Hard Downshift

[Mule Team 6]

I have a 2007 that downshifts hard into first when decelerating. It will sometimes shift hard into first after being completely stopped. It only occurs decelerating or stopped and will not do anything throughout the rest of the gears. I talked to the dealer and they told me it needed flushed. I talked to my independent service shop and they told me to avoid flushing, because there is no filter and the screen will get stopped up causing trouble down the road. I have also been told it may be a computer issue. Can anyone offer any advice. It has about 98000 miles.

 

[me_rikey]

I have a 2007 that downshifts hard into first when decelerating. It will sometimes shift hard into first after being completely stopped. It only occurs decelerating or stopped and will not do anything throughout the rest of the gears. I talked to the dealer and they told me it needed flushed. I talked to my independent service shop and they told me to avoid flushing, because there is no filter and the screen will get stopped up causing trouble down the road. I have also been told it may be a computer issue. Can anyone offer any advice. It has about 98000 miles.

you might have the driveline clunk issue, which can be prevalent when coming to a stop and already being at a stop.. i would look into that first, before assuming it's the transmission.

 

[Mule Team 6]

How do you diagnose that? What's the fix? Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Mule Team 6]

Nevermind, a little research on here and I answered my own question.

 

[Brizz]

You'd likely feel a noticeable clunk, but it's pretty easy to fix. There are 6 grease zirks on the driveshafts and they should be periodically greased.

 

[123GO]

Hesitating tranny

My title here sounds like Bruce Jenner...lol

I have an 07 V8 4runner that does perfect 99% of the time but once in a while if I roll through a stop sign, just not completely stopping or slow way down behind a car turning in front of me and then exellerate back up it dont seem to downshift and go? City driving under 35-40mph (fine highway).
Like it cant locate the gear it needs to be in to speed back up again? If I nail it harder 3/4th peddle it kicks down and takes off like it should. But the way these run hold on...lol
Changed fluid same thing. No changes!

Never noticed it when its cold, only after engines warmed up a while.
Is it the nature of the beast?
Maybe the way Im driving (not excellerating hard enough) or TPS , speed sensor, trans need reprogramed whats that cost if so?
Alot to ask Im sorry, and could be any or none above but wonder if anyones 4Runner ever done this after having any above issues mentioned so I state most causes I know of in case it is not normal?

I know odd shifting issues are just normal on some electronic shift cars today but on 4th gen 4Runners I cant find anything? Only on 3rds shifting weird.
Anyone else experience this issue, any links? :decision:
btw:
Thanks everyone for solving so many issues for me already. You guys are great!






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[fdbyrne]

My title here sounds like Bruce Jenner...lol*

I have no constructive advice for you, but that's really, really funny.

Good luck with your problem.

 

[Greydog]

Mine did the same. Do some drain and fills in the tranny and it helps a lot. It's stops hanging in 2nd gear when it should downshift to first or just stay cleanly on 2nd.

 

[bberry985]

My title here sounds like Bruce Jenner...lol

I have an 07 V8 4runner that does perfect 99% of the time but once in a while if I roll through a stop sign, just not completely stopping or slow way down behind a car turning in front of me and then exellerate back up it dont seem to downshift and go? City driving under 35-40mph (fine highway).
Like it cant locate the gear it needs to be in to speed back up again? If I nail it harder 3/4th peddle it kicks down and takes off like it should. But the way these run hold on...lol
Changed fluid same thing. No changes!

Never noticed it when its cold, only after engines warmed up a while.
Is it the nature of the beast?
Maybe the way Im driving (not excellerating hard enough) or TPS , speed sensor, trans need reprogramed whats that cost if so?
Alot to ask Im sorry, and could be any or none above but wonder if anyones 4Runner ever done this after having any above issues mentioned so I state most causes I know of in case it is not normal?

I know odd shifting issues are just normal on some electronic shift cars today but on 4th gen 4Runners I cant find anything? Only on 3rds shifting weird.
Anyone else experience this issue, any links? :decision:
btw:
Thanks everyone for solving so many issues for me already. You guys are great!






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I have a 2003 v8 4x4 and mine does the same thing when coming to a stop or yield. Also every now and then the rpms will be between 2000 and 2500 before shifting into overdrive when the transmission is at operating temp. I have done 2 drain and refills so far and problem still exists and I plan on dropping the pan soon to check the filter and I think there are two sensors that have to do with when the transmission shifts that can go bad.

 

[123GO]

Hesitating Tranny

I too only done 2 drain/refills using Valvoline Max Life and it did seem to help some but it didnt completely go away. Why I thought it may be its nature and dirty fluid had made it worse? Its only been a week now so it may take a bit longer to clean up deposits?
I guess I'll do more drain/fills like Greydog says and drive it more to see if it clears up like his done. But' he answered my question for the most part anyway and that is "Its not normal on the 4Runners".

He also gave me some hope it may quit doing it.
Thanks again guys...I'll let you know if/when it starts shifting right again and update you for future repairs.
Im leaning to deposits in the valve body too. The truck had 99k with no change on record and it was the nastiest trans fluid I ever seen. If I wasnt so sure of correct pan/plug I'd had thought I pulled its oil plug by mistake...ALL BLACK! Sealed Trans & 100K intervals my ass Toyota... :yell:
Dont wait guys/gals...Change it much sooner!
Will change out more asap...Thanks again all !!

 

[Greydog]

Ya, if it was black, your gonna need a few more drain and fills.

 

[Ramen]

My 08 4runner is having the same issue not shifting to 1st when coming to a stop. It shifts to 1st when I accelerate from a stop. I did a transmission flush per the flushing instruction on the forums and it didn't resolve the issue. Did anyone find the resolution to this issue?

 

[123GO]

Here we go again!!

I flushed & filled it one more time then I just let it go as most mechanics (not Toys) told me it is very common for electronic trannies to have sporadic shifting and since the wife's Infiniti does it sometimes too I assumed they were correct and just live with it. It's "The nature of the beast" as they say...
My close friend & best trans man in our area for many years died of cancer a couple years back before this started so I'm lost here now.

What mine's doing as I mentioned before is like others here, it only does it at rolling stops or slowing down to about 25mph without stopping and it was not really bad, I just thought it was.
But' over winter it was very rare that it even done it at all? It was barely noticeable, rarely hard but sometimes was.

Now here we are at 80+ degrees again and it's now worse than ever. I'm going to flush it out again a few more times and then drop the pan to see if the screen has much in it. It may be partly blocked slowing fluid circulation down since it's fluid that does the cooling for it. Acts like it's not doing it's job here.

Imo, I still think it acts like a solenoid sticking but since it upshifts perfectly fine every time that makes me believe it's not that? Never once has it ever hesitated, hard shifted or slipped during upshifting. Smooth as silk in that respect all the way through everytime . I've never had the trans light come on so it's not overheating but more heat sure makes the hesitating while downshifting worse, no doubt about it.

So' now it's even more like Bruce Jenner.
It's a hesitating tranny in heat. :frisky: Yep!

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[BioHAzard050]

My title here sounds like Bruce Jenner...lol

I have an 07 V8 4runner that does perfect 99% of the time but once in a while if I roll through a stop sign, just not completely stopping or slow way down behind a car turning in front of me and then exellerate back up it dont seem to downshift and go? City driving under 35-40mph (fine highway).
Like it cant locate the gear it needs to be in to speed back up again? If I nail it harder 3/4th peddle it kicks down and takes off like it should. But the way these run hold on...lol
Changed fluid same thing. No changes!

Never noticed it when its cold, only after engines warmed up a while.
Is it the nature of the beast?
Maybe the way Im driving (not excellerating hard enough) or TPS , speed sensor, trans need reprogramed whats that cost if so?
Alot to ask Im sorry, and could be any or none above but wonder if anyones 4Runner ever done this after having any above issues mentioned so I state most causes I know of in case it is not normal?

I know odd shifting issues are just normal on some electronic shift cars today but on 4th gen 4Runners I cant find anything? Only on 3rds shifting weird.
Anyone else experience this issue, any links? :decision:
btw:
Thanks everyone for solving so many issues for me already. You guys are great!






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Mine did that on me today. Felt like it was stuck in 2nd. Freaked me out.

 

[m85476585]

To see if it's just a programming issue you could try changing your driving style. The transmission programming adapts to your driving. If you accelerate aggressively it will start to shift sooner and more firmly. If you always drive like a granny it will try to shift smoothly, delay shifts, and it might hesitate more. I don't know how long its memory is, but it seems to reset every time I start the car. My Honda's transmission had a long memory, and it would learn my driving style over time.

I've noticed every once in a while 1st doesn't engage right away if I shift from park or reverse. If I try to accelerate too quickly the engine spins up a bit then there is a hard shift into 1st.

 

[123GO]

Solved

My 4runner V8 done this a good while as I stated and no codes at all ever showed up.
After assuming my shift issue was more likely a "nature of the beast" issue and living with it, it then got even worse so I was getting worried.
Then the other day I was leaving my friends house and I nailed it hard from a dead stop and it stumbled some, then took off. I tried it again and same thing?
I came home and popped the hood and looked at air filter, checking fuel rail,electrical plugs etc.. and double checking to see anything the squirrel I killed a few days before that climbed up under hood and without me knowing I started 4runner, biff, bang, boom (I saw center hood flex) but no damage done to truck, poor guy.

So I pulled my Mass airflow sensor out and it looked ok but I had never cleaned it once. I also saw my throttle body needed cleaned again some, it had been awhile so the next day I went and got a can of Seafoam "SPRAY" with curved tube that inserts into throttle body (see link) and a can of Mass Airflow cleaner and went to town cleaning both up.

After I put it back together and drove it a few days now it's like a new truck. It was running better immediately too btw. I had no idea how bad it really was, but after a week now it has never once hard shifted again. In fact it shifts absolutely perfect both up/down like it done before.

So it's my belief that my big balls should be held every night..Whoops!!!
Oh' sorry guys a rock n roll flashback hit me while typing..:wacko:
I meant to type:
It's my belief it was my Mass airflow sensor being dirty and the slight hesitation interrupted the shift points as they must correspond together. I only wish I had just cleaned the MAF sensor first and drove it a bit to be sure but I think that is what caused most of it. TB was not that bad and was removed & cleaned before while problem existed so try MAF first.

I don't know yet if fuel milage will change I felt I needed to let its computer settle in a bit before checking that, but it sure drives sooo much better and my nerves sure settled down now knowing it's not a tranny issue so again we'll leave that up to Bruce Jenner...lol

Advice:
Don't use anything but Mass airflow sensor cleaner to clean the sensor as most carb cleaners may damage or leave a film behind. Cost just a few bucks for someone to avoid a future headache is all I'm saying here.

How to clean MAF sensor video. (I don't know him I typed into youtube search and clicked.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRfaPfTcfOM

Sea foam says don't spray sea foam into MAF sensor, insert tube somewhere between the sensor & TB but best directly into front of TB.
Sea Foam "Spray" video if not removing TB to clean:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6UeJXkzDW8

Hope the fix for others here is as simple...Best of luck and a big thank you to everyone "again"!! Until next time...OMG! There will surely be a next time too..:redbrick:
Peace!


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[dchild]

So it's my belief that my big balls should be held every night..Whoops!!!

LOL - but should they be held for charity or fancy dress?

 

[mpfjax]

What ended up being the problem?? Transmission or Driveshaft? My dad's V8 4runner does the same thing. The dealer can't duplicate the problem.
Occasionally downshifts hard and loud when coming off the interstate and slowing down then getting back on the gas.

 

[Fasteddy]

Resurrection!

Mine has been doing this. The truck is pretty new to me and obviously it is a bit unnerving as it seems like a transmission issue, though on the electrical side of things. If I brake hard to a stop, or brake hard while driving, and then step on the gas, tre transmission hunts for gears and revs as if I’m neutral, and then bucks forward. Definitely curious if there are any modules (tps, etc) that could not be communicating properly with the trans as it simply seems to not be sure which gear to engage after hard braking.!

 

[AuSeeker]

Mine has been doing this. The truck is pretty new to me and obviously it is a bit unnerving as it seems like a transmission issue, though on the electrical side of things. If I brake hard to a stop, or brake hard while driving, and then step on the gas, tre transmission hunts for gears and revs as if I’m neutral, and then bucks forward. Definitely curious if there are any modules (tps, etc) that could not be communicating properly with the trans as it simply seems to not be sure which gear to engage after hard braking.!

Have you had the transmission fluid level checked, this is one of the most common causes of a trans slipping and with these sealed trans no one ever has the fluid level checked??