Dreaded 'transmission limited function' error on new vehicle

[macaulays]

Evening All, 

 

We've had a 67 Galaxy auto (145k) for a few years which while not perfect, has never had any issues with the Powershift transmission fortunately to my knowledge. I've just travelled to go and pickup a new car (another 67 Galaxy at similar miles but a Titanium X) with a clean AA inspection report however fifty miles into the three hundred mile drive home, I've had the 'transmission limited function' error pop up three to four times usually just after a bit of hunting up and down of the engine revs as if the car was downshifting for acceleration then back up again a few times in a row very rapidly. 

 

While I've heard of this sort of issue numerous times on forums I've fortunately never had it myself until now! Is this error ever indicative of something that can be conclusively 'sorted' so no longer an issue (at non-astronomical cost....) or is it always a 'managed decline' once that error appears meaning I should be getting this vehicle back to the dealer asap?

 

Any thoughts from those more familiar with any actual remedies etc for the limited function error most appreciated.

 

All the best, 

 

Sandy

[unofix]

First thing would be a poor state of battery charge. Possibly in need of a new battery or at the very least a good 24 hours on a battery charger. Check all electrical earth straps are in good condition, remove and clean the metal underneath the straps.

@DaveT70 Dave is the expert on gearboxes, He'll probably be back on the forum tomorrow and can give you some things to check.

[DaveT70]

As above, get the battery fully charged or replaced

[Brockman]

Had this happen with my 2011 Galaxy. [2.0 Tdci TXWA 6 speed powershift]

I've had the car a while and had two new batteries, so three in total (Banner, Bosch, Yuasa) and the 'transmission limited function' message has reared its head countless times, on all 3 batteries - even when the battery is brand new.
The car can drive thousands of miles without this happening, to the point that, when you hear the unwelcome chime and the message instantly flashes up it still catches you out and is something of a surprise, even though its happened so often!
It doesnt seem to matter how charged the battery is. I would describe the 'limited transmission function' event as random - to an extent. When it happens, relatively often (but not always) it is coupled with the gearbox refusing to select one side of the gear functions (2, 4 & 6 becoming unselectable more often in my experience, offering an interesting jaunt at lowers speeds - we once even had the novelty of the dash reading that gear 7 had been selected at one point, having gone from neutral to 1st and refusing 2nd..)

Conclusion (or lack of);
It has occured to me it might be that when travelling at approx 70 mph at a certain uphill angle, the air intake is doing something it shouldnt be doing and causing the engine or turbo to misbehave (my reasoning is because I previously owned a Ford Kuga which was recalled for this fault but would go into limp mode if you climbed a long incline at certain speeds - however it was a manual so all gears were selectable. That model was facelifted prematurely, so I am told, to accomodate a fuller grill and eleviate the problem.. My Galaxy shares similar early-Kinetic slat-grilled front features, as opposed to the later "trapezoidal" styled grill which would appear to allow for greater air intake).
OR; there is dirt or some residue of some kind (spent diesel) contacting the sensor or some working mechanism itself which in turn sends some kind of false negative and prevents the gearbox from selecting all 6 gears.

Whatever the issue, it is generally resolved by turning off and back on again.

Anyone far more mechanically minded than myself might be able to diagnose.. countless garages have been unable to explain exactly what is occuring, other than to press home the importance of oil changes.

[DaveT70]

7 hours ago, Brockman said:

Had this happen with my 2011 Galaxy. [2.0 Tdci TXWA 6 speed powershift]

Well, you've proved it's not a battery voltage issue so:

Ensure the earth straps for battery to body and transmission to body are clean and making good contact.

Ensure the fluid has been changed regularly, it should be done every 36,000 or 3 years on a diesel powershift

You can use FORScan, whilst driving to check the signals are going to the relevant sensors and solenoids and motors whilst driving.

If you show any anomalies, get a good auto electrician to check the continuity of ALL the cables that run from the transmission to the TCM and the TCM to the PCM, as broken or corroded wires, especially CAN signals can cause big issues with powershifts. The main culprit on S-Max/Galaxy is a large block connector in the LH front wheel arch, on the chassis rail

Ensure the software levels in the PCM & TCM are up to date

 

[Brockman]

On 3/29/2024 at 7:53 AM, DaveT70 said:

Well, you've proved it's not a battery voltage issue so:

Ensure the earth straps for battery to body and transmission to body are clean and making good contact.

Ensure the fluid has been changed regularly, it should be done every 36,000 or 3 years on a diesel powershift

You can use FORScan, whilst driving to check the signals are going to the relevant sensors and solenoids and motors whilst driving.

If you show any anomalies, get a good auto electrician to check the continuity of ALL the cables that run from the transmission to the TCM and the TCM to the PCM, as broken or corroded wires, especially CAN signals can cause big issues with powershifts. The main culprit on S-Max/Galaxy is a large block connector in the LH front wheel arch, on the chassis rail

Ensure the software levels in the PCM & TCM are up to date

 

Solenoid issue seems the most likely. It's done a high mileage.
Good shout on a FORscan, thats on my 'to buy' list now, thanks.

[macaulays]

Thanks all, that comment re the TLF error popping up often when driving slightly uphill under load correlates with what I was seeing, very curious! I decided to not open another can of worms and returned the new car to dealer (who was very understanding and refunded straight away) and will concentrate on trying to get our existing one back into good shape... Thanks for experiences.