A/T temp light

[aceseverywhere]

95 3vze automatic.

When i drive the truck with a full load the A/T temp light comes on. I have speculations of my own by i want to see of they match others opinions. Why does this happen?

 

[DC runner]

Welp.

It means your transmission fluid has exceeded the maximum safe temperature and you are burning your transmission fluid. You are doing damage to your transmission if you continue to allow this to happen multiple times and do not change your fluid. Burnt fluid loses its physical properties that are necessary for the transmissions function.


I suggest you have your transmission looked at. If your transmission proves to be fine, perhaps you should install an external cooler to prevent this from happening.

 

[SV_Dude]

95 3vze automatic.

When i drive the truck with a full load the A/T temp light comes on. I have speculations of my own by i want to see of they match others opinions. Why does this happen?

Because your transmission gets hot...


You can look into your radiator, maybe the front is blocked and not cooling your tranny fluid very well. Also, if your fluid is old then it will break down and the properties of it will change. At that point the effectiveness of cooling and lubrication are dropped big time.

I suggest you have your transmission looked at. If your transmission proves to be fine, perhaps you should install an external cooler to prevent this from happening.

The tranny should already have lines running to the bottom portion of the radiator for cooling the fluid.

 

[aceseverywhere]

i changed the tranny fluid and gasket and filter 3 months ago. could it be possible that i put to much fluid and its over heating. when i pull the tranny dipstick the fluid level is beyond those 2 holes on the dipstick or did i not put enough fluid
. ill check the radiator as well.

 

[aceseverywhere]

so i noticed that there are 2 drain plugs on my tranny. im guessing its because its 4wd. can you drain the fluid from just 1 or do you have to do both?

 

[SV_Dude]

You sure it's not one on the tranny and one on the xfer case?

 

[aceseverywhere]

yeah its the trasnfer case

 

[ORPHeus]

Flcikering a/t temp light. (Not steady on or blink). Vehicle fucntions perfectly.

So: 1999 T 4Runner Sr5/4wd
Was on a trip and had been driving for 40 miles at 65 mph on cruise when the A/T temp light started flashing. When I'd take my foot off the gas it would stop IMMEDIATELY.


I think the main points of importance are:
-Flickers. Does not blink or Flash in a pattern. Different each time. Random.
-Stops when I take my foot off gas.
-Fluid level and colors are fine. Vehicle functions perfectly in every way.


So I looked it up and noticed other people had similar problems at same speed/distance. The yesterday when I started it, let it warm to operating temp. When I left the driveway it started flickering again. There is no pattern. This isn't a blink it's the briefest of flickers. Then it will go dark, and flicker again. It seemed almost to match up with small bumps on the road (I live in deep country), and thought it might be a loose wire. But if it were a loose wire, whether I had down on the gas or not would not matter. It stops when I lay off the gas.

The car runs in perfect margins everywhere else. Since I bought it a year ago, although the vehicle has 230,000 miles on it,* one-family-owned 4runner shifts and drives smooth as ˟˟˟˟ from a duck's behind. The tranny has been a little noisy since I bought it. A problem I remedied when I took the center cabin/plastic housing off the shifter and found that the boot there was torn. Contacting the guy who'd sold it to me he told me the tranny had been replaced in 2002 (it's a 99) and it had always been (very) hot around the shifter. You could warm a cup of coffee it had been so hot. So I insulated it. To no real immediate effect, except reduced cabin noise and temperature (what I'd wanted). I am SURE, at the very least the fluid has not been changed in 50,000+. The last owner, who had inherited from sister seemed to take her for granted. The fluid is a "normal" red and the level is perfect.

So there I am with a perfectly running vehicle with a blinking/flickering a/t temp light with no other symptoms except it stops when I take my foot off the gas. Again, it began on a longish trip. Yesterday it started out of the driveway. No way it could be overheated that quickly. RIght?

I fear the worst.

*The vehicle has some rust. A few weeks back I had a coolant leak. It was from the rear heater return. I by-passed to no immediate effect. Save for stooping coolant drip. Which had been my goal. I searched five states for a good Sr5. This vehicle means a lot to me. As a side note, I saw a LOT of them over 175,000 miles.


**If I do pull codes off it, does anyone know where I connect to get tranny codes and where there is a database to match up with?


**I saw the post below that I've included a screenshot of below on a forum. Can this REALLY ONLY mean I have transmission failure?


THANKS!

 

[fourwd1]

Your truck is a 99, so it should have OBD-II, which requires a code reader/scanner.
Most auto parts stores will do it for free, or you may be able to borrow one.
The cheapie ones may not be able to read the trans codes.
That may point you in a direction.
The way you say the light flickers may be due to something else, I'll try to look at the wiring diagram.

I'm also responding to your post in the other forum.