strange problem

[FishRunner]

I back out of my parking... everthing is fine
i put the runner into drive... engine revs nothing happens
then it slams into gear

it is with the rear axle... kinda like when the 4wheel catches
not a problem with reverse, just getting moving in Drive
everything is fine after

any ideas? help?
I am going to take it to the stealership....

 

[Pound]

sounds more like...

a transmission issue. I sure hope it's not. That would be bad.

Have the (pseudo) steelies started moving up from the Lakes yet?

 

[FishRunner]

i was thinking transmission... but it is happening in the rear of the runner
also, that is the only time it happens, once it is running everything is fine

yup... the steelbows are on the move

 

[Charlee78]

You might want to check the color of your coolant and tranny fluid to make sure they don't mix...

This is a common problem on thoses trucks.

 

[shawnstcyr]

transmission problems

Check your trans. fluid level with the truck running and in park. A low fluid level will cause her to slam into gear.

 

[p nut]

And have your transmission flushed at the dealership, unless it's already been done. So many people stick religiously to oil changes, but often neglect the transmission, which is just as important.

 

[toytech76]

there is no sense in getting your trans flushed now. There is a serious problem and a flush wont fix it. Try checking your fluid and just draining and filling it with fresh fluid. The damage has been done so try to get it working for now with a fluid change. Save your money for a rebuild instead of a flush

 

[4daRUNNER]

yup. mine was doing the same thing a few months ago 20 days after i bought it. especially on an incline, when it finally kicked in i was making it a habit to look through my mirrors just to make sure the rear end wasn't left behind. lol. i bought a used one ($450) and it drives cherry now. i also got my rear springs done 2day (RECALL). are there any codes showing?

 

[Brazos]

I got the same problem

My wife has a new 4wd V6 model we bouth at the end of May and now has 8000 miles on it. She has been complaining about it for a month or two but could never replicate the problem with me in the vehicle until last weekend. We were running erronds last Saturday and several times when she went into Reverse to back out of a parking space (no incline present) and then put the vehicle into Drive there was a lag time of 4-6 seconds before Drive engaged and then the 4Runner lunged forward. All was fine after that. I dropped it off at the dealership this morning so they could check it out. I am afraid they won't find anything as it doesn't happen everytime. At least I will have record of a problem in case something catastrophic happens to the tranny in the future. Other than the occasional problem the transmission seams to function flawlessly. I posted this problem this morning on the warranty section of the forum. If anyone has any ideas I would like to hear them.

Brazos

 

[FishRunner]

brazos

sounds really similar to my problem
the "lunge" is almost like when 4wheel engages
there is also a loud noice from the rear when it happens

 

[Brazos]

I think mine is transmission related

I have only been in the vehicle 3 times when it happened (wife's car) and all three times in the passenger seat so I could be wrong in my assesment that it is transmission related. I did not hear a noise from the rear end. You put it in reverse and back up as normal and then put it in drive and you just sit there for a while and the it engages into drive abruptly then everything is fine. Even though it is an automatic transmission it is almost like a poping the clutch feeling. I guess this problem is not normal for 4Runners.

Brazos

 

[shawnstcyr]

As a mechanic with 15 years experience, I am not one for cheap fixes. However, there is a product out there that I HIGHLY recommend. It is called TransMedic. It is a liquid additive. I swear by it. Add half a can to your transmission and any weird shifts and sticking valves go away. It comes in a red and white can, much like SeaFoam. In fact, I think it is made by the same company. It may be worth a try. :biggrin2: