4Runner won't move forward in Drive when cold

[txt4r]

I have a '99 with about 130k miles. It starts having some problems lately in the cold mornings -- sometimes it is reluctant to go into Drive when it is cold (temperature here around 40 F in the morning). I can back out of the garage/driveway just fine, but when I put it in Drive, the car does not move forward. Rev the engine a bit, still no go. Just like it is in Neutral. Put it in 2 or L, same thing -no go. Put it in Drive again, and keep reving the engine for a while, then suddenly it "slams" in with a jolt and big noise. Once it moves, everything is back to normal. Drives fine, and tranny shifts okay.

It only does it when cold; once it is warm, it is fine. I have checked transmission fluid (regularly drained and refilled every 20k), level, color, smell all seem to be fine. I am afraid it will not go in at all sometime and I will be stuck. Suggestions?

 

[96743runner]

Try warming up your truck for several minutes on cold start-ups before you drive. If it's really cold, I would think that the fluid would get more thick and wouldn't flow as easy, causing problems when you try to put it in D. I have no idea why it doesn't do that when you reverse, but that's just my thoughts.

 

[brian2sun]

Next time put it in 4hi and see if it makes a difference and then 4lo. Could be driveline.

 

[legokcen]

... starts having some problems lately in the cold mornings ....

Happens to me sometimes as well. I have to stretch and have a hot cup of coffee to get me going... brrrrrr it's cold here...


All kidding aside there is something you could check mechanically. Look under the car at the transmission and see if the shifter linkages all are tight and the working properly. Under where the shifter is you'll see an arm linking to the transmission. It could be loose or bent and not engaging the forward gears. Make sure everything with it is tight and operating properly.

 

[Qyota]

Sounds like a sticky solenoid to me. Seriously, 40F is not cold. My truck with a failing 1st gear clutch sprag will engage in zub zero weather just fine. ATF doesn't freeze at mortal temps, and the colder/thicker fluid should actually increase line pressure. Letting the truck idle in the driveway does nothing to warm the tranny.

Check the fluid level (hot, in park on level surface, after going through all the gears twice). If that checks out, the problem is probably internal. Sticky solenoid, or worn/sticky sprag, etc.

 

[AF808fighter]

Mine does the same thing but in reverse in 10 degree weather. Where is the solenoid?

 

[Qyota]

Solenoids on the A340 are on the valve body. You need to drop the trans pan to get to them.

 

[J.A.]

I just had this happen to me in my 99 once in the recent 20degree weather spell we have been having. At first I thought it might be the rear axle seals again but I didnt get the telltale thump and go kick in the pants when the rear brakes release. Thought it might be the trans fluid thickening but I am running synthetic Amsoil which should reduce this? Hope it is not serious.

 

[Champ306]

My 99 will do this once in a while when left alone for a week or so and its super cold. it will drive in 1st or 2nd gear, just not drive. so, i pull up driveway in one of those gears and go in reverse, do this maybe once or twice and then D works fine. its like something is hanging up not allowing full pressure in there? Seems totally fine otherwise.

 

[txt4r]

Thank you all very much for all the replies. The same thing happened again this morning. Openned the window while shifting between the gears (R, D, P, 2, and L). Car did not move at all for about 2-3 minutes. Then it suddenly slam in with a big clunk. I kept shifting a few more times between D and R and heard some noise coming from the rear end/brakes. Brought it to my mechanic friend who specializes in Toyota vehicles. Good news is that it's not the tranny. He adjusted the rear/parking brakes and lubed the parking brake cables etc. and said it should be okay now. I will test it tomorrow morning and report back to see whether it was caused by sticky rear brakes.

Thank you all again!

 

[Qyota]

Sorry, I don't think the brakes are the problem. Even if they were stuck, but then released suddenly, you wouldn't feel a SLAM like you did. The slam is the forward gear engaging abruptly (accumulator not working?) and sending that jolt to your differential.

Sounds a lot like the problem I've had, although mine will engage if I dropped it into L.

I gave up trying to diagnose this tranny...it just doesn't seem to fail often enough to have a lot of info available to the DIY'er. I just received my donor tranny from another '99 4x4 with 78K, and will have it installed next week. I'm REALLY hoping that ends the feud I've been having with this truck for a long time now!

best of luck!

 

[brian2sun]

Have you guys checked your u-joints yet? When was the last time you greased the zerks?

 

[txt4r]

I promised to report back.

It was like 20 F the last two mornings (probably nothing for those in the north, but extremely cold for us living in central TX. lol). Car starts, shifts, and runs fine without any issue. Seems the fix on sticky rear breaks solved the problem.

Again, thank you all for all the responses and suggestions. I love this forum.

Additional thoughts: While doing some research on the possible causes for the sympotom described in my original posting, I learned here and there on the internet that there are several possiblilities (some were suggested by you guys). Let me summarize what I learned and hope the list below (starting with the easiest and lowest cost) is helpful for someone with similar issues:

1. check transimmsion fluid (run the car for 20 minutes, park in a flat surface, go through all the gears slowly, put in P, check the fluid)

2. make sure the battery is good (google '4Runner, battery, transimmision' you will see several people having similar issue with a dying battery)

3. rear brakes/e-brakes, and rear axel seals/leaking

4. clean/replace transmission filter; add Lubeguard (don't know what this is, but one guy mentioned this somewhere else and solved his problem.

5. transmission solenoids (google this site and other sites for locations, pictures, and procedures to check and replace transimission solenoids)

6. (add here)

7. (add here)

.....

The very last option is transmission rebuilt/replacement. Very few 4Runner owners have had to go this route.

 

[Qyota]

Wow. I stand corrected (perhaps). I still don't see how a released stuck brake can cause a SLAM like you described.

Let me just go through the process here:

1. Back out of garage just fine (brakes not stuck)
2. Select Drive, nothing happens (brakes now stuck)
3. Go through the gears, rev engine (no effect)
4. Brakes suddenly unstick with a "jolt and big noise" (brakes now unstuck)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't the truck overcome the rear brakes? Nearly 200 horsepower can't overcome two measly brake drums?

Still seems fishy.

 

[Cambo]

I have to agree, no way that was the rear brakes. My guess is your buddy also added some tranny fluid. When doing the 'manual' transmission flush with multiple changes I had trouble getting the car to move in D, turns out it was low fluid that caused the problem. It had the same SLAM you described, etc. Either way if it is working great, but my money is on the tranny and low fluid.

 

[shawnstcyr]

Mine did that last week. Backed out fine, sluggish in forward gear. I put it in 4 Lo and pulled back in. I let it idle for about 10 mins and drove it away, no problems. Idling WILL warm up your fluid. Your trans cooler is located in the radiator. The torque converter will circulate the fluid. Once the radiator warms, the fluid begins to also.

I added a bottle of TransX, for good measure.

 

[Qyota]

I don't let my truck warm up more than 30 seconds, and it drives just fine in sub-zero temps. Cold fluid can't be the reason this is happening. Although I AM seeing a pattern with 1999 4runners here.

 

[MunkeyTX]

...Put it in Drive again, and keep reving the engine for a while, then suddenly it "slams" in with a jolt and big noise. Once it moves, everything is back to normal. Drives fine, and tranny shifts okay.

It only does it when cold; once it is warm, it is fine....

I'm going to have to believe this guy, my 4Runner did the same thing for a while. Keep in mind I've got a 5spd manual transmission; same scenario as above, backed out fine, put it into 1st gear, clutch/gas=no go, give it more gas and still no go, finally after putting it into 4lo, we're moving with a HUGE jolt (enough to make my neighbor standing outside look at me funny). It's done this to me on random occasions in warm and cold weather. I've also noticed the rear end locking up just before coming to a stop while it is wet out. Haven't had the time to pull the drums and check things out.

 

[cwrose]

I've read each post in the thread twice now and I don't think that my suggestion will offer any help, but my gf had an issue with her 4runner in the winter months. Every time she'd try to pull out of the driveway (in reverse) while at her parents house, the car would just rev up and not go anywhere. All of a sudden there would be a small jolt and the truck started moving. This happened pretty much around 30 degrees or colder.

Anyway, when she told me about it, I asked her if she was setting her parking brake, and she replied with a yes. I told her that her parking brake was freezing and even though she released it, it was in fact still engaged. It happens a lot where I live to newbies (aka, people new to cold climates). Since then she does not set her brake and she has not had a repeat of the problem.

This makes me wonder if the gentleman who had his rear/parking brakes adjusted sets his parking brake at or near freezing temps. Since the adjustment seems to have solved the problem perhaps this was the case. But then again, it doesn't explain why it only happened in a forward gear and not reverse.

As long as it is cured now, I suppose that's all that matters. Best of luck to whoever else is having the problem.

 

[efficientsense]

Hi, I'm new and not mechanically inclined.

I have a similar problem. When the temperature drops to say 4F, my vehicle won't move when I shift to drive. The vehicle tries to move but it is moving like a cm (foot off the brake). However, if I reverse, the truck will roll fine. So, on cold days I have to let it warm up for say 10 minutes and then it is good to go. My vehicle is a 1999 4runner SR5 automatic.

The only related issue would be the radiator cracked and leaked fluid into the transmission and it was drained 7 times (according to dealership) and then they sent it to get flushed by a machine because draining wasn't clearing the problem.