hedhunter

Hey guys I just found out about this forum and recently bought a 89 pickup with the 3vze auto and I was wondering if anyone else has had a problem with power and the shifting in the tranny. The max speed going downhill with the wind at my back full sails is 70, that being said it takes a LONG time to hit that, I know that the truck isnt a racecar but I figured there might be some kind of sensor somewhere that would help out. Also with the Auto (This is my first automatic) it has a ECT Power and shift override shift and the OD, if anyone had some info on what those are for that'd be awesome. Thanks a bunch

toyodabro

ECT Power is a Tow/Haul setting. It ups the RPM points for each gear so you can navigate hills without the engine "hunting" for a gear. OD turns the last gear on or off, essentially doing the same thing. I didn't know these had the ECT Power setting. I thought that was a newer thing. Odds are, it isn't a sensor. If the truck is turning on and driving around without it throwing lights on the cluster or anything, you should be OK there. That being said, you shouldn't be going that slow, especially on the downhill. Are you punching it? My 95 can hit 90 on the flats (not the funnest experience), albeit it takes years to get there. Any weird idle issues? Wheel bearing noises? Does the truck need a lot of power before it gets going initially (could be the torque converter)?

Thommo Thompson

trust ur instincts.
if u think it lacks power, there are a couple of simple tests u can do to see how the engine is doing.
1. compession test. (low co.pression is always evident by poor acceleration and poor fuel economy) even simple replacing the rings and giving the bores a light hone can bring it back to life quite substantially
2. fuel pressure test. both the fuel pump, and the rail pressure regulator do fail after a while. a simple test will ensure the system is able to supply the correct pressure. this needa to be tested at idle and under load.
2. ignition system test. remove a spark plug and check the quality of spark. that is, chexk its ability to jump a distance about 1 inch to the body. if it cant jump an inch, it will struggle to brightly and strongly jump a compressed fuel mixture under load. coils are the usual failure point.
4. vacuum test. a good idle of a steady 20 inches of mercury vacuum in the manifold, will confirm nice rings and valve seats as well as helping to indicate any vacuum leaks.
5. exhaust condition. bang the cat converter with ur hand and listen for any rattles. a collapsed cat will hamper everything, and many ppl go for years with a blocked one before some bright person actually bothers to check it. its so simple.
6. brakes. jammed brakes are so common on older cars. when u brake, the pads rely on springs and the natural tendancy for the brake fluid to retract into tge reservoir for the pads to retract. if the brake shoes or their slides are corroded, they have a habbit of just sticking in the braked position. jack each wheel up one a5 a time, slam on the brakes hard, and then gently release the pedal, and teat that each wheel rotates freely after that. if not. brakes are a substantial area of drag and will slow u down.