2016 4Runner Trail with 74,500 miles.
TL;DR summary:
- reverse works fine, forward gears (Drive or S mode) do not move the vehicle
- p0705 (shift selector switch) and pending p2714 (SLT solenoid) codes pulled
- new selector switch, SLT solenoid and fluid fill did NOT fix the issue; wheels spin while in the air but not under load
Long version:
My son has been driving the car for the last 6 months or so, and the following has occurred in the last few months:
~3 months ago - wouldn’t shift from 4th to 5th while on the highway one time, flat ground, just wouldn’t kick up to 5th gear. Worked again later
~1.5 months ago - once after parked for a few hours, starts car and tries to drive, but it wouldn’t move when shifted into Drive (just revved, no forward movement). After a few mins and a restart, drove no problem.
July 4th - Leaving a bbq on July 4th, my son was driving my 2016 T4R (Trail trim, 74,500 miles, original owner) around 45mph when he seemed to lose Drive. On a flat road his speed started to drop while foot was still on the accelerator, and the revs climbed, basically like it was slipping or or slid out of gear into neutral.
Got the Christmas tree dash as he pulled off the road, then called me for a rescue. dash cluster had CEL, Trac Off and Multi-Terrain Select light on (typical “Attention! Something is F’d” indicators).
Some helpful 20-something’s at the house he stopped by helped him move it further off the side of this busy road, and when I arrived we spent a little time troubleshooting together (one is a mechanic). Reverse functions as normal, 4H and 4L selectable and work when in reverse, so it doesn’t point to the TC. What doesn’t work is forward gear in Drive or sport shifting.
These guys who helped were super nice and very eager to figure it out, but unfortunately we couldn’t get anywhere with it there on the side of the road.
Shifter sticks a bit, and there was some apparent lag or misses in what the display showed for the selected gear vs where the lever was actually positioned (D didn’t light up when selected, for example).
I went home and did some research, then went back to pull the codes off of it.
P0705 [0x0705]
Transmission range (TR) sensor, PRNDL input - circuit malfunction
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit Malfunction
Status: Confirmed
----------------------------
P2714 [0x2714]
Transmission fluid pressure (TFP) solenoid D - performance problem or solenoid stuck off
Status: Pending
P0705 points to the Transmission Range Selector, which tells the ECU which gear the transmission is in for a few purposes. These apparently go bad fairly often, as they’re on the lower outside of the transmission and the elements can take their toll. This is consistent with the sticking shifter and lack of D on the dash at one point.
P2714 is associated with one of the solenoids in the transmission (SLT) and those are also know for going bad, especially that one as it sees the most use and therefore wear (from what I read, anyway).
While it’s possible the transmission is toast, my investigation into the symptoms leads me to believe there are many smaller (and less expensive) points of failure, the repair of which wouldn’t require a full replacement to the tune of thousands of dollars.
Once we towed it home under the cover of darkness so my son could see how to do that safely, I started to tear into it a bit and replaced the Transmission Range Selector (aka Neutral Safety Switch). That was disproportionately time consuming, but I was aware it might be. Had to get creative with existing tools and weld up one of my own creation to get the thing removed. Once replaced and adjusted properly, and DTC codes cleared, it seems to be doing its job and I don’t see P0705 confirmed or pending, however forward drive is still not possible.
Following the above I disconnected the transmission wiring plug and tried again to help determine if it was an upstream wiring or electronic issue or something internal to the transmission. It’s to be expected that the dash will light up with that plug removed, and it did, but mechanically the gear should still be selected and work. No dice (er, Drive). This points to something in the transmission.
My next move was to move it to the garage again, drop the pan to inspect and test the solenoid, and also replace if it doesn’t test well.
Solenoid tested ok (resistance within range) and activated with 12v applied, but I replaced it with a new one I had already ordered. Buttoned up the pan, refilled, drained excess at proper temp and found it still doesn’t move under load. It DOES spin the tires when up in the air (no load), which tells me it is getting into Drive but something is preventing power from making it to the wheels.
Thoughts?
TL;DR summary:
- reverse works fine, forward gears (Drive or S mode) do not move the vehicle
- p0705 (shift selector switch) and pending p2714 (SLT solenoid) codes pulled
- new selector switch, SLT solenoid and fluid fill did NOT fix the issue; wheels spin while in the air but not under load
Long version:
My son has been driving the car for the last 6 months or so, and the following has occurred in the last few months:
~3 months ago - wouldn’t shift from 4th to 5th while on the highway one time, flat ground, just wouldn’t kick up to 5th gear. Worked again later
~1.5 months ago - once after parked for a few hours, starts car and tries to drive, but it wouldn’t move when shifted into Drive (just revved, no forward movement). After a few mins and a restart, drove no problem.
July 4th - Leaving a bbq on July 4th, my son was driving my 2016 T4R (Trail trim, 74,500 miles, original owner) around 45mph when he seemed to lose Drive. On a flat road his speed started to drop while foot was still on the accelerator, and the revs climbed, basically like it was slipping or or slid out of gear into neutral.
Got the Christmas tree dash as he pulled off the road, then called me for a rescue. dash cluster had CEL, Trac Off and Multi-Terrain Select light on (typical “Attention! Something is F’d” indicators).
Some helpful 20-something’s at the house he stopped by helped him move it further off the side of this busy road, and when I arrived we spent a little time troubleshooting together (one is a mechanic). Reverse functions as normal, 4H and 4L selectable and work when in reverse, so it doesn’t point to the TC. What doesn’t work is forward gear in Drive or sport shifting.
These guys who helped were super nice and very eager to figure it out, but unfortunately we couldn’t get anywhere with it there on the side of the road.
Shifter sticks a bit, and there was some apparent lag or misses in what the display showed for the selected gear vs where the lever was actually positioned (D didn’t light up when selected, for example).
I went home and did some research, then went back to pull the codes off of it.
P0705 [0x0705]
Transmission range (TR) sensor, PRNDL input - circuit malfunction
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit Malfunction
Status: Confirmed
----------------------------
P2714 [0x2714]
Transmission fluid pressure (TFP) solenoid D - performance problem or solenoid stuck off
Status: Pending
P0705 points to the Transmission Range Selector, which tells the ECU which gear the transmission is in for a few purposes. These apparently go bad fairly often, as they’re on the lower outside of the transmission and the elements can take their toll. This is consistent with the sticking shifter and lack of D on the dash at one point.
P2714 is associated with one of the solenoids in the transmission (SLT) and those are also know for going bad, especially that one as it sees the most use and therefore wear (from what I read, anyway).
While it’s possible the transmission is toast, my investigation into the symptoms leads me to believe there are many smaller (and less expensive) points of failure, the repair of which wouldn’t require a full replacement to the tune of thousands of dollars.
Once we towed it home under the cover of darkness so my son could see how to do that safely, I started to tear into it a bit and replaced the Transmission Range Selector (aka Neutral Safety Switch). That was disproportionately time consuming, but I was aware it might be. Had to get creative with existing tools and weld up one of my own creation to get the thing removed. Once replaced and adjusted properly, and DTC codes cleared, it seems to be doing its job and I don’t see P0705 confirmed or pending, however forward drive is still not possible.
Following the above I disconnected the transmission wiring plug and tried again to help determine if it was an upstream wiring or electronic issue or something internal to the transmission. It’s to be expected that the dash will light up with that plug removed, and it did, but mechanically the gear should still be selected and work. No dice (er, Drive). This points to something in the transmission.
My next move was to move it to the garage again, drop the pan to inspect and test the solenoid, and also replace if it doesn’t test well.
Solenoid tested ok (resistance within range) and activated with 12v applied, but I replaced it with a new one I had already ordered. Buttoned up the pan, refilled, drained excess at proper temp and found it still doesn’t move under load. It DOES spin the tires when up in the air (no load), which tells me it is getting into Drive but something is preventing power from making it to the wheels.
Thoughts?
