i just rebuilt the engine on my 95.5 rodeo 4x4 3.2.
just got it running, and noticed that the gear indicator on my gauge cluster will only light up in third, but occasionally will correct itself and display other gears but reverts to its original state after its been restarted.
i haven't driven it yet, kinda freaked out about it.
the truck hasn't been driven in almost two years, so maybe a dirty contact?
is this something that could be detremental to the transmission?( i know nothing about transmissions)

i'd guess the automatic transmission mode selector switch/sensor.
it attaches around the gear selector shaft at the transmission and relays the gear info to the computer. when it's buggy or defective, it won't necessarily send the correct info to the trans computer.
a couple of common symptoms of this are
*gear selector lights not in sync with the gear selected
*harsh up and down shifting, especially to begin with upshift from 2 to 3, while 'manual' shifting seems to work fine.
here's a link to a post of mine that includes a number of links, including back here at automotive forums and the FAQ.
perhaps it will help in your diagnosis

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB86&Number=902938




//bc