Some may have read my post about my 2001 Rodeo having tranny issues, well the tranny needs to be replaced. Now we are relying on one truck and it is acting up.

The truck has some bad hesitation when it warms up. It happens in all gears, speeds and forms of acceleration. It puffs some black smoke during the hesitation and will clear up afterwards. Its intermitent and only seems to happen when the truck gets up to operating temp.

Plugs, PCV valve and wires (new style) are only 10k miles old. Can't find any vaccum leaks. Ran some Sea Foam through it and it cleaned out some stuff but didn't help my problem.

Any help is appreciated

Scott F.

Ok after searching I may have a solution. The Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor may be the culprit. I have the part, I can see where the sensor is located but I can not get to it. Jerry mentioned in a previous post that unbolting and jacking up the tranny a couple inches makes it accesable, but this was on a trooper.

So anyone with some knowledge of how to get this bad boy out? Can I jack the tranny up like the trooper?

Thanks agian.

Scott F.

I think you mean loosen the tranny mount to tilt the engine backward so you can get to the coolant crossover pipe where the sensor is.

Yes, you can. You do is basically the same way you do the Trooper.

Put a floor jack under the tail shaft of the transmission.
Remove the cross member or the pad to cross member.
Raise the tail end of the transmission.
This will tilt the engine forward and give you about 3 extra
inches to work behind the engine.

It's even easier to get to if you take the intake plenum off.

Well I changed the ECT and nothing. Same symptoms plus more.
I filled the truck up only to relize that I'm only getting about 9mpg. Also, there is a very distinct smell, like rotten eggs. Still puffing black smoke and hesitation, but only when warmed up.

Any ideas?

Scott F.

Rotten eggs ... isn't that a sign of a cat going (gone) southward?

Richard <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

High temps, horrible gas mileage and peformance, rotten egg smell, I would agree, cat on its way out/plugged. But, there are 2 cats on this truck, at least, my 99 adn 2000 have 2 cats...

If you have a way of measuring HIGH temps, measure the difference between the 2 cats, they get EXTREMELY hot nayway, but, the plugged one should show cooler temps DOWNSTREAM, due to lack of exhuast...

Chase

OK, one more thing off the list. Changed the O2 sensor and nothing agian. It may be time for a CAT, I have about 185k miles on the truck. Any recomendations? Or other posibilities, Fuel Pressure Regulator, Injectors?


Thanks for the advice guys <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Scott F.

Well, there are things you can do to test the cat, but, your best bet is gonna be Google, OR bette yet, the factory service manual.

IF/When you replace the CAT, I recommend the MagnaFlow replacements....

Chase

I agree, the cat took a dump. 187,xxx is not bad at all out of a cat! The rotten egg smell is always a dead give away of a cat.