours. When 3 months pass with no issues, then I will consider it a fluke. Until then, I am still worried! ;)

Bart
05/23/2006, 01:36 PM
Tornado

Mine did the exact same thing, and off to the dealer it went. It threw the code for the electric do-dad in the side of the transmission. They replaced it under warranty and all has been fine since. I figure it's better to get it replaced on there dime early on then mine later!
05/23/2006, 01:43 PM
nfpgasmask

Yeah, so it has been almost 2 weeks since I reported this incident, and to date it has not happened again. I have been driving in "POWER" mode mostly (what can I say, other than its better). I am just hoping it stays free of this weird shifting issue going foward.

Thanks everyone for the info.

Bart
05/23/2006, 03:37 PM
VehiX

Quote:

Originally Posted by VehiGAZ

I had a one-time occurrance of really-hard-gearchanges, which sounds like your problem. It happened on one trip only, and only affected the 1-2 and 2-3 gearchanges. The gear changes slammed hard, but otherwise everything worked. It went away after shutting off and restarting the VX, and hasn't been back since.

This happened to me as well, exactly as you've stated. It only happened once and never happened again. It scared the heck out of me too, I'll tell ya that. It tooks a few weeks for me to stop worrying and thinking about it!

BTW, a code was never thrown when it happened to me :_shrug:
05/31/2006, 09:05 AM
nfpgasmask

Slamming gears...

OK, so this morning it happened again on my way into work. It seems to always be the 2nd to 3rd shift (about 20mph), and it seems to do it mostly after a quick downshift while decelerating then accelerating again in typical crappy Chicago traffic. I was in Power Mode.

When I noticed it, I quickly pulled over, turned off, and restarted again. I turned Power Drive off, and after doing this I had no problem for the remainder of my drive.

When I had the oil changed, I believe they checked the tranny fluid level and it was fine. I will make a point to check it again however.

Other than that, my truck only has 26,500 miles, but could it still be the mode selector? I suppose it wouldn't hurt to change it out for a new one???

0_o Bart
05/31/2006, 10:24 AM
Anita

Yes, it still could be the mode switch. It some cases it happens sporadically. Hard, even violent gear shifts definitely can be the switch.
05/31/2006, 11:03 AM
Tone

An indicator of the mode switch failing is the illumination of the gear selection in the cluster is out.
05/31/2006, 11:03 AM
nfpgasmask

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to swap it out. I've been paying attention to the RPMs, and it seems like when it happens, the gear box is trying to shift up from 2nd to 3rd a tad to early, causing the harsch "clunk" and a few of my nerves getting shredded each time :)

Thanks - Bart

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anita

Yes, it still could be the mode switch. It some cases it happens sporadically. Hard, even violent gear shifts definitely can be the switch.
05/31/2006, 11:05 AM
nfpgasmask

Are you talking about in the center of the dash or the on the TOD cluster? I have not noticed any lights out, but I will make a point to watch for this.

Thanks.

Bart

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tone

An indicator of the mode switch failing is the illumination of the gear selection in the cluster is out.
06/02/2006, 11:13 AM
nfpgasmask

OK, so it seems like this hateful "clunking" takes place mostly when I am in Power Drive. So what is going on when Power Drive is enabled that could cause this shift slamming?

Bart
06/02/2006, 11:50 AM
etlsport

power mode lets you rev a little higher than you normally would.. could just be that your gears are spinning faster when the shift happens, so more noticable clunk?
06/02/2006, 12:04 PM
nfpgasmask

Quote:

Originally Posted by etlsport

power mode lets you rev a little higher than you normally would.. could just be that your gears are spinning faster when the shift happens, so more noticable clunk?

I suppose that could be it. It seems to definitely be when I downshift outta 3rd back into 2nd and then quickly back up to 3rd. It clunks and jerks a little.

However, I must say this, the clunks that I am noticing now (probably because I am paying overly close attention to it) do not happen like the day when it was happening really bad EVERY TIME I shifted from 2nd to 3rd. So maybe some of the "normal" clunking of the VX I am indeed mistaking for a problem, however I know for a fact, the occasion when the violent shifting occurred was ANYTHING but normal.

So we'll see.

Bart
06/02/2006, 12:18 PM
etlsport

yeah i get some clunking too.. usually when i do something to cause it.. like changes in acceleration around the gear change, either giving more gas or letting off right before a gear change, that kind of stuff is to be expected with a heavier car, i definately have paranoid moments with noises.. like the other day i was on a highway that hadnt been paved in awhile and i kept hitting spots that hadnt settled as much and had a rythmic bumping... and i started freaking out, then i changed lanes and the bumping went away... hahaha
06/02/2006, 12:25 PM
nfpgasmask

Yup, thats exactly it. The roads in Chicago are anything but smooth and its lots of stop and go around 20-30 mph. The VX clunks just like you said, when changing speeds around shift times. After what happened to my Xterra, I am like extra-freakin-paranoid about ANY weird sounds that I am not used to. (and no, I will not go into the Xterra story, it still pisses me off!):)

And speaking of sounds, when I start up in my small 1 car garage, I can hear a faint, rythmic rattling sound bouncing of the garage walls. I just noticed this yesterday. It seems to rattle more when the front wheels are cut a little. It just sounds like something vibrating with the engine. I don't think it is anything major, but still, I DONTLIKEIT! :)

Bart

Quote:

Originally Posted by etlsport

yeah i get some clunking too.. usually when i do something to cause it.. like changes in acceleration around the gear change, either giving more gas or letting off right before a gear change, that kind of stuff is to be expected with a heavier car, i definately have paranoid moments with noises.. like the other day i was on a highway that hadnt been paved in awhile and i kept hitting spots that hadnt settled as much and had a rythmic bumping... and i started freaking out, then i changed lanes and the bumping went away... hahaha
06/02/2006, 02:17 PM
mbeach

At some point, especially for a salted northern VX, the heatshields on your exhaust piping (in the vicinity of the transfer case) will rust through and rattle.

Tap them with a screwdriver to see if they are loose.
06/02/2006, 04:39 PM
ScottinMA

Change out the tranny fluid to synthetic. I'm using Mobil 1 ATF. No problems at all since the switch. Make sure you do it right and replace the tranny filter.
06/19/2006, 01:17 PM
Boogieman

My '01 was doing this HARD upshifting/downshifting thing last night for the first time. Freaked me out, especially since my 20 yr daughter home from school for the summer has been driving it lately. All the way from River Forest to St Charles it did this hard shifting thing, usually from second to third and then back down. On the way home, nothing. Not a thing. Back to normal.

Maybe this is a Chicago thing?? :)
06/19/2006, 03:05 PM
nfpgasmask

Hey, yeah, it is definitely not cool. Were you in Power Mode? Mine seemed to only do it while I was driving in Power Mode, and like you said, once I would stop, shut off the VX and start again it was fine. And yes, it was only between 2nd/3rd up and down....

I have yet to switch fluids to synth in the tranny/transfer case but I will soon.

Bart

PS - If it is a Chicago thing, it is a direct result of our crappy infrastructure and the relentless traffic!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boogieman

My '01 was doing this HARD upshifting/downshifting thing last night for the first time. Freaked me out, especially since my 20 yr daughter home from school for the summer has been driving it lately. All the way from River Forest to St Charles it did this hard shifting thing, usually from second to third and then back down. On the way home, nothing. Not a thing. Back to normal.

Maybe this is a Chicago thing?? :)
06/20/2006, 06:12 AM
VehiGAZ

It's not a Chicago thing, because it happened to me in CT.

It's just a rare, niggling problem - probably a relay that's not kicking over, or one of the 0's in the ECU switches to a 1. No big whoop, as long as it goes away after restarting.
06/21/2006, 09:44 AM
vrsvx

Me Too!

I had the same issue a month after I got mine. I drove to a local mall(85 degrees)and when leaving I had the first gear shift was hard like the torque converter was loading up. I am planning on taking it in in a few weeks and have them drain and put synthetic fluid in it. Knock on wood I have not heard the noise since.

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