What you're describing is "limp mode". That's where it goes into or stays in second gear, allowing you to drive slowly to a repair shop without needing a tow truck. The way you get it out of limp mode is as you're doing, by turning the ignition switch off, then restarting the engine. It won't come out of limp mode when the engine is running.
What you don't want to do is disconnect the battery. That is not resetting anything. What it is doing is erasing any diagnostic fault codes. You don't want to lose that valuable information. It also erases the learned data that affects shift quality. Some of what it learns over time has to do with making up for the normal physical wear that takes place at higher mileages. By erasing the learned data, the computer starts out again at the factory-programed default values for a new transmission. Those shift schedules can aggravate what is already happening and make it go into limp mode much easier. It can take as much as two miles and a dozen up-shift cycles to get back to the learned values it needs to be at.
The place to start is by having those fault codes read and recorded. The people at many auto parts stores will do that for you for free, but there's two things to be aware of. The first is often they use simple code readers that can only access the Engine Computer. Typically, in this situation it will have code P700 which just means there are fault codes that need to be read in the Transmission Computer. If they can't access that computer with their code reader, you'll need to find a mechanic with a scanner to have them read.
Once you know the code numbers, you can go here:
https://www.2carpros.com/trouble_codes/obd2/p1700
to see the definitions, or I can interpret them for you.
The second thing to be aware of is the people at auto parts stores are in the business of selling parts, not diagnosing problems. No diagnostic fault code ever says to replace a part or that one is bad. They only indicate the circuit or system that needs further diagnosis. When a part is referenced in a fault code, it is only the cause of that code about half of the time. First, we have to rule out wiring and connector terminal problems, or mechanical problems associated with that part.
Let me know what those fault code numbers are, then we'll figure out where to go next.
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Thursday, October 27th, 2022 AT 8:26 PM
