Driving around at the weekend got a red light on the dash with the following message in the LED: Engine System Transmission.
The car seemed to go into limp mode and when I attempted to shift it was somewhat jerky while I parked it up. I turned the car off and then back on and that seemed to clear the red light and message and the car ran just fine. I drove it home and just before I arrived home it did the same thing again.
There seemed to be a possible smell of burning, not bad but present.

It is currently parked up in my garage and I am driving my truck instead.

Could this be low ATF? how could I tell given that there is no dipstick, I would like to try some basic troubleshooting before taking it to the dealers clear across the city.

I have considered buying a code reader, would this tell me anything in this case, do I need a special one or can I just get one off the shelf at O'reileys?

Help!

2004 3.0L Auto X-Type

 

I would vote on checking your atf fluid. I have a manual and don't know how to check fluid level on auto, but I've seen posts about it on this forum. Seems to me like your torque converter might not have enough fluid to operate, but thats just a shot in the dark

 

Like I said it drives just fine if you turn it off and back on again, I am thinking that wouldn't be the case with a low fluid issue? Any techs out there got any thoughts?

 

I GOT A INNOVA3160 for $150.00 ay Amazon. $100.00 cheaper than comparable one at OReily and it reads ABS but only for OBDII SYSTEMS (96 and newer)

 

I thought you meant the car was turned off and not turned on for a while which would point towards fluid because the atf has been left to cool down. I had that problem with my jeep when the atf was low which is why I would recommend checking the fluid.
I apologize for responding wrong, but it seemed as if you were looking for troubleshooting options because you had not done much of it yourself. I am just trying to help you find the problem faster.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to respond in any way negatively and apologize if it came across that way. I am getting transmission errors and am worried that I may have to replace my transmission, I just want to know what steps I can take to narrow down the cause of these messages and thought a tech may have seen this before but of course any and all input is appreciated.

 

I understand that you are a bit stressed and I would be too in your position. If you have an autozone or similar very close to your home and are comfortable with driving it that short distance, you could have your codes read for free. If you are not comfortable with driving your car to the parts store, you can purchase an OBDII code reader like billbjork did. When you have unknown problems like what you have described, it is very hard to figure out what is wrong with the car without a code reader.

Here is a code reader i found if you just want to find the codes quick
U380 OBDII EOBDII Memo Scanner Trouble Codes Car Reader | eBay

 

OK so I borrowed a code reader from O'Reilly and there were no codes only the system ready P1111

So, what now?

 

AZ, before taking it to the dealership, take a look at the plug going to the throttlebody. See if the wiring from the throttlebody back to the firewall is looking OK. I have seen in the past where people have had symptoms like you are seeing what the wiring to the throttlebody was damaged. But, it seemed to me that it also gave a code indicating that there was a problem with the throttle electronics. But, it is worth a look.

As for checking the fluid level in the auto tranny, you need to look on the side of the tranny. You will see a port up near the top of the tranny that has a 3/8" square in the middle of a 1/2" NPT plug. This is the fill hole. What you need to do is to get the tranny up to temp, then park the car against a solid object (curb, wheel chocks, etc) and then set the e-brake. With the car still in gear (may want a second person there with you so they can sit in the driver's seat), you need to remove the plug. The fluid level should be right at the bottom edge of the hole. You may want to try adding fluid and if it comes out pretty much right away, then you know the tranny is full. If you need to add over 1/2 a bottle of fluid, then it was low.

 

Thanks for the reply...

Sorry for delayed response, I am in the middle of moving house - any chance you could pop your hood and take a photo of the area I should be looking at?

 

Note I am not getting the cruise control error which I think is usually related to this?

 

I have the same issue, just bought a innova used scan (3100 model), I was tired that the mechanic says non-sense about this, we wanted to change the solenoids inside the gearbox but making a little research now I know that the "limp mode" is not the failure, is just a symptom. I got some P0300 series DTC's but no one DTC related to gearbox, so now I carry my scan in my car and check every time I use it, looking for the problem to show again, then I will know exactly which codes appear when. I suspect that my fuel pump is the problem.

 

OK car has been running fine for a couple of months only really happened twice that day and not again for a couple of months until yesterday, weather was and has been dry ruling out anything damp related - I did notice the coolant is low and found I have a slight leak below the radiator area, haven't identified it yet, suspect a hose or clamp - temperature does not show hot though. Car just suddenly throws up engine and transmission errors on dash and goes into limp mode, previously turning off the car would reset it and all would be good, now it does rest but the errors are back in a few seconds, I have no idea where to turn, I am leary about taking it to the dealers because I don't want to pay for a new tranny if it's just a sensor or something dumb - help