Anyone try out the DAC yet?

[JuneBug]

OK, I'm thinking that the plastic shifter faceplate was replaced with the 4-speed version. Maybe the original 5-speed faceplate was scratched, broken, or damaged somehow. A replacement would not be available over there where the 5-speed is not sold. So they replaced it with the closest thing they could find?

[Rickl]

Originally Posted by JuneBug

OK, I'm thinking that the plastic shifter faceplate was replaced with the 4-speed version.

Originally Posted by Rickl

Did you buy this RAV4 new, or was it previously owned? It is almost like the plastic plate with the numbers has been replaced with one from the I4, and the replacement doesn't allow moving the selector to the right (when positioned at the bottom) into low gear.

Originally Posted by metro344

even i opened the cover of gearbox again i couldnt move the shift to the right so what do you think ????????

EDIT: Another possibility is that the transmission and shifter were replaced at one time with a 4 speed model. My test should determine if the transmission is a 4 or 5 speed version. In other words is the lowest position of the shifter really the lowest gear, or is it 2nd gear as the dash display indicates.

[pico]

The dash lights indicate a five-speed. Did you take the cover off the shifter gate to see if there is a different construction underneath?
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[Dr. Dyno]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dyno

A V6 that's had its 5-speed replaced with a 4-speed.

That's still my guess and Rickl's test will prove it. With the shifter in L and showing "2" on the display I don't think there'll be a shift.

Also interesting is what I found in looking at the schematics. Not only does the 5-speed have 3 shift solenoids to the 4-speed's 2, the pinouts on the V6 Engine control ECU are completely different than the I4 ECU. So if a 5-speed was replaced with a 4-speed it definitely wasn't plug & play, the harness had some serious surgery!

[ColoradoRav]

Just on a side note how many times do you have to ask to do the test in reverse? I Kept waiting for it in the video! Makes me laugh. We're all dying to know if DAC works in R! And of course if it's a 4 or 5 speed...

[metro344]

Well glad to see tht each of u now saw my car wth tht strange transmission well i gonna record another or wth reverse gear to see DAC if work or not

[Dr. Dyno]

Originally Posted by metro344

Well glad to see tht each of u now saw my car wth tht strange transmission well i gonna record another or wth reverse gear to see DAC if work or not

A video would be nice but all you really need to do is shift to Reverse and see if the light comes on steady. Should happen parked.

That will determine if DAC works, but I don't think it'll prove whether it has a 4-speed transmission.

What would be useful is a video of the tachometer while accelerating from a stop in L (2).

[Rickl]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dyno

Also interesting is what I found in looking at the schematics. Not only does the 5-speed have 3 shift solenoids to the 4-speed's 2, the pinouts on the V6 Engine control ECU are completely different than the I4 ECU.

Based on that, the likely problem is that the 5 speed shifter was replaced with a 4 speed version. The park-neutral-position switch is the same on both shifters, while the Transmission Control Switch on the 4 speed version is missing a single switch. The missing switch is the one that would switch a 5 speed transmission into "L".

So Metro344, if you can perform the test to monitor for a gear change while accelerating in "L" on the shifter ("2" on the dashboard) , that will provide the answer. And it would also be nice to know if the DAC light turns solid green when you put the selector in "R". you don't even have to drive the car to perform this last test.

[pico]

The RPM in top gear at highway speed should also tell if its a 4 or 5-speed, no?
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[Dr. Dyno]

Originally Posted by Rickl

Based on that, the likely problem is that the 5 speed shifter was replaced with a 4 speed version. The park-neutral-position switch is the same on both shifters, while the Transmission Control Switch on the 4 speed version is missing a single switch. The missing switch is the one that would switch a 5 speed transmission into "L".

So Metro344, if you can perform the test to monitor for a gear change while accelerating in "L" on the shifter ("2" on the dashboard) , that will provide the answer. And it would also be nice to know if the DAC light turns solid green when you put the selector in "R". you don't even have to drive the car to perform this last test.

Rick, I was initially thinking that the ECU-Transmission wiring would have to be changed at the Engine ECU, but it would be done at the Transmission connector end. Checking that end the pinout is still different. About 8 wires would have to be rerouted. And it seems like a longshot that someone would be replacing the transmission especially on a new RAV4.

As you say the park-neutral-position switch is the same on both shifters - and the pinouts are the same. That would be because the fore & aft movement on both the 4 & 5-speed shifters is the same. The difference is in the left-right gates where the 5-speed has two (4-D and 2-L) and the 4-speed has one (3-D). The left-right position is read by the Transmission Control Switch, the 4-speed having one section and the 5-speed two. The pinout (1 & 2) of the common-to-both AT3 section is the same for both. So if, as I'm now strongly suspecting, a 5 speed shifter was replaced with a 4 speed version for whatever odd reason, the 4-speed plug would physically fit leaving the ATL section, pins 5 & 6, connected to nothing.

I'm now betting that's what we'll end up finding. DAC will work in Reverse and he can replace the shifter to get L ... and DAC in L.