More tranny issues...sigh.

[Qyota]

Yup, just when things started looking better for the transmission, today something very bad happened.

I took the family on a little ride into town, to return some stuff at a store. Everything was great, and I actually commented how smoothly the transmission was shifting lately (new fluid in trans and rear diff 3 weeks ago).

All was great until we got about 2 blocks from home. Coming down from 55mph, in a left turn lane, I get stopped behind a few cars waiting to turn left.
Once it's my turn to go (having not moved since stopping from 55mph), I give it some gas, and it just revs. I let off and give it gas again...just revs. Then I put it into neutral and then back into drive, and off we go, like it never happened.

This is not good. If this happens when I NEED to get moving, bad things could result.

Any ideas? Makes me not want to drive it until I figure it out.

 

[bhowle]

Check your shift linkage, if it has some slop in it it is possible for the trans to pop into neutral even though your shifter says your are in drive.

 

[Qyota]

Thanks for the tip. Any idea how to check that, and adjust if necessary? Seems like a shot in the dark, but I'm willing to try anything at this point.

 

[Qyota]

Did it again today. Cruising with a light load on the trailer at 55mph. Came down slowly to a stop light. Light turns green, I press the accelerator, and get nothing but revs. This time I tried shifting to N, then to D (still nothing); then to 2 and back to D (still nothing); then to Park and back to D...then it went into gear as if nothing happened. We were on our way.

What could possibly be going on here?

It's very intermittent, but the two times it's happened has been after coming to a stop from highway speed (55-60).

 

[pat161]

Have you checked the fluid level since the change, and did you do it correctly, with the tranny nice and warm, car running and shift through the gears before checking? Could be a torque converter issue, often times they will slip and then engage after some revving. But where you say it will not move until you shift through the gears a linkage problem makes sense as well.

 

[davidn71]

I bought a 99 4runner that had that same probelm during a test drive. The dealer took the 4runner in, had it fixed, and never had the problem again. Must have been relatively inexpensive if he was willing to pay to have it fixed, and sell it to me at what I thought was a decent price at the time. Describe the problem to a tranny mechanic. I'm confident he'll know exactly what is wrong.

 

[Qyota]

Thanks for the tip pat161. I had checked it a few times (both cold and hot), and I never got a solid reading. I checked it hot yesterday, and it registered about 1 quart low. So I added a quart. We'll see if there is any improvement today. I have a feeling low fluid isn't the issue, though.

Also, can anyone tell me how to check the shift linkage? The only linkage I can see from under the truck appears to be for the transfer case, and everything there is fine.

Thanks David for the tip as well. If I can't figure it out, I'm calling a local trans shop for advice. The worst they could say is "just bring it in".

 

[KellyJ]

Try this site:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/Docs/3rdGen4Runner/index.shtml

and click on the "Automatic Transmission Linkage" blue link at the top of the page and it will scroll you down to the 2 best pictures I could find. Hope this helps. It's hard to tell, but the first picture is the correct setting and the second, clearer picture is the INCORRECT setting when dealing with a body lift. Good luck and hope the fluid does the trick.

 

[Qyota]

Thanks Kelly for the link. I think I have seen that linkage, actually. I put my hand on it and wiggled it, but everything seems very solid. Plus, there was no sign of anything having moved in recent time (tends to get grimy under there, so "clean" spots are easy to see!).

However, I have 40 miles on the clock since filling the trans fluid, and it does seem better! I haven't tested it extensively coming down from highway speed, but so far I think I feel an improvement. I still have enough fluid to do my final drain/fill. This time I'll be dropping the pan, cleaning it, and replacing the filter. That's as far as I want to go with it. If problems persist after that, it's going to the shop!

Thanks again all!

 

[pat161]

Make sure you get a full kit if you drop the pan, Toyota uses RTV sealant on the tranny pan, they make aftermarket gaskets or you could just use RTV again. I did RTV the first time, but it is a PIA to scrape all the old stuff off, so this time around I got the rubber gasket, much better. To drop the pan, if you already know I apologize, you need to separate the dipstick into two pieces, it splits about half way down and is held together with a rubber grommet, just pull and twist and it should come apart. There is also one bolt holding it to the engine block, a 12mm IIRC. To get the pan completely off you will need to drop the sway bar, which is a matter of loosening 4 bolts. Don't be like me and put it all back together only to realize you forgot to reinstall the magnets, luckily it was w/ the rubber gasket and I hadn't filled it yet. If you use RTV as a gasket when you reinstall the pan it can be tricky to get it past the filter w/o getting RTV on the filter, so just be careful. With a pan drop you should get about 6 quarts. When reinstalling don't over tighten the 19 bolts holding the pan, they thread into aluminum and can easily be stripped, they do not need to be super tight.

 

[Qyota]

Thanks for the tips! Experience is a valuable thing!

 

[Qyota]

Bummer, I think it's getting worse. It did it again last night, both times after coming to a stop after highway speeds. Both times I stopped traffic. Time to bring it in, I guess, as it seems no one else has had this particular problem.

 

[nolo]

FWIW - i bought a brand new 2009 camry (aisin transmission). It went "bad" three times, before they figured out it was some kind of solenoid that was causing the same symptoms that yours is exhibiting. I don't know what "solenoid", but I would check to see which one effects the tranny in the t4r and check that. other than that i'm grasping at straws, but my camry did the exact same thing that your t4r is doing before they fixed.

 

[Qyota]

Huh, well, it's something I can check...which is good! I think there is only 1 or 2 solenoids on the tranny. Although, transmissions are probably quite different now 10 years later. I'll investigate the cost of replacing solenoid(s) if further research warrants it. Thanks for the tip!!

 

[Qyota]

Update.

Well, I think I'm realizing a pattern. We took the T4R and the pop-up camper out this weekend...staying pretty close to home incase I blew it up on the road!

I mostly kept it out of O/D, by using the switch on the shifter. But, the times I did have O/D on, it would do the funky "act like I'm in neutral after coming to a stop after highway speed". I noticed that when I had O/D off, it never slipped after coming to a stop!

More testing is needed to prove this...so I will do that.

In the meantime, does this add any info for you trans tech guys? Lock-up solenoid on the valve body, perhaps?

Thanks.

 

[Qyota]

I also wanted to comment on how little info there is on this transmission online. Seems like no one dares to work on them (DYI), and if they do, they don't post in forums about it!

 

[240m3srt]

I also wanted to comment on how little info there is on this transmission online. Seems like no one dares to work on them (DYI), and if they do, they don't post in forums about it!

I have a transmission for sale if interested. Just throwing that out there.

 

[pat161]

Update.

Well, I think I'm realizing a pattern. We took the T4R and the pop-up camper out this weekend...staying pretty close to home incase I blew it up on the road!

I mostly kept it out of O/D, by using the switch on the shifter. But, the times I did have O/D on, it would do the funky "act like I'm in neutral after coming to a stop after highway speed". I noticed that when I had O/D off, it never slipped after coming to a stop!

More testing is needed to prove this...so I will do that.

In the meantime, does this add any info for you trans tech guys? Lock-up solenoid on the valve body, perhaps?

Thanks.

I wouldn't do too much more of this testing, sounds to me like you are overheating the fluid.

 

[Qyota]

I wouldn't do too much more of this testing, sounds to me like you are overheating the fluid.

What makes you think that? 55mph in 4th gear is around 2500 rpm. Keeping it out of O/D is a common towing practice. I don't see what harm it can do...especially if it lends credence to the O/D system being the problem.

 

[pat161]

55mph in 4th gear is 2500 RPM, I don't think so, 4th gear is your O/D. Towing without O/D is fine, go 80 in 3rd, still fine. You are overheating your fluid by towing in O/D. Locking and unlocking the torque converter is what is over heating the fluid. When you are towing in O/D the T/C is more than likely cycling from locked to unlocked, that is what I was urging you not to do.