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About two months ago my transmission broke due to faulty design on the radiator connection. Supposedly Toyota made a line that connects the transmission with the radiator out of aluminum but they used a fitting out of metal which over time corrodes and caused the radiator fluid to mix with the transmission fluid. This will create huge problem and you will not notice it until your transmission will start to act weird and after a while your engine will overheat (coast to fix is about $2200 + if this happens)
The easy fix to it is to replace the radiator which will cost from $220 to $280.
I’m doing this in my second truck just to prevent the same problem and to avoid spending $2200 for new transmission.
I also spoke with couple of the Toyota mechanics and they told me that in the past few months they have seen several 1999 models with the radiator and trans fluid mixed.
They said that they contacted Toyota and advised them of the problem with this faulty design, but the response they got was that this is an old vehicle and warranty is long gone.
Thanks to all, Ben
With that said, 3-4 weeks following this, transmission died. It has since been replaced, HOWEVER, the temperature is still a problem. I am confident the temperature caused the initial transmission to die. What could be causing this? Faulty radiator? I do not have an external oil cooler, think one will fit on this 4runner?
My question is: Seeing more posts about transmission problems on this blog than I am comfortable with, is there anything inherently wrong with the current 4Runner automatic transmission design? I take excellent care of all my vehicles and every mechanic remarks on how many 100s of Ks I get out of each vehicle. FYI: I tend to drive about 40K per year and take a lot of mountain/off-road trips, but don't tow anything.
Thanks
Take Care,
patriotmissile
Steve
THE FIX
REMOVE THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT AT THE REAREND. THERE ARE 4 BOLTS AT THE FLANGE. THROUGHLY CLEAN SPLINES BOTH MALE AND FEMALE WITH A HEAVY DUTY CLEANER, I USED BRAKE CLEAN. ONCE ALL THE OLD GREASE IS REMOVED APPLY GM PART NUMBER 12345718 GREASE ( IT COST ABOUT $50.00 FOR A 16 OUNCE CAN AND IT IS ABOUT THE CONSISTANCY OF WHITE LUBERAPLATE, VARY THIN). REASSEMBLE THE DRIVESHAFT. DO THE SAME FOR THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT. I DID THIS 15000 MILES AGO AND THE THUMP HAS NOT RETURNED.
Just about 25,000 mile ago, I had my vehicle in for service and they drained the transmission, checked for ware fragments, flushed the torque converter and refilled it. A few weeks went by before I started having problems with the transmission.
I backed out of the drive just fine then put it in drive. Sometime and it doesn't happen often, the car won't pull forward in drive. If I put the truck in 1st or 2nd gear, it pull forward just fine. Once having driven to the top of the driveway, the vehicle will work just fine in drive and drive fine the rest of the day. It only appears to happen first thing in the morning or after the vehicle has been sitting for several hours. The first time it happened, I had the vehicle towed into the dealership but by the time it got there, it worked just fine. Any suggestion would be helpful.
Sorry it took so long to answer. Replaced complete clutch Assy and am running strong. Up to 275,000 miles the other day and yea, driving 90-105 everyday is great and even better since gas has gone down. Wish you could do the same. Big thanks for the info, great forum.
Calvin
I will presume the automatic transmission is in need of repair/replacement. Without taking a look at the shop manual, can the transmission be removed *without* pulling the engine as well?
TIA.
This problem occurs on cold mornings only. I generally have to drive from 2 to 10 miles, depending on the cold temperature outside, before the transmission will shift into od. Once it shifts the first time into od then it does just fine until the vehicle is parked in cold weather again. Do you think this is a trans. problem or some kind of engine or sensor problem?
My question is this. I have a few options. I change the bearing and hop this is the problem, chang the tranny with a used one with 72,000 miles on it, or do I get it rebuilt? Anyone else have this problem? What would you do? HELP ME PLEASE!!!
All maintenance has been done... its not spark plugs, its not any hoses, its not a dirty fuel filter, etc, etc, etc.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I am the owner of a 1995 Toyota 4Runner, 4 doors, SR5 V6 with a 3.0 EFI engine. About a year and 3 months ago, its automatic transmission began to lose strength occasionally even though it was accelerated. The vehicle might run apparently well sometimes, and then unexpectedly lose strength and not be able to pass a speed rate of some 30 mph.
When this has occurred I have noted that the speed revolutions meter moves up then very fast. However the motor vehicle will not move much more faster even though one accelerates it. The problem described is not something that happens all the time, but rather unexpectedly.
I took the car to a few reliable mechanics that were knowledgeable of Toyota motor vehicles although they were not Toyota employees. Three of them scanned it, and they all informed me that they could not detect the cause of the failure. One of them made a full repair of the automatic transmission, but unfortunately that did not solve the problem.
I will appreciate your kind feedback on the matter in terms of other possible solutions that might exist or may have been overlooked.
I'm very discouraged with mechanics these days - - - I feel this should have been determined months ago.
Thanks
:confuse:
Quoted is a reply from Toyota Corp:
"It would be unsafe to design a vehicle with such behavior. This could create unsafe situations for drivers and undo wear on engines operating at high RPM's. If you are having such issues with your Toyota Transmission we highly recommend having your vehicle serviced at your local transmission repair shop."
I am currently in the quest for answers as this problem began part way through the winter, after the cold snap and my driving patterns are the same today as they were then. Some have replaced stuck Thermostats, others have bad solenoids, my friends was a Coolant Temperature Sensor. Mine is still a mystery.
Some other solutions have been transmission fluid issues(dirty, low, too thick), wiring(corroded, loose, and bent/cracked)
Good Luck too everyone