Kabby15

I have a 90 4 Runner 3.0L with auto tranny...everything ran fine in it til this ridiculous cold snap (-30C here in Calgary). Last night I get it started (barely) and after warming up for 20 min I get into leave and put it in reverse and basically when I gave it gas it revved up but went back a foot or so...I put it in D and same thing...almost as if I was trying to drive with E-Brake up (no it was not engaged).

I check the fluid and it is full and then all of a sudden I try again and it works fine.

Any opinions on what it may be? Or what should I do? I have never really owned an auto before (and never a Toyota) so I am clueless...is it possible it was just so cold out that the tranny needed more time to warm up?? Should I flush the fluids (I just bought it a while ago and am unsure of when it was last done). Is there some sort of tranny heater that you can plug in I read about?


Thanks all for the help!

scuba

The tranny does need to warm up a bit, That coulds be the problem...
Maybe 2 block heaters..?

Kabby15

ok...does the block heater warm that up though? Is there a separate heater for that?

toyota4x4907

There are specific tranny heater pads. I have one on my truck and I installed ones on my friends Dodge Neon a few weeks ago. Just go to your local parts store and ask for a transmission heater pad like you would any other heater pad
But, to me, 20 minutes is plenty of time for the fluid to get warmed up enough for it to drive. Yours may be different because its an auto, but I highly doubt it. Sounds like, to me, that you have a more serious problem....
Try the transmission heater pad though..if that doesnt help, then I dont know
Welcome to YotaTech

874runnersr5

hey, i know what you mean.
my tranny felt like molasses until i started driving around and warmed it up, and my clutch was weird to.

toyota4x4907

really? I never have a problem if i let it sit for 20 minutes! I dont normally let it sit that long, but sometimes I forget I have it running and i end up running it for 20+. I usually warm it up for 5-15, depending on the cold.
We are comparing ATF and manual tranny oil here though man. ATF is in contact with the cold anti-freeze until the T-stat opens up, and you drive a little ways.

874runnersr5

OH
i never knew that, werid then

oh and i got a vid of that noise uploading as we speak

Kabby15

I will try the heater pad...it has only done it the once yesterday and everytime I drove it since, it has been perfect...I wonder if it was just that it reached -45C with wind chill and it had been out unplugged for 36 hours straight?? It was always driving perfect with no signs of struggle whatsoever til then.

Kabby15

OK...so far no problem today...BUT another weird thing happened...when I get past 100km/h the speedo starts wave back and forth and a weird noise comes. It almost sounds as if the window is cracked open slightly and there is a wind noise, but it stops as well as the speedo wavering as soon as I drop below 100.

Ever heard of that??

crombieposterboy

definatly do the heater pad. My 91 was quarky too. It wouldnt shift out of first gear untill it was warmed up. and it did that for years. so dont get too worked up toyota's are bullet proof they just need a little tlc now and then