2002 4runner Transmission Slipping

[animator]

The transmission in my 2002 4runner 4x4 started slipping, so I'm looking for some advice on my options for either rebuilding or replacing it.


Last night putting the car into reverse on a cold startup, reverse slipped pretty bad, and I felt a lot of chatter as the car backed up. It was also reversing up hill. Forward gears seemed fine. It drove home 30 miles at 70-75mph fine.


This morning, reversing downhill was fine (not really even needed), but I noticed forward gears were slipping and could feel chatter.


On the highway, at any RPM above 2k, and especially on any sort of uphill grade, it slips, and on level surface, will slip if I gun the throttle. At stoplights on flat surfaces, it will slip in any gear as speed increase. This just started today, and did not show any signs of issues prior to this.


The car has around 240k on it, with all original parts. Fluid was changed probably 20k miles ago with Valvoline synthetic (same fluid I've used on every change), but is probably due for a change. I've got a remote cooler bypassing the radiator, so it's not a pink milkshake situation. Fluid was at the correct level while hot, appears red in color, and is not dark or burnt, and smelled normal.


It's also only a DD, and is not often used off-road, and the car is otherwise as stock as it came from the factory. I'm having the car towed home tonight, so I guess I will need to see what options I've got, and will be searching while waiting for any replies or advice. Thanks in advance.

 

[LittleCaesar]

If you are looking to get into another automobile in the near future, I'd look for a used one and go from there.

If not, then maybe these guys could get you a remanned Yota one. More costly but will last much longer:
TRDparts4u accessories for your Toyota car, truck, 4x4 or SUV with Genuine Toyota and offroad specialty parts.

 

[aontkos]

On this forum people generally recommend installing a low mileage used unit from a salvage yard. These transmissions don't fail often, although I would argue that people with 2000-2002 3rd Gens aren't as lucky, so buying a used one with a warranty can be a good option. It's always a gamble though, so getting a warranty is critical.

In my opinion, rebuilds are even more of a crap shoot.

Personally, I went with a Jasper remanufactured unit. It has been good to me so far, but the internet is full of bad reviews for their remanufactured engines. I haven't seen too many positive or negative reviews for their transmissions though. I went with Jasper just because they have a 3 year/100,000 mile nationwide warranty, which is better than what Toyota offers. They seem to be priced similar to the Toyota ones....I just hope it lasts.

There are a lot of mixed feelings about this topic. I understand your pain- good luck!

 

[diverscale]

Well automatic transmissions sometimes fail, as they comprise parts that gets wear and tear, that is one big risk of owning an old vehicle. If your vehicle is pristine, and you want to keep it, I don't see why you would not bit the bullet $, find a used transmission and replace it, be it by yourself or by a mechanic.

I would never replace a vehicle because the transmission fails, unless the rest of the vehicle was not worth it, or the used transmission would be impossible to find.

Even buying a used automatic 3rd gen, you'll have the risk of running into the same situation down the road.

I found a used 1997 transmission last month from ''LKQ'' florida, it was 400$ plus 300$ shipping to canada. Add labor to that, the 15$ front and rear transmission seals, 50$ worth of merconIII oil, and it still is not the price of a used vehicle. You'll also have the chance to look at the flex plate and do the rear engine seal.

 

[mtbtim]

It sounds like your transmission has given up the ghost. You could go used, but like was mentioned above, it's a gamble because it's a lot of labor to replace and it would suck to do it all over again if you find the replacement is crap. If I were going to go the used route, I'd try to find somebody local that has a wrecked 2001 or 2002 that they are parting out. This way you can verify the mileage by seeing what their odometer is at or running a CarFax and verifying the mileage that way by the last time the vehicle was smogged. Or, you could pull one off a wrecked 01 or 02 at a PickNPull but first do a CarFax on the VIN to find out what the mileage is.

With the mileage you currently have, you have to ask yourself how much you love your rig. These 3.4 liter motors are as solid as they come but that doesn't mean you won't have a major problem surface very soon down the road like a blown head gasket or cracked head.

The only way this job is cost effective is if you do the labor yourself. If you plan on paying somebody to do it, I think this gets to the point of possibly not being worth it and maybe it's better to let this one go and put the money towards another used 3rd Gen with less miles or another vehicle altogether.

Here's a 3 Part Video Series of replacing the transmission on @inframousRNR 2002 3rd Gen. It's a labor intensive job but not particularly technical. If you have the time, the right tools, and somebody to help you, you can do this no problem.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZDSjlxl2Q4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4GA3UhPC5Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T4YY3IfnzaQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[animator]

Here's a 3 Part Video Series of replacing the transmission on @inframousRNR 2002 3rd Gen. It's a labor intensive job but not particularly technical. If you have the time, the right tools, and somebody to help you, you can do this no problem.

Thanks for those links, I will check them out.


LKQ shows one close by, so that may be an option. Every pick-n-pull around here seems to not have any 3rd gen 4runners, but it has been a while since I checked.

I've pulled and reinstalled transmissions before, so I have no issues taking this one out and re-doing it. It's just going to come down to the time to do the work, and what's more cost-effective vs my actual extremely limited free time.

I plan to keep the car, and had really hoped to see 300k out of it before any major issues, but I guess I can't complain too bad, as it's given me zero issues until now. And if I get a replacement, it'll be a new truck, and a transmission is still cheaper than a new truck