I've had my SR5 for a little over a month (1700 miles on it) and noticed that it is kinda rough going from 1st gear into 2nd. All of the other gears are fairly smooth. It happens when the truck has been warmed up. It is more noticeable when I am more aggressive on the pedal. I can live with it but is this a sign of transmisson failure down the road? I bought it in August and my VIN is not included in the batch for "reprogramming" the transmission. I just don't want to walk into the service department and have them tell me that it's normal. We all know how that goes.
1st to 2nd rough shift-SR5 4x4
- Thread starter luv2eat
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Fuzzylogic
New member
Mine actually does it under light acceleration. I think it is skipping a gear. When I leave a light or stop sign, and then lift off, it shifts and jumps. It's like the transmission is skipping a gear and the remaining torque from the engine carries forward.
My GL450 has adaptive transmisson also and I hardly notice when the gear shifts. My 4Runner on the other hand, I notice every gear shift especially from 1st to 2nd. The rpm revs up and it feels like it has a hard time deciding when to shift. When it does shift to 2nd, it is a noticeable hard shift and at times, the whole truck shakes. I love this truck but I'm beginning to doubt the Toyota quality. I am at a dealer right now. I found TSB-0166-10 on this forum (thanks guys and gals!) and I mentioned it to the service guy. Hopefully this will fix the problem. My 4Runner has a manufacturing date of June '10 so it should not have this problem. My understanding is that TSB is for the earlier production dates.
Update...
The service guy at the dealer told me that there's nothing wrong with my 4Runner. Imagine that! He said the tech ran the required tests and mine already had the latest ECM update (same thing as the TSB-0166-10). He also told me that my VIN is out of range for this TSB. Duuuuh, I knew that already from reading this web board!
My receipt states, "Inspected and performed health scan. System passed all tests. Test drove vehicle. Shifting as designed. Vehicle may still be learning shift points to customer driving."
Here's the funny thing. It now shifts alot smoother after visiting the dealer. I know that they tried "reflashing" the ECM but the tech told me that it would not take since mine already had the latest update. My guess is that it did indeed reprogram my transmission. I don't feel the hard shift from 1st to 2nd AND the gear is more responsive to throttle inputs. I still don't think that this 4Runner's transmission is very smooth by any standards. I hope this is not a sign of future transmission failure(s).
Maybe it's just me and I'm used to my other vehicles with superior transmissions. In any case, I still love my 4Runner. My relationship with this 4Runner will be comparable to having a hot girl friend with a mediocre IQ. :redbrick:
The service guy at the dealer told me that there's nothing wrong with my 4Runner. Imagine that! He said the tech ran the required tests and mine already had the latest ECM update (same thing as the TSB-0166-10). He also told me that my VIN is out of range for this TSB. Duuuuh, I knew that already from reading this web board!
My receipt states, "Inspected and performed health scan. System passed all tests. Test drove vehicle. Shifting as designed. Vehicle may still be learning shift points to customer driving."
Here's the funny thing. It now shifts alot smoother after visiting the dealer. I know that they tried "reflashing" the ECM but the tech told me that it would not take since mine already had the latest update. My guess is that it did indeed reprogram my transmission. I don't feel the hard shift from 1st to 2nd AND the gear is more responsive to throttle inputs. I still don't think that this 4Runner's transmission is very smooth by any standards. I hope this is not a sign of future transmission failure(s).
Maybe it's just me and I'm used to my other vehicles with superior transmissions. In any case, I still love my 4Runner. My relationship with this 4Runner will be comparable to having a hot girl friend with a mediocre IQ. :redbrick:
MarkDallas
New member
Same Here
My '13 SR5 4X4 (12,000 miles) is experiencing the same rough shifts from 1st to 2nd you guys are describing. I am just starting to notice this usually when i am in stop and go traffic and the vehicle is warmed up. It's not the end of the world now, but like many of you I am worried this will get worse. Now that it has been a few years for you guys has it gotten worse/better? I installed over sized tires (285 70 R17) about 5,000 miles ago if that means anything??
Thanks in advance.
My '13 SR5 4X4 (12,000 miles) is experiencing the same rough shifts from 1st to 2nd you guys are describing. I am just starting to notice this usually when i am in stop and go traffic and the vehicle is warmed up. It's not the end of the world now, but like many of you I am worried this will get worse. Now that it has been a few years for you guys has it gotten worse/better? I installed over sized tires (285 70 R17) about 5,000 miles ago if that means anything??
Thanks in advance.
gm350reratliff
New member
The tech may have not been able to reflash with the latest update but they probably reset the ECM so it could relearn your driving style over. The problem seems that these newer transmissions with adaptive learning, are always learning and changing shifts ever so slightly. The same problem exists on the newer F150s (some, not all) as well. I believe the same reset can be accomplished by disconnecting the battery cables for a few minutes.
Whiplash Willy
New member
My '13 SR5 does this as well. I usually only notice it when I am in traffic, and coasting slowly, then lightly accelerate, it always stays in 1st too long, then does a harsh shift into 2nd. I have been meaning to take it in to the dealer, so there is atleast a record if me complaining about the problem if there is an issue down the road.
I second this. I have a similar issue but honestly you'd be able to tell if it was really something wrong. Maybe that's a little haphazard thinking but that's my take.
IAmTodd
New member
That's how I feel. It's not as smooth as the other gears but nothing alarming either. Coming from all manuals for 5 years my experience with autos is just Ford's from the 90s and this is years ahead of them. Although I do miss the manuals. :shrug:
FrontRange4Runner
New member
Comparing the transmission on the GL to the one in the 4Runner is not apples to apples. The 4Runner uses an older transmission design that will not be nearly as smooth as the GL - which is designed to be as smooth as possible. Thant said, the A750F used in the 4Runner has also been used in other vehicles such as the 100 series Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado, Tundra, Tacoma and so on. While its not the most technologically advanced, it is known to be extremely reliable with very low failure rates. Drive a few thousand miles and see if it gets smoother, but do not expect it to be anything like the GL.
Last edited:
FrontRange4Runner
New member
Wow! How bad was your shifting? Does it feel any better? My transmission has always been very smooth, but it is a 2012.
Do you have that TSB number?
Swarty
New member
Everything is much better
So it was always little rough but I misjudged the speed of a car at an intersection and got on it, but not full throttle or anything, and as I turned the transmission did more then shudder. The transmission disengaged for a solid 2 count as the engine red lined while completely unloaded. I started to let off the throttle and the transmission grabbed hard making the entire corner very unsettled. I figured that it was the ECM flash that I needed even though mine felt a lot crazier than what others had described. my dealership in Wilsonville didn't even hesitate when they saw the TSB to go ahead and replace it and the tech reported he was easily able to make it do it again.
It feels completely different now. Shift points are improved, it stays in first much longer and the shifts are not as smooth as they were most of the time before but are much faster. Mine used to shift out of first by the time I hit about 10 mph and frequently hesitated between 1 - 2.
To be honest I'm not used to autos and just kind of assumed this is what everyone else had settled for. My last car was a manual mr2 spyder i drove so long I didn't even have to think about it. I knew its every quirk.
Here is what they sent me. It's all the info I have. It only lists 1 TSB but the service attendant said it was the result of "following the chain of linked TSBs based on the VIN".
So it was always little rough but I misjudged the speed of a car at an intersection and got on it, but not full throttle or anything, and as I turned the transmission did more then shudder. The transmission disengaged for a solid 2 count as the engine red lined while completely unloaded. I started to let off the throttle and the transmission grabbed hard making the entire corner very unsettled. I figured that it was the ECM flash that I needed even though mine felt a lot crazier than what others had described. my dealership in Wilsonville didn't even hesitate when they saw the TSB to go ahead and replace it and the tech reported he was easily able to make it do it again.
It feels completely different now. Shift points are improved, it stays in first much longer and the shifts are not as smooth as they were most of the time before but are much faster. Mine used to shift out of first by the time I hit about 10 mph and frequently hesitated between 1 - 2.
To be honest I'm not used to autos and just kind of assumed this is what everyone else had settled for. My last car was a manual mr2 spyder i drove so long I didn't even have to think about it. I knew its every quirk.
Here is what they sent me. It's all the info I have. It only lists 1 TSB but the service attendant said it was the result of "following the chain of linked TSBs based on the VIN".
Attachments
Whiplash Willy
New member
I have been going through some old, long, threads on this issue, and not been able to determine if this is normal or not, and what the cause/solution is for the "Rough Shifting from 1st - 2nd under partial throttle & under 20mph" issue.
Threads:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/68173-good-news-tranny-lag-new-tsb-fixes.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/89301-has-anyone-noticed.html
It seems like a high number of users in this forum have reported the rough shifts between 1-2 when going slow under partial throttle, even some of our very active members like [MENTION=8206]harper7[/MENTION], [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] and [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] to name a few.
Here are the outcomes I have found:
1. Some have reported it being fixed by the ECM flash performed with the TSB (tsb 0089-12).
-Some who have reported this issue couldn't receive the ECM because they vins are out of range.
-Some who have had the ECM flash still notice the issue.
2. Some say resetting the ECM's settings have fixed the issue.
-Others, including myself have found this to have no effect.
3. Some have had to have their entire transmissions replaced.
-Of those who had their trans replaced, reported the issue initially being fixed, but coming back a few thousand miles later.
-Of those who had their transmissions replaced, they also had issues where the trans would not just have a rough shift, but appear to shift out of gear between shifts and had their RPMs rev high before shifting to the next gear.
-Some mentioned the cause is an internal leak within the trans, and that the ECM Update is just a "band-aid" fix for this issue, and that only an internal leak would cause an issue like this.
4. Some have had 4oz of WS ATF added as an attempt by the dealer to fix this, however I didn't see anyone mention whether it fixed the issue or not.
5. Some write it off as a quirk of our transmission and seem to believe it has something to do with the adaptive transmission not adapting properly.
It seems weird to me that so many users report this exact problem and there is no clear consensus on what the cause/solution is.
My 2013 does this when ever I shift from 1st to 2nd when moving slowly in traffic. I also have issues with the transmission shifting at weird times during heavy acceleration. I am obviously out of the VIN range for the TSB, and I would assume I would have the latest software that the TSB applies to fix this issue. With my abnormal shifting issues, I worry that I have a real transmission issue that can't be fixed with an ECM Update, and will require a transmission replacement... (especially after reading [MENTION=88975]Swarty[/MENTION] s post)
I would love to hear from others that have any experience with this issue, whether they have just lived with it, or been able to find a fix for it.
Threads:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/68173-good-news-tranny-lag-new-tsb-fixes.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/89301-has-anyone-noticed.html
It seems like a high number of users in this forum have reported the rough shifts between 1-2 when going slow under partial throttle, even some of our very active members like [MENTION=8206]harper7[/MENTION], [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] and [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] to name a few.
Here are the outcomes I have found:
1. Some have reported it being fixed by the ECM flash performed with the TSB (tsb 0089-12).
-Some who have reported this issue couldn't receive the ECM because they vins are out of range.
-Some who have had the ECM flash still notice the issue.
2. Some say resetting the ECM's settings have fixed the issue.
-Others, including myself have found this to have no effect.
3. Some have had to have their entire transmissions replaced.
-Of those who had their trans replaced, reported the issue initially being fixed, but coming back a few thousand miles later.
-Of those who had their transmissions replaced, they also had issues where the trans would not just have a rough shift, but appear to shift out of gear between shifts and had their RPMs rev high before shifting to the next gear.
-Some mentioned the cause is an internal leak within the trans, and that the ECM Update is just a "band-aid" fix for this issue, and that only an internal leak would cause an issue like this.
4. Some have had 4oz of WS ATF added as an attempt by the dealer to fix this, however I didn't see anyone mention whether it fixed the issue or not.
5. Some write it off as a quirk of our transmission and seem to believe it has something to do with the adaptive transmission not adapting properly.
It seems weird to me that so many users report this exact problem and there is no clear consensus on what the cause/solution is.
My 2013 does this when ever I shift from 1st to 2nd when moving slowly in traffic. I also have issues with the transmission shifting at weird times during heavy acceleration. I am obviously out of the VIN range for the TSB, and I would assume I would have the latest software that the TSB applies to fix this issue. With my abnormal shifting issues, I worry that I have a real transmission issue that can't be fixed with an ECM Update, and will require a transmission replacement... (especially after reading [MENTION=88975]Swarty[/MENTION] s post)
I would love to hear from others that have any experience with this issue, whether they have just lived with it, or been able to find a fix for it.
letzrace
New member
I just purchased a used 2012 Trail with 24k miles on her last month. i;ve noticed my transmission always has a hard shift when going from 1-2nd gear. Im glad its not just me. I plan on taking it into the dealer next week to have them check it out. i'll post the results after they take a look at it. Hopefully something will be done besides them telling me its "normal".
