Hello, everyone!
I'm hoping you guys can give me some input on what I should do about an issue I've started having with my 1996 4 Runner (V6 Automatic w/ 4WD). I bought this vehicle when it had about 137K miles on it, about a year ago and I'm up to about 155K now. I have never had the transmission or 4WD parts serviced.
I primarily use it for two purposes. Most of the time I'm driving it back and forth to work 3 or 4 days a week, about 22 miles each way. In addition to that, I take about 8 to 10 trips a year when I tow a 12' x 6' trailer with three medium sized ATVs. Those trips are usually around 130 miles each way, and the last 20 miles or so are on dirt roads in the mountains. When on those trips I often go driving in the woods and through some creeks and what not as well..
So the bottom line is that this is primarily my way to work, but I also push it pretty hard with regular towing of a fairly heavy trailer and some occasional off road driving as well..
Anyway, I was all packed up this morning, had all my camping gear all loaded up and the trailer with the ATVs pulling behind, and I was on my way into the woods for some fun times. Suddenly I realized that I started feeling some serious shaking when going up some hills. If I pressed the gas a bit, and forced the truck to drop into a lower gear, then the shaking would stop for the time being. As soon as it went back into the particular problematic gear ratio, it would start shaking again.
Also, sometimes when I forced it into a lower gear by pressing the gas, I heard some knocking sounds that sounded like they were coming from up under the center of the vehicle.
I pulled over within 5 mins or so to have a look under the vehicle and see if I could see anything weird. I'm a bit of a auto dummy, however, and everything looked normal to me. I left the car idling and decided to check the oil and transmission fluid levels and the both seemed fine. If anything, the trans fluid seemed like it might be a bit high. I'm guessing that was because it was so hot from pulling my big, heavy trailer with the ATVs and coolers and such on it.
On a side note, my trans fluid dipstick is twisted almost a full turn. Is that normal? The thing was rather difficult to get back into the hole. Is that normal?
When I got back into the truck after checking the fluids, my check engine light was on (Great!) and didn't go off for the whole trip home. I had to call off the weekend of camping and ATV riding since I didn't want to get stuck out in the woods and wanted to get my 4 Runner issues resolved ASAP. I love this little vehicle and didn't want to do any more damage to it.
I ended up having to drive most of the way home (about 15 miles) in 2nd on my automatic transmission shifter in order to avoid the shaking problem. I just put my emergency blinkers on and drove slowly home. When I got home, it was even shaking when I tried to go into reverse to back my trailer into the garage. There is a slight incline up to my garage door and the truck just didn't seem to have any power, without feeling shaky and very strange, so I left my trailer in the driveway.
The good news, I suppose, is that my engine didn't seem to overheat at all, even when I had to drive home with the transmission in 2nd, so I guess my oil system and what not is OK still. I'm just hoping I don't need a new transmission.
One of my mechanic buddies said it sounded like an issue with my Torque Converter, and said I should likely flush out my transmission fluid and see if that helps. The problem was definitely getting worse as I drove the rest of the way home today.
I felt a little bit of a shake last weekend when towing, but got home with no problems and drove to work a few times last week with no issues at all, so it seems to be triggered by the extra work of towing my big trailer load.
Do any of you have any suggestions on what I should be checking out? Should I have the transmission flushed? The fluid seems slightly brown, as opposed to red. Should I be concerned about getting it flushed out? I have heard that can cause problems as well. Thoughts?
Any suggestions or tips you guys have will be most appreciated!
Thanks!
Mojoski
I'm hoping you guys can give me some input on what I should do about an issue I've started having with my 1996 4 Runner (V6 Automatic w/ 4WD). I bought this vehicle when it had about 137K miles on it, about a year ago and I'm up to about 155K now. I have never had the transmission or 4WD parts serviced.
I primarily use it for two purposes. Most of the time I'm driving it back and forth to work 3 or 4 days a week, about 22 miles each way. In addition to that, I take about 8 to 10 trips a year when I tow a 12' x 6' trailer with three medium sized ATVs. Those trips are usually around 130 miles each way, and the last 20 miles or so are on dirt roads in the mountains. When on those trips I often go driving in the woods and through some creeks and what not as well..
So the bottom line is that this is primarily my way to work, but I also push it pretty hard with regular towing of a fairly heavy trailer and some occasional off road driving as well..
Anyway, I was all packed up this morning, had all my camping gear all loaded up and the trailer with the ATVs pulling behind, and I was on my way into the woods for some fun times. Suddenly I realized that I started feeling some serious shaking when going up some hills. If I pressed the gas a bit, and forced the truck to drop into a lower gear, then the shaking would stop for the time being. As soon as it went back into the particular problematic gear ratio, it would start shaking again.
Also, sometimes when I forced it into a lower gear by pressing the gas, I heard some knocking sounds that sounded like they were coming from up under the center of the vehicle.
I pulled over within 5 mins or so to have a look under the vehicle and see if I could see anything weird. I'm a bit of a auto dummy, however, and everything looked normal to me. I left the car idling and decided to check the oil and transmission fluid levels and the both seemed fine. If anything, the trans fluid seemed like it might be a bit high. I'm guessing that was because it was so hot from pulling my big, heavy trailer with the ATVs and coolers and such on it.
On a side note, my trans fluid dipstick is twisted almost a full turn. Is that normal? The thing was rather difficult to get back into the hole. Is that normal?
When I got back into the truck after checking the fluids, my check engine light was on (Great!) and didn't go off for the whole trip home. I had to call off the weekend of camping and ATV riding since I didn't want to get stuck out in the woods and wanted to get my 4 Runner issues resolved ASAP. I love this little vehicle and didn't want to do any more damage to it.
I ended up having to drive most of the way home (about 15 miles) in 2nd on my automatic transmission shifter in order to avoid the shaking problem. I just put my emergency blinkers on and drove slowly home. When I got home, it was even shaking when I tried to go into reverse to back my trailer into the garage. There is a slight incline up to my garage door and the truck just didn't seem to have any power, without feeling shaky and very strange, so I left my trailer in the driveway.
The good news, I suppose, is that my engine didn't seem to overheat at all, even when I had to drive home with the transmission in 2nd, so I guess my oil system and what not is OK still. I'm just hoping I don't need a new transmission.
One of my mechanic buddies said it sounded like an issue with my Torque Converter, and said I should likely flush out my transmission fluid and see if that helps. The problem was definitely getting worse as I drove the rest of the way home today.
I felt a little bit of a shake last weekend when towing, but got home with no problems and drove to work a few times last week with no issues at all, so it seems to be triggered by the extra work of towing my big trailer load.
Do any of you have any suggestions on what I should be checking out? Should I have the transmission flushed? The fluid seems slightly brown, as opposed to red. Should I be concerned about getting it flushed out? I have heard that can cause problems as well. Thoughts?
Any suggestions or tips you guys have will be most appreciated!
Thanks!
Mojoski
