ziggyat8

My girlfriend Erica reads this forum a lot since we bought a 98 4Runner. Yeah, I know kind of a role reversal but I'm too busy working 80+ hours/wk. ...

Problem: yesterday my 4Runner would not shift out of 1st gear after after the speedometer went nuts.

History: 98 4Runner, AUTOMATIC transmission, with 160,000 on it's 2nd engine, bought used about a month ago after having sit for about 2 years. Erica replaced the radiator, belts, some hoses, tires, and did quite a few other things to get it to pass inspection. The check engine light has been on since we got it, but Erica used a diagnostic thing and was pretty sure it was just the O2 sensor which she said she would replace as soon as she gets time. She said when she drove it the speedometer went out a couple times for a few seconds but came right back.

I've been driving it for 3 weeks, until yesterday the speedometer has gone dead (dropped to 0 mph) maybe 3 times but has come back on in less than a minute, usually at highway speeds. Yesterday while driving to work, the speedometer went out, as well as the "check engine" light went out (extinguished). The speedometer stayed out for 5 minutes, the check engine light has stayed off ever since.

*** Last night while stopped at a stoplight on my commute home, the speedometer started jumping - 0 - 20 back to 0, then 30, to 0, then 15 - random bumping. the light turned green, I went to accelerate and the engine accelerated unevenly with the jumps in speedometer readings - i.e. 4000 rpm, 1500 rpm, 2500 rpm, 3000, along with obviously very jerky acceleration, I put on my blinkers and pulled over to the side. the speedometer went dead again and for the rest of my ride it was would not shift out of 1st gear. I stopped and shut it off after driving in 1st for about a mile. Started back up after 10-15 minutes and drove another 2 miles home in 1st gear - no change (dead speedometer). after being home for about 45 minutes (9pm) I started it up again drove down the street - and everything worked, speedometer was ok, automatic shifting was normal. This morning (6am) I drove it to work, everything was normal. Obviously I need to take it to a mechanic but Erica wanted me to post something here in hope that one of you guys might know what's going on with it (I think she just wants to fix it herself).

probably unrelated - yesterday was the 1st time I used the CD player.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Jack

ziggyat8

DOH, Erica tells me it's a 92 NOT a 98, I hate when I do that.