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New Member, Love My Suzuki, Desperately need your help

3K views 28 replies 5 participants last post by  KevinJames 
#1 ·
Hey, I'm Kevin. I drive an automatic 1993 Suzuki Escudo/Sidekick. About 7 months back it blew the ECU and i was away on business. 3 weeks ago, i bought a new ECU and revived the car. Did service, made sure the wiring was checked for any short-circuits then set out. On my way home the car stopped automatically shifting gears and was stuck on 3rd. I had about 80 Miles to go so i just pushed on and tried to maintain speed. I got home okay and the next day i set out to my local garage. L, R and 2 gears still worked fine. The mechanic there told me that my transmission was bad and another argued that the ATF was low (Which it wasn't) I left the place with no solution. 3 days ago i started the car up and Reverse gear does not engage apart from a few slight jurks and the Drive gear seems to be deciding between 1st 2nd and 3rd gear. L now has no power as well. What do you guys think, Vaccum Modulator? Bad ATF? or Dead Transmission? Please Help
 
#4 ·
Slightly used, but it came from a friend's car so it was working perfectly and i have checked to ensure it's still in good condition with no burnt sections. Besides, it was my understanding that the 1993 model had no connection between the ECU and Transmission?
 
#3 ·
Slightly used, but it came from a friend's car so it was working perfectly and i have checked to ensure it's still in good condition with no burnt sections. Besides, it was my understanding that the 1993 model had no connection between the ECU and Transmission?
 
#5 ·
You may be correct about the ECU and the tranny. I don't know, but since that was the only recent change that you mentioned, it will help the people who can help you to know that it is used. I understand that it is "new" to you, but the distinction might be important.
I'm sure you will get some good suggestions shortly.
 
#7 ·
"other argued that the ATF was low"

You say it wasn't low... What procedure did you use to check it?
 
#9 · (Edited)
Shifted thru all the gears P to L pausing at each gear for 10 seconds and back from L to P pausing for 10 seconds. then checking within 30 seconds after returning to P? Doing it idling after 30 seconds will result in incorrect oil level reading
 
#12 ·
Welcome to the forum! Do you have the 3 speed or 4 speed auto tranny?? (Or, more basically, is your Escudo a 2 door or 4 door vehicle?)
Normally, the 4 door will have the electronic transmission, where you have a tranny computer that shifts by use of solenoids. The 3 speed tranny found in 2 doors will shift manually. I think we need to know that first.
 
#17 ·
Then its a 4 speed electronic controlled one
 
#19 ·
Are you left hand or right hand drive? In the left hand drive, the computer will be under the dash, at the highest point in the footwell, just next to the center console. At least in the US, it has a part number 38880-57B21. What country are you in? Confirm that you have an O/D light on your dash.
If you located the tranny computer, you can disconnect the connector going to it. This will remove the electronic input, and you would be able to manually shift through your gears and be able to see if you can shift (and drive) into 3rd gear. This will let you know whether your issue is electronic (the solenoid responsible for shifting into 3rd is faulty) or if the issue is actually mechanical inside the tranny.
 
#20 ·
Are you left hand or right hand drive? In the left hand drive, the computer will be under the dash, at the highest point in the footwell, just next to the center console. At least in the US, it has a part number 38880-57B21. What country are you in? Confirm that you have an O/D light on your dash.
If you located the tranny computer, you can disconnect the connector going to it. This will remove the electronic input, and you would be able to manually shift through your gears and be able to see if you can shift (and drive) into 3rd gear. This will let you know whether your issue is electronic (the solenoid responsible for shifting into 3rd is faulty) or if the issue is actually mechanical inside the tranny.
Right hand Drive, I'm in Kenya. I do have an O/D light on my dash but i can't locate the tranny computer, i just see the Main car ECU. There is no other device under the Dash that remotely looks like a tranny computer.
 
#22 ·
Assuming that all is somewhat opposite in your car, if you look under the dash, as high up as you can, to the left of the top of your clutch pedal, do you see a small metal box attached there?
I can’t find a photo, but this diagram may help - it should either be above your left knee (if things are reversed for the right hand drive) or above your left knee, at the very highest point under the dash.
 
#23 ·
I can't find it, but i am starting to suspect someone might have pulled it out because i can see a plug with no socket to plug in to, let me ask around where the car was stored before i took it. It would be really dumb of me to find out i've been driving without a TCM for all this time. Really sorry for the issue if that is the case, i'll be back to report what i find, thank you so much thus far.
 
#24 ·
I can’t find the exact photo, but it will look something like this, screwed into the uppermost part of the flooring, behind the dash:
It has to be there, as your tranny would not shift at all, from one gear to another, without it. When you disconnect the computer, you have to manually use your shift lever in the car, like it was a manual transmission, to shift from one gear to the next.
Is your O/D light on when the car is running? What about your ECU light? If there is a fault in your solenoids, one of these lights should light up when the engine is running. And they should ALL light up with the key in the on position, before you start your car. Do they??
 
#26 ·
The O/D light does not go on in either condition, no Check Engine, no warning. and Right now to get the car moving D is basically L is what is used as the first gear. However, i have found the TCM, it was in the trunk with the rest of the spare parts!!!!! I don't even know who did that and how it happened. I've plugged it back in and the transmission is now behaving normally, however, i still can't access overdrive. I think it's probably a wiring issue, i'll follow it up in the morning. I cannot thank you guys enough for the help you have given me. (Sorry for the trouble considering the simple solution was a disconnected TCM)
 
#25 ·
This factory service manual indicates that your tranny computer may be mounted to the car’s ECU. Here is the link for the diagnostics, which at least will give you a hint as to what colored wires you are looking for, in order to locate it.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I’m somewhat surprised that the car moved at all without the TCM attached, unless you were manually shifting the gears....and I’d probably pull the dash a bit, and get the O/D light and the check engine light working - it may just be that the bulbs are missing. If you decide to do this, if you detach the speedometer cable at the transmission, it helps you pull the dash further out. This way, you can get whatever codes either of the computers have stored. Your issue may very well be a wiring or solenoid issue - the links above would give you some info. Glad you’re on your way to getting this all sorted.
 
#28 ·
I’m somewhat surprised that the car moved at all without the TCM attached, unless you were manually shifting the gears....and I’d probably pull the dash a bit, and get the O/D light and the check engine light working - it may just be that the bulbs are missing. If you decide to do this, if you detach the speedometer cable at the transmission, it helps you pull the dash further out.
I've actually done this before starting this thread to clean out the dust in the air-con vents and system so i know the bulbs are there, my theory is one or two wires might just be disconnected between the dash and the TCM cabling. I'll definitely find it. And yeah i wonder how the car even moved without the TCM and no check engine light???
 
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