When it drops past -20, its hard to get my truck to move freely, when in Drive

[LA-YOTA]

My 4runner gave me a glimpse of this issue, during the last cold snap we had here in Calgary, where it would move very slowly as if against some resistance when I throw it in drive, and then it kicks and moves freely after I have moved for a bit ( I'm assuming this is because it has warmed up). I have also let it run for at least 15-20 min to get it warm but when its cold outside it seems to have no effect until I let it go through its usual resistance and kick off for it to move like normal. It works fine in reverse, as I always have to back out of my drive way, so I don;t know why it does this in drive. I also found a trick, It would move smoothly if I put in L(low) and then upshift a few minutes later to drive, I have no issues when I do that. I searched the site and found similar cases (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...when-cold.html ) but did not find a specific solution to this. (Note: It works well when not cold, without issue, also I do not have a block heater: something I'm considering)


I would like to hear if anyone has experienced this and what they did to fix this, and if y'all have some opinions or advice on how to go about it.??


My possible solution to this is switching my ATF ( Auto transmission fluid) to synthetic which would not gunk up as much as a conventional oil would, I also plan to change the transmission filter while doing the drain, just in case its clogged. ( also note: I found some silver particles on my dipstick while look at the ATF levels, but I do not think its from the tranny itself, I believe the particles came from me trying to force the dipstick back into the complicated hole, so from all the scraping, dont think I should be worried but dropping the pan will confirm this) I would have liked to do this myself, but as I have no garage, its darn cold for me to work on this in the open, so I was looking to use the services of some of the mobile mechanics on kijiji, who would let me bring the vehicle to their garage, this way I can also get my hands dirty and gain some confidence with working on the runner. Though it may save me time and money taking it to a shop, the reason for purchasing this SUV was too gain some mechanical expertise.

Has anyone used a mobile mechanic before, good or bad experiences, is it worth it?? I'm also trying to make sure this is a good idea on fixing this issue,

 

[iowajosh]

The oil in your diffs and transfer case get cold and thick.

 

[Qyota]

The oil in your diffs and transfer case get cold and thick.

Ehhh. Wrong answer. Remember he said reverse works fine.

I'd remove the valve body in the transmission and have it cleaned, possibly replace one or more shift solenoids, then do a full fluid exchange. Might be the shift sprag, which happened on my truck.

 

[flatboy]

Have you by-passed the tranny cooler in the radiator and added a external tranny cooler?

 

[LA-YOTA]

Ehhh. Wrong answer. Remember he said reverse works fine.

I'd remove the valve body in the transmission and have it cleaned, possibly replace one or more shift solenoids, then do a full fluid exchange. Might be the shift sprag, which happened on my truck.

I'll make note of that and see if I can find how to do that on the Hayne's manual I just purchased. Thanks for the advice.

Have you by-passed the tranny cooler in the radiator and added a external tranny cooler?

I haven't touched the tranny cooler nor the radiator as I got it about a month and a bit ago and trying to knock off basic maintenance so this is on my list. Due to my mechanical novice, would you be able to explain how by passing the tranny cooler in the radiator could affect the situation at hand? Thanks in advance.

 

[flatboy]

I haven't touched the tranny cooler nor the radiator as I got it about a month and a bit ago and trying to knock off basic maintenance so this is on my list. Due to my mechanical novice, would you be able to explain how by passing the tranny cooler in the radiator could affect the situation at hand? Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]


The reason I asked was I did the external tranny cooler upgrade and by-passed my stock tranny cooler in the rad. I noticed via: my scan gauge my tranny temps when cold like you say(-20c) keep my tranny temp around 100 deg f, which seems too cold to me. So I was just wondering if you had done anything like that.


shayne

 

[lbhsbz]

Shift sprags?...lol.

Before you do anything, have it diagnosed by someone who understands automatic transmissions.

As far as the aluminum shavings....that's a problem. It's not from the dipstick. The dipstick and tube is steel...the dipstick doesn't come anywhere near aluminum at any point.

Based on the fact that you see aluminum in the fluid, I'd say it's time to look for a used trans. Even in a normal wearing trans, the only wear parts are clutches, steels, and seals. If you've got aluminum in the fluid, you've lost a bearing and something got into the case or a piston. Find a used trans for a few hundred bucks, spend an afternoon swapping it and be done with it.

 

[Lineman]

When I was in Alaska, I didn't really have those issues. It got down to -60 on numerous occasions.

Do you have a block heater? I also ran up there a battery blanket, oil pan heater/pad and a transmission heater/pad. Those all helped me.

 

[Baja Runner]

Stuck drum brakes...

 

[combatmedic]

Brakes are stuck bro. Condensation gets in there and freezes. Simple as that.

 

[LA-YOTA]

Shift sprags?...lol.

Before you do anything, have it diagnosed by someone who understands automatic transmissions.

As far as the aluminum shavings....that's a problem. It's not from the dipstick. The dipstick and tube is steel...the dipstick doesn't come anywhere near aluminum at any point.

Based on the fact that you see aluminum in the fluid, I'd say it's time to look for a used trans. Even in a normal wearing trans, the only wear parts are clutches, steels, and seals. If you've got aluminum in the fluid, you've lost a bearing and something got into the case or a piston. Find a used trans for a few hundred bucks, spend an afternoon swapping it and be done with it.

Thanks will get that checked, and done with once and for all, before it creeps up on me.

When I was in Alaska, I didn't really have those issues. It got down to -60 on numerous occasions.

Do you have a block heater? I also ran up there a battery blanket, oil pan heater/pad and a transmission heater/pad. Those all helped me.

No lineman, I dont have a block heater, I was thinking of installing one as all my other vehicles have block heaters, but the dealership said not to install one, because of the chance it may leak in the future. Would you be able to point me towards the heater pad you talk about? Thanks.

Stuck drum brakes...

Brakes are stuck bro. Condensation gets in there and freezes. Simple as that.

I believe Baja Runner and combatmedic have hit this head on, because I failed to mention that when it gets really cold. I should look into the brakes as the potential cause of this. Will look into flushing it and see if that helps, as I don't know if the previous owner change the fluid.

This site is so resourceful......................

 

[Qyota]

Shift sprags?...lol.

Why is this funny to you?

Also OP, I agree to check the rear brakes first. While I haven't had that problem in a northern climate, it's fairly common. Another fairly common issue during really cold weather is the check valve on the vacuum line to the brake booster gets stuck, and you basically have no power assist for the first few braking attempts. The check valve is on the booster itself, and is easy to replace. This is not the cause of your current issue, though...just a heads up.

 

[IanB]

Stuck drum brakes...

Brakes are stuck bro. Condensation gets in there and freezes. Simple as that.

If it works fine in reverse, then I don't think stuck brakes are the issue here.

I'm inclined to agree with lbhsbz, aluminum shavings on the tranny dipstick didn't come from anywhere but inside the tranny, and that's not good.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

If you aren't running synthetic then my guess is that is a big contributing factor and if you see temps even near 0 then synthetic should be a must. I've seen synthetic and dino oil poured out of a bottle at near -30F and the difference in viscosity is pretty stunning.

 

[Lineman]

I use these pads.. Use gasket sealer Permatex on one side and stick one each on the oil pan and tranny. All plugs ran to the front of the grill area to a 4 plug in box and 1 out to an outlet.

Titan Engine oil pan heaters, filter heaters and battery warmers. Designed for cars, diesel engines, more effective than block heaters, magnetic heaters. Suitable for Volkswagen vw beetle, Audi, Land Rover, Ford, Chrysler, GM,

Thanks will get that checked, and done with once and for all, before it creeps up on me.




No lineman, I dont have a block heater, I was thinking of installing one as all my other vehicles have block heaters, but the dealership said not to install one, because of the chance it may leak in the future. Would you be able to point me towards the heater pad you talk about? Thanks.






I believe Baja Runner and combatmedic have hit this head on, because I failed to mention that when it gets really cold. I should look into the brakes as the potential cause of this. Will look into flushing it and see if that helps, as I don't know if the previous owner change the fluid.

This site is so resourceful......................

 

[Baja Runner]

I've read a lot of people having problems with brakes sticking in cold weather. That is why I said it. Easy thing to check. Sorta. Not sure how to check it really.

 

[Full_Throttle]

I've read a lot of people having problems with brakes sticking in cold weather. That is why I said it. Easy thing to check. Sorta. Not sure how to check it really.

Jack up the vehicle until the tires are off the ground...give it a spin:lookout::lookout::lookout::lookout::lookoutPut it in neutral to check the rear)