Monolithic passively mode-locked quantum dot lasers with excited-state transition were investigated in a broad operating range without ground-state lasing. Optical and electrical characteristics of these mode locked lasers were studied in detail at different levels of injection current and absorber bias. Very different behaviors in the evolution of the hysteresis, the optical spectra and the evolution of repetition frequency were observed between our lasers and conventional quantum dot lasers with ground-state transition. Possible mechanisms behind these observed phenomena were proposed and discussed. A minimum pulse width of 3.3 ps and an externally compressed pulse width of 0.78 ps were obtained.