Delayed shifting when cold, yes I know its normal but.....

[thegipper]

The problem is definitely still there, bummer =(

Tranny temps as I wrote before in this thread are as follows (measured via glowshift gauge):

Temperature outside this morning: 40 degrees
Tranny temp at startup: less than 80 degrees (lowest my gauge reads)
Engine temp: 48 degrees (via ultra gauge)

Tranny temps don't start to rise until I'm a good 5 minutes or so into my commute.

I let the car idle for a minute or two and took off. Still stuck in first until the engine temp reaches about 125 degrees. Once it shifts out of first, everything is 100% normal. Only when it sits for awhile and cools back down does it get stuck in first for awhile.

In that article you posted Tim he said the main reason for torque converter drain back was loose valve body bolts. Like an idiot, I didn't check mine when I was in there yesterday. Myself or my brother never touched the valve body bolts but I probably should have checked them when I replaced the filter yesterday.

This is getting annoying....

 

[mtbtim]

The problem is definitely still there, bummer =(

Tranny temps as I wrote before in this thread are as follows (measured via glowshift gauge):

Temperature outside this morning: 40 degrees
Tranny temp at startup: less than 80 degrees (lowest my gauge reads)
Engine temp: 48 degrees (via ultra gauge)

Tranny temps don't start to rise until I'm a good 5 minutes or so into my commute.

I let the car idle for a minute or two and took off. Still stuck in first until the engine temp reaches about 125 degrees. Once it shifts out of first, everything is 100% normal. Only when it sits for awhile and cools back down does it get stuck in first for awhile.

In that article you posted Tim he said the main reason for torque converter drain back was loose valve body bolts. Like an idiot, I didn't check mine when I was in there yesterday. Myself or my brother never touched the valve body bolts but I probably should have checked them when I replaced the filter yesterday.

This is getting annoying....

I was wondering if you were going to check the valve body bolts while you were in there but I was also thinking why would they all of a sudden come loose. You must be a pro by now pulling the pan but it's more time and wasted fluid if it doesn't work.

 

[thegipper]

Yeah I don't know why they would come loose all of a sudden but I may still go back in there and check them. I really don't know at this point. No metal shaving at all in the pan either btw. I may just end up having to live with this problem until something explodes...

I'll be honest, I just reused the fluid that came out yesterday seeing as the fluid is effectively brand new.

The ECM and the cluster circuit board are still possibilities.

 

[catrains]

Yeah I don't know why they would come loose all of a sudden but I may still go back in there and check them. I really don't know at this point. No metal shaving at all in the pan either btw. I may just end up having to live with this problem until something explodes...

I'll be honest, I just reused the fluid that came out yesterday seeing as the fluid is effectively brand new.

The ECM and the cluster circuit board are still possibilities.

I have had delayed upshift issue .. I used this product Motor Medic M1410TS Trans Medic Automatic Transmission Treatment (Fully Synthetic) - 10 oz...

first I sucked out the 10 OZ of tranny fluid from tranny. then started up the engine and then added this product. did not shutdown the engine ... went for a 20 mile run ... delayed up shift was fixed...

I also have had reports from others that had this issue . pan clean . no pan debris .. fluid always replaced at regular intervals. the issue is age on the seals .. these can be anywhere in the tranny .. so when cold the seals weep and loss of pressure and the delayed upshifts. many had success.. IF the tranny is in bad shape abused then this may not fix it .. some noticed it was much better but still intermittent .. they added another bottle totally fixed it..

I only needed one bottle .. give it 200 miles to work.

 

[thegipper]

I have had delayed upshift issue .. I used this product Motor Medic M1410TS Trans Medic Automatic Transmission Treatment (Fully Synthetic) - 10 oz...

first I sucked out the 10 OZ of tranny fluid from tranny. then started up the engine and then added this product. did not shutdown the engine ... went for a 20 mile run ... delayed up shift was fixed...

I also have had reports from others that had this issue . pan clean . no pan debris .. fluid always replaced at regular intervals. the issue is age on the seals .. these can be anywhere in the tranny .. so when cold the seals weep and loss of pressure and the delayed upshifts. many had success.. IF the tranny is in bad shape abused then this may not fix it .. some noticed it was much better but still intermittent .. they added another bottle totally fixed it..

I only needed one bottle .. give it 200 miles to work.

This is definitely an option. I could throw a bottle of Lucas in there, don't have much to lose at this point.

 

[catrains]

This is definitely an option. I could throw a bottle of Lucas in there, don't have much to lose at this point.

I never used lucas ..

I got the product I used at pepboys about $10.......

 

[thegipper]

Well it's been about 75 miles later since I added the Lucas tranny stuff, still having the same problem.

I'm going to wait another week before I try something else. PCM? Gauge cluster circuit board?

Who the hell knows at this point....

 

[Caden Crawford]

Huh mine does take a while to shift when cold but I think its normal.

 

[thegipper]

Huh mine does take a while to shift when cold but I think its normal.

A delayed 2nd to 3rd shift is totally normal when the engine is not warmed up. Mine doesn't shift out of 1st until the engine reaches about 130 degrees, than everything is fine. It's doing exactly what its "supposed" to do but in 1st gear (not normal) instead of not shifting into 3rd from second.

I did the stall test (floor it while holding the brake down) and the TC stalls at 2400rpm ish which is normal.

Check the TPS and it checks out fine (volt meter and its reading normal via Ultra gauge).

I'm still getting random CEL for P0301 but it never shows up on my dash, only as pending on my ultra gauge.

At this point, I'm going to get a junkyard ECM and TPS. I'm running out of ideas at this point.

I hate to spend 150 dollars on new solenoids since I have zero codes and everything shifts 100% normal after it warms up and gets out of 1st gear. What's so weird is once it finally shifts into 2nd, the "stuck in 1st" symptom never, ever comes back until it cools down for a couple hours and then it starts all over again.

I'm ready to push this thing off a cliff...

 

[thegipper]

Update:

Went to the junkyard and got a new ECM from a 97, Sr5, v6 automatic just like mine. A TPS and MAF and a couple other things.

Installed just the ECM. Engine temp was at 104 so it would normally be stuck in 1st (until about 130ish). Took it around the block AND IT DIDN'T GET STUCK IN 1ST !!!

I'm going to wait like 5 hours and try again but on face value, I think it's fixed!

Don't pop the champagne yet but get the glasses out!

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[thegipper]

Oh and the chick at the counter had no idea what I was buying and said "how about 5 bucks for it all". I gladly accepted the price!!

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[ltsr]

Update:

Went to the junkyard and got a new ECM from a 97, Sr5, v6 automatic just like mine. A TPS and MAF and a couple other things.

Installed just the ECM. Engine temp was at 104 so it would normally be stuck in 1st (until about 130ish). Took it around the block AND IT DIDN'T GET STUCK IN 1ST !!!

I'm going to wait like 5 hours and try again but on face value, I think it's fixed!

Don't pop the champagne yet bit get the glasses out!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

If it is the computer, you should open it up and see if anything is out of place and share with us. Here's a preliminary congratulations! :cheers:

 

[thegipper]

I did open up the old ECM a few days ago, it's a couple pages back. Board looked perfectly normal on face value (no obvious leaking caps or anything).

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[LittleCaesar]

I am happy to hear such.

So I have to ask does it take the temp to reach 130 before it shifts from 2nd to 3rd now?

Have to love junkyard otc folks. Clueless for the most part. I once scored an Edlebrock carb/manifold set up on a 350 Corvette for $2. In Summit/Jegs it was going for $800.

 

[Volcomstone]

Mine has been doing the same thing for a month or two, but not revving to 4k. I have a scangauge II on it and it does shift rather high when cold. 110~ ish but I keep mine under 3k and just ride at 15-20 mph. I've been noticing that my temp gauge on dash bounces under acceleration. May be a coincidence they happened around the same time, I'm having a hard time tracking this down as well. :smash:

 

[T4R2014]

I'd change the fluid to get that Lucas out now... that's some thick stuff.

 

[thegipper]

Put the glasses away, still does it.

WTF!

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[thegipper]

Well at least I got the ECM for 5 bucks and was able to rule that out as the source of the problem.

I still have a TPS that I can put in and see if that changes anything.

What I really don't get is why it won't go into 2nd gear if I manually put it in "2". Even during the "warm up" period, if I manually put it in 2nd, it should go in.

I read on Yotatech a guy with an older Tacoma disconnected the shift solenoids connectors from the outside of the transmission. He did this to confirm that his shifting issues were with the solenoids. He said his CEL light came on (normal) but it allowed him to manually shift between 1, 2, 3 on the shifter.

Anyone know if this would work with a 3rd gen 4runner? If I could do that same test, and I can manually shift between the 1, 2, and drive, it would seem that the solenoids are the problem even though I don't have a CEL code for them right now.

The only other thing I haven't tested is the gauge cluster circuit board as suggested earlier in my post. I still really doubt this is the issue because every instance I've read of this was on a 2000+ with the digital odometer, I have a 97. I'm assuming the boards are completely different. I guess it still wouldn't hurt at this point.

Who knows, maybe the transmission itself is screwed up even though it shows absolutely zero other signs of having any problems.

The sage continues....

 

[LittleCaesar]

Well that blows. Nothing more. Good thing the bubbly is in the fridge.

I guess it couldn't hurt to disconnect the solenoids. I guess the only thing that was narrowed down is that the problem is indeed electrical in nature.

 

[thegipper]

Well that blows. Nothing more. Good thing the bubbly is in the fridge.

I guess it couldn't hurt to disconnect the solenoids. I guess the only thing that was narrowed down is that the problem is indeed electrical in nature.

At least I got the ECM for 5 bucks! Plus I got a MAF and a TPS. I'm going to swap the TPS next. And I want to check the voltage although I'm pretty sure it is fine (I've read a few reports where low voltage will screw with the tranny).

Anyone know exactly which connectors on the outside of the tranny are for the solenoids? A picture would be mega awesome.