94 Runner Tranny Update....

C

Clone of the Mean

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Brought my kids runner down from Flagstaff to Tucson. Driving it around I still need to manually shift the tranny. I am able to leave it in D(rive) and accelerate to 60MPH but it won't shift gears so I'm assuming it is accelerating in 3rd? (Kind of like a go kart) The O/D is not working normally but will come to life for a bit and go away again.

I found a used tranny w a 6 month warranty, but I'm thinking a selonoid kit might be the answer. Can a shop run a diagnostic on the tranny to pinpoint the problem? Can they tell if it's related to something else, like an ECU? And finally where can I buy a selonoid kit in Tucson? Lotta questions, but I'm a Chevy Blazer guy, these Runners are too involved for me....
 
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I had a similar issue to yours on my 88 3.0 auto. I replaced all the solenoids and the damn thing still would not shift into OD. So by process of elimination I tracked it back to the ECU. I replaced the ECU and now OD and all shifting works fine. bulkpart.com seems to have the best prices on the kit. Less than $200 for all of them.
 
Okay, I took the runner to a tranny shop today. Tech plugged a wire into a control box, got some codes but said he didn't know what they meant (???). We took it out for a spin and he seemed the to think there was nothing coming from the ECU and I should test that.

I started it up and left, lo and behold the tranny shifted completely normal, even the O/D worked! And did so for about 20 minutes. I stopped for a soda and thought I messed up cos I shut the motor off. Started it back up and again, completely normal. I got home, shut it off for an hour or so and now it isn't working anymore.

So whattya think? ECU? And how do I test it?
 
Very odd. I don't have an answer for you, but most likely whatever it is will be less than a new transmission, so that's good.
 
I never thought of that....... I'm more of an 80's Chevy guy. These Runners are way too intricate me. It's at a shop right now being diagnosed. It's $90, but now I'll have some definate answers. I'll post the results.
 
OK, here we go. Codes on the Runner

#14: Engine Ignition Signal Problem. Dunno what that means.

#21 Engine O2 Sensor. Explains the check engine light.

And the Winner!! #63 Trans No.2 Solenoid Problem.
Gonna guess that's 2nd gear???

Dealer wants almost $300 for the part. I can find all the solenoids on BulkPart.com for less than $200. Any other ideas for buying the solenoids? Only one shop locally sells them for abour $200 apiece.

I'm gonna run a few gallons of fluid through the tranny to flush it out. It's pretty black inside but not burned, just 5 years worth of manually shifting, I'm sure it got a little hot in there. Then I'm going to replace the solenoids unless I can find just the one I need. Thennnnnnn I'm going to do the O2 sensor, plugs and filter and air cleaner. Then I'm gonna send my kid the bill for not keeping up on "his " wheels.
 
So..... I found the solenoids locally. I checked the new solenoid with a DMM, There was 13.5 Ohms on the new compared to 12.3 on the old. I used a 9 volt battery to test them both and they both worked. My first thought was ****, I just spent $180 I didn't need to spend, but I plugged them in anyways.

Apparently just 1 ohm is enough to make the solenoid not want to work. So as of now the tranny is working perfectly normal. Shift points are dead on. It's a little slushy feeling, but there was a massive amount of clutch material in the pan so I'm gonna drain and replace a few quarts everyday, and throw in some additive as well. Any recommendations on that?

Anyway, $180 plus some shange is a hell of alot cheaper than the $2500 most shops were willing to let me spend when they knew what I needed. I met one honest tranny guy who told me "I'll rebuild it, but it won't fix your problem"..... "you'll have a brand new tranny with the same problem you have now". I said "Huh"? That's when I learned about solenoids.

The place I took it to for the diagnosis all but had the tranny pulled out when I showed up. Told me I was just gonna f*ck it up if I even tried to get into it. Think I'll stop by there today.

So thanks for all the help guys. Gonna tackle the valve cover gaskets next.
 
RIGHT ON!!! thats awesome. i have seen several cases (one of mine in particular) where water had gotten into the atf through the heat exchanger in the radiator and caused the solenoids to go bad, unfortunately for me it was too late, after weeks of driving on a slipping transmission i was told by several shops that a rebuild was a must to make it right.

point being: keep an eye on that atf level, if you notice it rise over time it may be a good idea to get a new radiator.
 
Wish i Would have found this thread before I spent 75 bucks and 9hrs pulling atrans(w/torque converter oil cooler transfer case and everything else trans related) from a 88 runner for my 89.these transmissions are a pain to remove. But hey I got 2 now lol. Do you have the p/n's for the selonids? My trans will only go in reverse regardless of what gear the selector is in......so I think it may be completly gone, but it started out just as you described yours did, progressivly got worse leading to my current situation of reverse only...well and park, no forward gears.
 
By the way, I hope I don't jinx the Runner, but my kid said it's doing great still. Mountain driving, couple of 2-3 hour road trips and even a little 4 wheeling.
 
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