2003 T4R Floppy Shifter

[VertigoPerformance]

I am guessing someone figured this out..

There is a pin sitting in a hole with a spring it in right next to the shifter post. What I can't figure out it how to get the pin to stay in place when reinstalling it.

I think the cause of the problem is the grease dries up causing friction on the pin flipping it out of the hole or the grease dries up and the plastic wears to a point the pin can pop out.. either way I have to get the pin to stay seated and am unable to have that happen.. Any suggestions?

 

[TeryT]

Anyone found good solution?

Ditto on this problem. Happened to me this weekend on my 03. Anyone found a good solution other than forking over $600+ for a new shift box mechanism?

(FYI: someone on another thread said they were just using a rubber band to hold it in 4th while towing . . .)

 

[VertigoPerformance]

$600?? They are $1100 in Canada.. I am doing without, it only took a few days to get use to it.. I think mass emails to Toyota should be in order. They can sell the small plastic plate for $50 ($100 if they are greedy) or make no sales at all.

 

[smitty8263]

03 4runner shifter sloppy

I have a 03 4runner SR5 4.7 just turned over 166K miles and I pulled a guy out of ditch yesterday and put vehicle in low 4WD so wouldn't put much strain on trans & put tranny in low 1 and now I have noticed the shifter being sloppy, has anyone found a easy fix or low cost fix?

 

[TeryT]

Cheap fix

For the past couple of years I have used a black elastic band with a fender washer. Run the elastic through the washer and tie it tight enough to just slip over the gear shifter. Put the shifter into drive and stick the washer into the edge of the little compartment door that's in the shift console.

This holds the shifter over into 4th gear. The elastic is flexible and will allow you to put it in a few different gears. If moving more than a couple gears, pop the washer out of the door edge.

When not using (during towing) I slip it off and store in that little compartment.

Not real sophisticated, but does the trick (and is well worth not paying over $600 to replace everything)!

 

[Kmvreter]

... Put the shifter into drive and stick the washer into the edge of the little compartment door that's in the shift console.

This holds the shifter over into 4th gear...

Trying to visualize this. Can you take some pics?
Thanks.

 

[TeryT]

Pix worth at least 100 words . . .

 

[Kmvreter]

Now I get it.

Is keeping it in D an issue?

 

[TeryT]

When towing they recommend keeping it in 4th and not drive, as the transmission will hunt too much.

 

[Kmvreter]

When towing they recommend keeping it in 4th and not drive, as the transmission will hunt too much.

I understand but what I meant was:
Others in the thread were saying the shifter is side-to-side floppy in and out of D. You are keeping it in 4th for a reason. Do you have trouble keeping it in D (to the right) and not randomly going into 4th when not towing?

 

[wutagoalie]

I have the exact same issue as you. My shifter worked great, one day i tried one of the lower gears it was stiff, so i applied a little pressure and it gave way and its been floppy ever since. I took the shifter assy apart a few times and the problem lies in a small steel spring loaded pin that sits in a small plastic hole. That small plastic hole is most likely cracked or broken which means your pin has probably dislodged and fallen out like mine. I tried to doctor up a few different things but it would never work. Without a proper hole that is deep enough for the pin to stay inside, it will never work. I don't tow anything, so i don't use 4L. My 4L works if i hold it to the side myself, so i have gotten used to it.

 

[TeryT]

No, it stays in D normally, and does not flop around.

 

[baddna]

I have the exact same issue as you. My shifter worked great, one day i tried one of the lower gears it was stiff, so i applied a little pressure and it gave way and its been floppy ever since. I took the shifter assy apart a few times and the problem lies in a small steel spring loaded pin that sits in a small plastic hole. That small plastic hole is most likely cracked or broken which means your pin has probably dislodged and fallen out like mine. I tried to doctor up a few different things but it would never work. Without a proper hole that is deep enough for the pin to stay inside, it will never work. I don't tow anything, so i don't use 4L. My 4L works if i hold it to the side myself, so i have gotten used to it.

That's precisely how I broke mine. Going down a fire road, wanting to shift from D to 3 at 25mph. Felt resistance, so pulled a bit harder and something snapped.

Disassembled the shifter. Once I got to the part where I took out the shift lever lock pin on pg 40-34, then removed the top of Floor Shift Assembly. The underside of this top has a shaped plastic track with detents for holding the shift lever in a particular gear position. Beneath the top, I found the inch-long metal pin laying on the floorboard, and a plastic framework attached to the left of the shift lever. This black and beige plastic frame moves with the shift lever, and in its hole was its spring. This is the location for the floating detent pin. The pin is flat on one end and hemispherical on the other (the rounded end rides the plastic guide that comes off the top of Floor Shift Assembly when the shift lever lock pin is removed. The lip of the plastic hole was fractured. Placed the pin back in its hole, reassembled and tried to run through the gears. That pin popped right back out (with resistance). Note that there is the mechanical cable linkage for all gears EXCEPT between D and 3. That appears to be an electronic switch to disengage overdrive (D). So this little nightmare pin in plastic is my issue for my '03 automatic.

I'm trying to see how I might secure a nut or guide for the pin and spring, because I can't imagine Toyota will sell me the plastic bit that the pin and spring seat into. I also wonder if I could trim the spring to create less detent force -- enough to keep the pin in place without causing it to be so stiff as to press against the fractured side of the plastic housing (and just pop right back out).

Seems like a very weak design, but maybe there is something odd about trying to downshift while in motion with the design. I can't imagine what that is -- looking at the engineering of the parts, the pin should simply float as it presses on that top lid track.

Maybe I can take pictures to depict my description. I would be reluctant to purchase a replacement at a junkyard -- whats to say the replacement doesn't have the same aging effects.

 

[TeryT]

My dealer's parts guy, who I know somewhat, said it's the whole assembly or nothing. So good luck!

 

[joshik]

reviving this thread. anyone find a solution? It seems like this is a common problem. I have an 03 and several years ago the shifter was tough to shift between 4-3 and downward... or something like that. I would have to give it a nice tap to get it to downshift. Finally i heard a snap and VOILA... floppiness galore. ive dealt w/ it over the years but I'm cleaning up my 03 4R so my wife can drive it around town and i can take the prius for my long drives for work. im going to take it apart in the next few days to poke around....

 

[alstonian]

This is exactly what happened to me yesterday. So I'm doing regular driving and not towing, occationally i need passing power and shift down from D to 4 which I will just pull it to the left and down to 3rd.

My question is other than the annoyingness of the hand held or washer with rubber band solution, is there any hard to the transmission at all?

 

[baddna]

This is exactly what happened to me yesterday. So I'm doing regular driving and not towing, occationally i need passing power and shift down from D to 4 which I will just pull it to the left and down to 3rd.

My question is other than the annoyingness of the hand held or washer with rubber band solution, is there any hard to the transmission at all?

I haven't fixed mine, but the plastic holder is the little black object in which I'm holding the pin that rides in the selector track. The bottom of the pin has a spring, and that black plastic is the tube in which the metal pin rides. Seems that a small machined holder that could be properly clamped would solve our common issue. Someday, I'll get around to it.

 

[Runner Up]

Badna, I now have this exact same problem. I don't suppose you've come up with machined metal replacement part have you? It seems like this is now a somewhat common, yet very expensive problem.

Would you mind explaining how to remove the top of the black plastic shifter box in the picture you posted? Do you just gently pry upwards and forward the back of it with a screw driver?

 

[curtis325]

3D printer help? Someone on here has one. Also, is there a way to prevent this problem from happening in the beginning? Trimming the spring? Or lubricating something?

 

[Runner Up]

3D printer help? Someone on here has one. Also, is there a way to prevent this problem from happening in the beginning? Trimming the spring? Or lubricating something?

Yes, a 3D printer could most likely fix this problem. I'm going to strip it down even further this weekend to have a better look at it. As far as prevention, pro-active lubrication may very well be the answer. I'm anxious to have a look at the underside of the shifter box top plate. In order to remove the top plate, you have to remove a 4" pin at the rear of the black shifter box, held in place by a small push nut. I hope new push nuts of that size (quite small...about 5mm) are easy to find!