Looks like torque converter. I flushed it with wall mart tranny fluid after my bog hole experience few months ago. Then filled it with Valvoline/1 gal. high mileage Dex/Merc automatic transmission fluid. The synthetic version. Shudder Starts about 1500 1600 RPM's in 3rd gear or higher. If you gas it and downshifts to 2000+ RPM it stops shuddering.

Kinda sucks cruising in traffic cause that is the sweet spot just following traffic. If I gas it run up on car in front if I let off the gas guys behind gets pissed for loosing ground.

Any hope or miracle cure out there? Read the Tech Doc on SPIII tranny fluid. The valvoline syn stuff meets that spec. Would have went with the diamond high price stuff, but would had to order and wait for it.

I did all the fluid changing, but no filter change. Guess the pan has to drop for that one and there are a couple impossible bolts to get out without dropping the support arm which is a two man job looks like.

Could this just be the TPS? My 2nd gen has a high speed / low rpm shudder and then goes away when I floor it (also goes away if I press the OD button to downshift without any throttle changes).

Unplug your TPS (at the throttle body) and see if the shudder goes away. It will definitely run differently (slower) as it's some sort of limp mode, but I can not get mine to shudder without the TPS, so that's what I'm blaming... I'm new to Monteros, but this ain't my first rodeo.

Good luck!

I got the montero back after full tranny flush and filter clean. Guys at the shop test drove 3 times no shudder. I left out from the shop accross town and it drove like a new one no shudder at all. About half way home I stopped for a light and traffic then took off when it changed, truck would not shift out of first gear. Pulled in parking lot and tried it again 3-4 times would not shift out of first. Parked it and got a ride back to house. Deal with it in the morning.

Well this morning I went to check it before getting it towed and guess what ran like a new one again. Although I did feel a slight shudder during the ride back to the house.

These unpredictable random problems are killing me. I willgive the TPS sensor unplug a try if I can find it.

my '03 limited has a vibration/shudder around 2k rpm. I've been reading that the tranny fluid flush is the likely culprit, but you need to do it twice, because a bunch of fluid is in the torque converter, and that doesn't get fully changed out until the 2nd flush (probably 3rd or 4th flush would be better)


Does any of that 2k shudder thing sound familiar?

Well I flushed mine 3 times myself, and the shop flushed it at least 3 times as well. It's better but still not completely shudder free. Interesting though now the shudder has changed, comes on at the same RPM range and gear, but now has a lower frequency. IE it vibrates at a slower pace and not nearly as violently as before.

what trans fluid did you use? the closest mitsu shop isn't all that convenient, hopefully I can pick something up at a autozone/pepboys/o'reilley

I ran the valvoline synthetic max life ATF stuff, and flushed it twice with the cheapest WallMart version first. Not sure what the local shop I used put in there, but they said they used some kind of solvent first and an additive in the ATF fluid last.

I drove it today and it did pretty good. Only noticed the shudder a couple times for only a second or two. I'm gonna drive it all week and see if it gets any better/worst.