"Rumble Strip" Transmission issue

[00GTvert]

That is not the fill plug, the fill plug is about half way up from the pan and the top of the transmisson body.

You can see it in this PDF document about halfway down the page, it shows the fill plug is on a 4WD/750F and the 2WD/750E, both are on the tail section.

thanks for the quick reply and the PDF. Seems I located the shift cable mechanism...glad I didn't try to fill it

Looks like I need to just find the trans mount and look a bit higher and further back for the fill bolt. Post 237 in this thread has a good picture of it.

 

[Kesp.]

2 weeks ago I noticed the shudder when the transmission was shifting into overdrive. I followed the advice on here and bought some shudder fix then had a local Toyota dealer do a flush and add the shudder fix. The mechanic noted that the shudder was still there after the flush and they recommended replacing the torque converter.

I got in the truck and and drove off and noted the shudder was definitely still there. Within 10 minutes of me starting the drive though the shudder went away, it seems the shudder fix just needed to work its magic.

If you are having the shudder it is totally worth the price of the flush just to see if it fixes it. The flush was $302 total and the quote for the full torque converter replacement would have cost just over $3k. The flush saved me $2700.

I was able to find Dr Tranny's Shudder Fix at O'Reilly's for $10, if I wasn't able to get into Toyota so fast I would have gotten it off Amazon because it is 1/3 the price.

 

[RivMan]

20k mile update.

I bought my 06 V6 with 193k on it, and a horrible shudder from 4th to 5th.

Flushed the fluid with new Aisin WS, and put in a tube of shudder fix. Shudder was gone and the trans shifted like new.

20k miles later, no change! Still works like new with no sign of shuddering!

-Rob

 

[BC4runner06]

It took me about 100 miles worth of driving for it to stop shuttering. The more miles I put on it the better it got. The new fluid is literally cleaning sludge/deposits/crap whatever you want to call it off of the internal parts of the transmission and depending on how "dirty" your internals are it might take a while. Try throwing the transmission in neutral while decelerating, and if the noise goes away then it probably is the transmission. Pay attention to the RPM to and try to locate at what RPM it is the loudest, also see if it happens more when it is cold or hot, sometimes the noise can be the power steering. First start of the morning when the engine is cold, pop the hood open, start it, and start turning the wheel that will tell you if it's power steering or not. I also have a slight noise in the rear diff I think I've seen other people state this but never heard anything about it blowing up. I change my fluid to some heavy weight AMSOIL diff fluid, and I put on new tires the noise didn't go away. I also don't have any driveability issues so I'm not to worried about it. If your shuttering goes away, my personal recommendation is to drain all the fluid one more time, change the mesh filter, flush the tranny cooler, add the tranmission fluid, then add the shutter fix. This way all the "dirty" fluid used to clean the internals is out of the transmission, the old mesh filter is out, and then the shutter fix can "condition" all the parts with the new fluid. This will make sure the shutter fix isn't coating old/dirty fluid. My background is 30 years automotive, 11 years heavy overhaul aircraft mechanic, 12 years AMSOIL dealer, 5 years Mechanical Engineer.

Here's my story and I'm looking for a bit of help.

2006 V6 Sport Edition w/ 260 000km (160 000 miles)

Have been experiencing the shudder for awhile now as I originally thought it was due to misalignment from seized cam adjusters and LCAs. After replacing the LCAs and getting an alignment (took approximately 1 year), shudder is still there.

Did a full transmission service, flush and filter change, (1st one this 4r has ever had) and the shudder is still there. Added 2 tubes of shudder fixx on different occasions, and the shudder is still there.

It's extremely similar to what people describe here, happens on light acceleration and uphills between 25-35 mph. I also notice it happens much less when I first drive it but seems to shudder harder when the vehicle is at normal operating temp.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what is causing this? I know Torque Converter will be the main suggestion but I'm hoping there is easier/less expensive fixes.

It seems almost everyone who has experienced this has had their problem solved by transmission fluid service and/or the shudder fixx additive.

Am I just one of the unlucky minorities here or could the shuddering be caused by something else/less complicated to fix!

Thanks for any suggestions

 

[4thGenFireAndRescu]

Here's my story and I'm looking for a bit of help.

2006 V6 Sport Edition w/ 260 000km (160 000 miles)

Have been experiencing the shudder for awhile now as I originally thought it was due to misalignment from seized cam adjusters and LCAs. After replacing the LCAs and getting an alignment (took approximately 1 year), shudder is still there.

Did a full transmission service, flush and filter change, (1st one this 4r has ever had) and the shudder is still there. Added 2 tubes of shudder fixx on different occasions, and the shudder is still there.

It's extremely similar to what people describe here, happens on light acceleration and uphills between 25-35 mph. I also notice it happens much less when I first drive it but seems to shudder harder when the vehicle is at normal operating temp.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what is causing this? I know Torque Converter will be the main suggestion but I'm hoping there is easier/less expensive fixes.

It seems almost everyone who has experienced this has had their problem solved by transmission fluid service and/or the shudder fixx additive.

Am I just one of the unlucky minorities here or could the shuddering be caused by something else/less complicated to fix!

Thanks for any suggestions

How many miles have you put on it since the full fluid flush? Also, transmissions are very sensitive to fluid level. Was the level checked to make sure it's at the proper quantity? Who did the transmission service, was it you or a shop, did you get to see the before and after of the fluid?

 

[BC4runner06]

How many miles have you put on it since the full fluid flush? Also, transmissions are very sensitive to fluid level. Was the level checked to make sure it's at the proper quantity? Who did the transmission service, was it you or a shop, did you get to see the before and after of the fluid?

I'm guessing I've put about 500 miles on it since. I had my mechanic do the flush at his shop but I did not get to see that fluid before and after unfortunately. It's going back next week and I'll be asking him about fluid levels and what the old fluid looked like.

Will keep everyone updated

 

[bricew25]

My 05 4Runner with 200,000 miles is having the shudder issue. Had the dealer do a fluid change and it seemed like it cleared up for a few weeks, but seems to be back now. Im thinking about trying the Shudder fix next.

 

[4thGenFireAndRescu]

I'm guessing I've put about 500 miles on it since. I had my mechanic do the flush at his shop but I did not get to see that fluid before and after unfortunately. It's going back next week and I'll be asking him about fluid levels and what the old fluid looked like.

Will keep everyone updated

This is why I like doing my own work. Obviously it's just not possible for all of us, but when you go to a mechanic it's always good to ask for before and after pictures. I also do that for alignments to see the difference and see if they actually did anything (not scamming me for money) and see if the alignment was the issue of a pull, or I might have a different problem, etc. you get the point. Anyway I used the vehicles tranmission pump to push out the fluid, I turned on the car to use the transmission pump to pump out the old fluid. I then turned off the car once the fluid started spitting. I would then fill it up with the electric pump making sure the levels in the dirty fluid bucket and clean fluid bucket lined up(white buckets make it easy to see the levels). This process ensured that I actually had cleared out all of the dirty fluid. I will say I didn't flush the cooler, I should've but I just slacked on that. And this still fixed the issue knowing that there is without a doubt some dirty contaminated fluid in the transmission. I don't know what the cooler holds for quantity of fluid but I'm sure it's more than I would like for amount in dirty fluid. Basically besides the cooler, the entire transmission and lines had all clean fluid. A lot of people interchange the words "flush" with "drain and fill", COMPLETELY different jobs. If he did a drain and fill I would suspect this is why you're still having issues. The drain/fill does not remove nearly the amount of fluid as the process I did. Run this buy him and see what he says.

 

[BC4runner06]

This is why I like doing my own work. Obviously it's just not possible for all of us, but when you go to a mechanic it's always good to ask for before and after pictures. I also do that for alignments to see the difference and see if they actually did anything (not scamming me for money) and see if the alignment was the issue of a pull, or I might have a different problem, etc. you get the point. Anyway I used the vehicles tranmission pump to push out the fluid, I turned on the car to use the transmission pump to pump out the old fluid. I then turned off the car once the fluid started spitting. I would then fill it up with the electric pump making sure the levels in the dirty fluid bucket and clean fluid bucket lined up(white buckets make it easy to see the levels). This process ensured that I actually had cleared out all of the dirty fluid. I will say I didn't flush the cooler, I should've but I just slacked on that. And this still fixed the issue knowing that there is without a doubt some dirty contaminated fluid in the transmission. I don't know what the cooler holds for quantity of fluid but I'm sure it's more than I would like for amount in dirty fluid. Basically besides the cooler, the entire transmission and lines had all clean fluid. A lot of people interchange the words "flush" with "drain and fill", COMPLETELY different jobs. If he did a drain and fill I would suspect this is why you're still having issues. The drain/fill does not remove nearly the amount of fluid as the process I did. Run this buy him and see what he says.

He definitely did a flush, dropped the pan and replaced the filter. I looked underneath and can see the excessive gasket sealant from resealing the pan. Anyways, the 4ru ner is off to a recommended transmission shop on Monday for a diagnosis.

Will respond here when I get the diagnosis

 

[BC4runner06]

And I definitely like doing my own work too. The older I get the less time I have but the more I realize that I put way more pride into my own belongings than someone else will!! And they'll charge me way more for it lol

 

[ronsmith843]

For what it is worth, here is a late post for an update on what I did here for my 4runner. Being naive, i don't think i ever did a TF change.
I purchased the 4runner at around 60k miles, and thought he lifetime TF was lifetime....really should have changed it at around 100k.

Anyways,

1) at 155k miles, original mechanic that i went to was Macintosh Imports in Charleston, we defined the problem as a "shudder" and he recommended adding the shudder fix to the TF = transmission fluid.
He doesn't do any transmission work so he recommended going to a tranny shop.

2) I went to Holt Transmission shop here in Charleston. They are a general transmission specialist.
They "pulled the pan" on the transmission and found "shavings" etc.
was quoted like $4,000 for a transmission rebuild.
Ended up just paying them to do a drain and fill.....and put the pan back on.

3) took to Lex Tech auto in west ashley, they recommended doing a full transmission flush, a few hundred $$.
They do a flush where they hook it up to a machine and it pushes the fluid out through the bottom of the radiator or something.
whatever they did it worked, had a shudder for a few miles just after the TF flush, but have not had one since.

Good fix.

Lot of good info here.
Can anyone help me define:
1) Drain & Fill
2) Flush
3) Fluid Change
4) Drop the pan

I tried to read most of the 20 pages, but this is my

1) Drain & Fill = is this just that and less invasive......just let it drain out and put new TF in there.
or
2) Flush = is more of a push of new TF fluid through.
3) Fluid Change = same thing as a Drain & Fill???

From what i read, a drain and fill seems harmless and could solve the issue while a Flush could solve the problem but has a higher risk of creating more problems while stirring up some particles.


2006 Toyota 4runner limited
155,000 miles
4WD - all time
Shudder comes around the 35 - 45mph range.
Stops when foot taken off gas.

No previous record of transmission work done since I purchased in 2012.
In 2015, my regular mechanic found the transmission line fitting in radiator was loose and was leaking and he just tightened.

Shudder recently started.....took to my regular mechanic.
Regular mechanic recommended adding the SF.
It was added to to the transmission (no change, drain, refill, flush, etc)....just added.
Drove it around some more and shudder continued.
I have taken to a transmission specialist for a diagnostic.
Transmission mech. plugged in the computer and drove around.....
Said he got some coding errors, one being the Anti- Brake Sensor or something.
Said it could be a number of things.....torque converter or "Lock Up" in the clutch.
Said he doesn't really know what the issue is until he takes a closer look by "dropping the pan".
From what i gathered, dropping the pan is when he would take off the bottom part of the transmission to see what kind of material has collected.
Is that correct??
I assume that would mean just a drain and re-fill.....where he would fill it back with TF.
Said the cost would be about $380 for dropping the pan & diagnostic.

Just want to take the next step that has the least risk/consequences.

Thanks,

RON

 

[molniya]

I bought my 2007 4runner back in January with 183000. Did not realize it had the rumble strip issue until the papers were signed. Thanks to this thread I took it to the dealer and had them flush the tranny and replace with OEM fluid. Dealer guy said if this didn't fix it it was probably a new torque converter for me. Two weeks later my problem was still there. I was just about to get some Shudder Stop and drain and add it when I noticed the shudder was slowly getting better. Took about two or three months and 5 or 6 hundred miles but it's completely gone now. Hope it lasts.

 

[AuSeeker]

I bought my 2007 4runner back in January with 183000. Did not realize it had the rumble strip issue until the papers were signed. Thanks to this thread I took it to the dealer and had them flush the tranny and replace with OEM fluid. Dealer guy said if this didn't fix it it was probably a new torque converter for me. Two weeks later my problem was still there. I was just about to get some Shudder Stop and drain and add it when I noticed the shudder was slowly getting better. Took about two or three months and 5 or 6 hundred miles but it's completely gone now. Hope it lasts.

Go ahead and add the Shudder Fixx, it will not hurt anything, it can only make it better and keep it doing better in the long run, no need to drain any fluid out because the tube has only 2 ounces of the product in it, so no need to remove any fluid to add it.

 

[rufus.K]

I had the Rumble Strip issue. 2005 with 145k miles.
Tranny shop did a fluid exchange and added 1 tube of Shudder Fixx. (plus filter and gasket).
He did find friction material from the Torque Conv. in the old fluid.
Took 3 days of driving, but the issue went away.

Its been a month or so.

 

[thennen]

Just saw this resurrected(?) thread. Without reading through everything, it sounds exactly like the 2013 RAV4 I just bought. It had the shudder that was similar to going over a rumble strip, at about the same speeds (45-ish), and at 125k miles. I checked the RAV4 forum, and found out that this particular problem was addressed with Toyota extending the warranty to 150,000 miles. My dealer confirmed it was the torque converter and replaced it under that warranty. Shudder is gone.

I haven't heard of any torque converter warranties on the 4Runner, but the symptom people are describing here sounds identical. So perhaps the torque converter is the problem, and fluid changes mask it for awhile? My 2 cents.

 

[AuSeeker]

Just saw this resurrected(?) thread. Without reading through everything, it sounds exactly like the 2013 RAV4 I just bought. It had the shudder that was similar to going over a rumble strip, at about the same speeds (45-ish), and at 125k miles. I checked the RAV4 forum, and found out that this particular problem was addressed with Toyota extending the warranty to 150,000 miles. My dealer confirmed it was the torque converter and replaced it under that warranty. Shudder is gone.

I haven't heard of any torque converter warranties on the 4Runner, but the symptom people are describing here sounds identical. So perhaps the torque converter is the problem, and fluid changes mask it for awhile? My 2 cents.

What Rav4 forum are you referring too, my wife owns a Rav4 so we need a good forum for info?

 

[thennen]

What Rav4 forum are you referring too, my wife owns a Rav4 so we need a good forum for info?

Rav4World (Toyota RAV4 Forums). I just joined, so I'm not too familiar with it, but I did find the torque converter info, which may have been worth $1000+. My wife drives our Rav as well.

 

[vastano]

I started experiencing the what I thought was the rumble strip issue last week. I flushed the transmission fluid about 10k miles ago as preventative maintenance, so I was at a loss as to if it really was the tranny shuttering. I went to O'Reillys and dumped in a tube of Shudder-Fixx. After about 30 miles of driving, I felt the car go from shuddering at ~65mph to a smooth ride almost instantly.

Its been smooth through the weekend so I'm thinking this little miracle tube did the job. If it does come back, I'll be changing the tranny fluid once again.

 

[rwelch53]

So yours was at around 65mph? That's what I believe I am feeling in 2006 w/ 165K on it that I recently purchased, so was searching through here trying to narrow it down.

 

[senor perfecto]

I've had 2 3rd gens, never had the shudder problem.

Drawbacks? None that I can tell. From my experience, it fixes the problem permanently.

Turned out to be bad plugs!