Just got a '99 Limited, and it's throwing a P0773 CEL code

[AtlasM]

New member here, and I'm in a situation that has me pretty righteously pissed off.

Today, I bought a '99 Limited with rear locker, documented timing belt service, and brand new Yoko Geolandar A/T-S tires on it. Which I thought would be a nice reliable truck to drive in the winter, to replace a Grand Cherokee that was going to need a bunch of work.

Everything seemed fine when I test drove it, but after I did my paperwork and drove back to my office, the CEL came on very shortly after I got on the highway. I called the dealer who told me to come on back for them to check the code. So they checked and cleared the CEL, told me "it was just a random misfire," and send me on my way. They did say to call them back if the CEL comes back on.

I went back to work and a couple hours later I headed home, where again the CEL came on pretty damn quickly. I got home and pulled the code myself, which gave me P0773 - Shift Solenoid 'E'.

I searched on here for P0773, and it's bringing up a bunch of threads talking about the dreaded strawberry milkshake problem.

The dealer supposedly is going to work with me on this, but with how quickly the damn CEL came on after I drove it off the lot, I'm having a hard time believing they weren't aware of this problem.

I was supposed to drive 150 miles down to Chicago this weekend to help out my family with some stuff, where I was planning to use the 4Runner to help cart a bunch of crap around.

It's sounding like the problem could just be the solenoid, but also could be something worse. Which means, I probably shouldn't drive from Madison to Chicago and back, right?

The service department at this place opens up tomorrow at 7 am, but the used car sales department opens at 9. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to drive right into the service bay and raise holy hell until they agree to fix it.

Any other suggestions here?

 

[TheDurk]

I'm a 5-speed guy, and I know jackall about slushboxes. I've never owned one. But you're on a short fuse so here is the FSM chapter on P0773 attached below.

Seems to me this code arises from a specific electrical defect, and should be remedied by either swapping the solenoid or fixing the associated wiring. I can't see how it would derive from a milkshake or any other larger problem.

The listed causes are:

Open or short in shift solenoid valve SL circuit

Shift solenoid valve SL

ECM

I'd still make them fix it ASAP before I took it on a long trip, if I could. Otherwise, if it drives now, my guess, from someone who knows nothing about A/T's, is it won't get any worse during your trip. It's already not working. It ain't cancer--it won't spread.

The FSM says the P0773 fail-safe is you will lose control over the lock-up clutch function, which improves fuel efficiency in highway cruising. Not the end of the world to drive without it if you have to, it would seem.

Lock-up torque converters[edit]
As described above, impelling losses within the torque converter reduce efficiency and generate waste heat. In modern automotive applications, this problem is commonly avoided by use of a lock-up clutch that physically links the impeller and turbine, effectively changing the converter into a purely mechanical coupling. The result is no slippage, and virtually no power loss.

The first automotive application of the lock-up principle was Packard's Ultramatic transmission, introduced in 1949, which locked up the converter at cruising speeds, unlocking when the throttle was floored for quick acceleration or as the vehicle slowed down. This feature was also present in some Borg-Warner transmissions produced during the 1950s. It fell out of favor in subsequent years due to its extra complexity and cost. In the late 1970s lock-up clutches started to reappear in response to demands for improved fuel economy, and are now nearly universal in automotive applications.

Torque converter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But feel free to listen to somebody who actually knows something.

 

[hour]

Damn durk, I can't add to your rep and can't remember giving you any (probably drunk all of 36 hrs ago), but A+ on the post when you don't even have an auto.

OP: Bright side - they're willing to work with you. I'd be sketched out driving any significantly used vehicle any distance immediately after purchase, hope your plans don't get too screwed up.

But again - at least you didn't buy it private party and the seller is now playing the 'phone is disconnected' game. It is possible that they were unaware of the problem - the last/only vehicle I traded in was driven around the neighborhood of the dealership and never exceeded 45mph (posted speed limit, so I'll assume...)

Welcome to the site though, hope they get it figured out and in the future when it's all on you to make the repairs, or mods, this is the place to be.

 

[afg10000]

I'm not an expert nor did I stay at a holiday inn but I will offer some advice based on my experience. P0770 bank codes are generally bad news. I would not mess with that one bit nor drive it anywhere other than a reputable transmission shop (or straight back to the dealer). I remember reading a Toyota mastertech article that these codes (even if specified solenoid # whatever is bad) means eventually replacing or rebuilding transmission. I don't want to be poopy, but it's always better to be prepared for the worst case scenario -

 

[AtlasM]

Update:

The 4Runner isn't my main vehicle, but I was planning to use it to help my mom pack up my grandma's condo (grandma's moved to assisted living).

This morning, I took it to the dealer's service department and explained the situation. Even though it was an As-Is sale, they are helping me out. They gave me a '14 4Runner SR5 to drive down to Chicago free of charge. The service manager and the finance manager have both told me "we'll take care of it," but nothing specific yet.

I'm feeling alright about it, because the finance manager told me, "if we had known there were those significant issues with it, we never would have sold it to a customer, just at auction, but don't worry, we'll take care of you."

I'm supposed to hear back Monday with more news about a diagnosis. But it's looking like I should be in good shape.

Also, the dealer has no legal obligation to do any of this since it is was an As-Is sale, but I'm happy that they appear to be doing the right thing.

 

[AtlasM]

Well, I have to give an A+ rating to this dealer.

Yesterday I talked to the service manager who said that the reason he said "random code" was just that they hadn't seen that code before when they scanned the ECU, not that it was a random misfire. It was showing as the same P0773 code when they scanned it the first time.

Today, they called me back, they said they checked all up in the transmission and the radiator to confirm it wasn't a strawberry milkshake. The radiator turned out fine, but they said it looked like a bunch of water had gotten up in the transmission, perhaps if someone had driven it in too deep of water and it got sucked in through the breather. There was a ton of rust inside. They gave me two options:

1. Fix all the solenoids & valve bodies inside the transmission, but there was no guarantee that the transmission wouldn't still fail at some point down the road.

2. They would back out the deal, void all the paperwork, give me back the check I wrote them that they hadn't even cashed yet, and give me back my Jeep.

They recommended option 2 because they didn't want me to roll the dice on the transmission, and I agreed. So I went back today, they voided out all the deal sheets and gave me copies, gave me back my check, and gave me back my Jeep. They had even washed it.

So overall, A+ to the dealer, which is Smart Toyota in Madison, WI. I actually got it from their Smart Budget Cars lot, but I drove it in to the main Smart Toyota service department on Saturday morning because the budget lot's service dept isn't open on Saturdays.

Now I just have to find another something to replace my Grand Cherokee...

 

[ThorInc]

That is a solid outcome; kudos to you & Smart Toyota!

 

[mxer]

Wow, not everyday you hear good stories coming from the dealership.

The local toyota dealer here wouldn't even give my wife a loaner when they had to keep her RAV4 the entire day to do one of the 10 recalls that it has and she gets her car serviced regularly there.

 

[LittleCaesar]

While most dealers have acquired the stigma as a stealership, there are still good ones out there as shown by the OP.