Not to ask the obvious, but are you sure that you have not accidently turned off the o/d? There is a button for it on the left side of the shift lever.

 

Yes I'm sure. No offense taken. Also the O/D OFF light works properly when the button is pressed.

 

Thanks Salim. Unplugging that MAF and plugging it back in really has helped. Idle RPM's are significantly higher, even if they do drop after a while. Start-ups are better and rarely, if ever, requiring throttle anymore. Plus, I'm confident a good cleaning will only improve this. Thanks.

The IACV threads are very clear and step-by-step. They're great.
Tonight I bought a thermostat and looked at a tutorial on replacing that too.

The fixes are DIY, but I'm not a mechanic.
I've found a local mechanic and want to have everything done properly.

Cleaning MAF
Cleaning IACV
Replacing thermostat
Installing O2 sensor

How much labor is that? Two hours or less?

I've read cleaning the MAF and IACV occasionally makes the code disappear. It's a long shot, but it saves me the hassle of returning the Denso sensor.
I know, right

 

Each service item is listed in a book and are rounded up to half hours ...and I dont have access to it ,,, here are my best guess
MAF : 1/2hr
Cleaning IACV 1hr
Replacing thermostat 1hr [with coolant drain and fill it can be 1-1/2hr]
O2 sensor 1hr [i spent 45 mins disconnecting the cable ]

I am sure a good mechanic would open the drain-**** and do other work.

Salim

 

Salim,

Thank you so much. That really preps me with knowledge I'll need going-in to the mechanic midday Wednesday to get these repairs started.

P0965 is the Solenoid B, and I'm seriously considering buying one of those.

I do remember you've said to start small and fix these things one at a time, but my question is: if the big expensive Solenoid part is what's keeping me from getting out of Limp Mode, shouldn't I just go for that and get back into 4th gear?

My ultimate goal is to get out of Limp Mode.

While the CEL alone could be causing the O/D not to work, am I too hopeful anticipating doing these small, cheaper repairs (along with hours of labor), will turn off the CEL and let me finally shift into 4th gear?

Thanks in advance,
Justin