Ever since I got my new to me Montero running the transmission has been a little bit off.

First thing that became apparent is the shifter. When in N the dash show R, in D the dash shows N, etc..

Then noticed the trans was overheating when pulling camper. On the old Montero trans never overheated. Finally tracked that down the ARB bumper and winch. They were blocking the air flow to trans radiator. Fixed that by installing spare second radiator.

Also noticed when going down hill and shifting into second to slow vehicle down trans does not downshift. Then some times when turning off overdrive, it feels like the trans is shifting up a gear, especially if my foot is in o it getting up a hill.

Last night on the way home decided to play around bit. Put truck in first and start building speed, then shifted into second. Transmission shifted in to second fine at about 35/38 mph the trans decided it wanted to shift again. I was a bit shocked, look down and still in second. At about 40 shifted into drive and to my surprise the transmission felt like it downshifted.

So my guess how the went is:
1st = 1st
2nd = 2nd and 4th
D = 3rd <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Any ideas where to start troubleshooting this or what might be happening.

As background - to get the rig running did not pull trans just pulled and swapped engine.

Thanks for the help,
~ Jon

I don't know if this helps but I've noticed with my 94 SR with OD off it seems to shift into 3rd(?) earlier than it should. I think it's 3rd. I'll mess with it tomorrow and report back. Might be the way the trans is normally.

When I first got mine I drain/filled my trans with the OEM SPIII fluid. It helped alot.

You don't have the trans mode in "Hold", right? Might not matter but it could make it seem weird if you are taking off in 2nd rather than first.


I'll mess around with mine and see if it does what yours does.

Oh also there is a switch on the passenger side of the trans with a threaded piece with flats on both sides. I think it's just the neutral safety switch but I'm not sure if it does anything else with. Mine was loose.

This thing: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=945359&cc=1207820


Sorry about all the random stuff just trying to troubleshoot with ya. And I'm typing all of this on my phone so it's kind of a PITA to get anything coherent. I'll look in the service manual also.

Ok just looked in the service manual. There is a procedure to reset the neutral safety switch. It needs to be adjusted so that the trans is in neutral and the switch is also set to neutral. Section 23-47 page 555 if you downloaded the one from mitsubishilinks. Some of the symptoms you described have the neutral safety switch as the cause in the service manual.


Hope that helps. Or at least eliminates that as the cause.

Have you ever flushed trans with new fluid?

It's and electronic tranny. It takes it's shift cues from the shifter position switch on the side of the tranny. Your shift lever is out of adjustment with the switch. Follow the above listed procedure to fix it.

This tranny applies converter lockup in 3rd and 4th, so you'll feel a "shift" as it locks up - the engine will drop 2-300rpms as the converter clutch locks up.

I am opposed to power flushing - it stirs up gunk better left alone - I take loose a cooler line and let it drain to waste and add fluid at the filler neck until it runs clean out the drain. Engine must be running, of course, to run the tranny pump...