WestEnd

Hi Guys- This is my first 4Runner! It's a 2000 with the 3.4 automatic, and 4X4.
Just bought it last weekend in Chicago and drove it back to Nebraska. Love this rig already!
My problem is the check engine light turned on about 100 miles from home. Stopped at a garage and they pulled a code 770 from the diagnostics. "Shift Solenoid" is apparently the area to look at.
It is clear that someone has very recently changed the transmission fluid, because they did a crappy job resealing the pan, and the fluid is clean and bright red.
Should I be thinking about changing the transmission, or just the shift solenoid itself??
Is it safe to continue driving until I do fix it??

My other question is about the 4X4... Is the indicator light supposed to come on immediately when the shift lever is put into 4X4? or is it supposed to delay until you start driving and it actually engages??

Thanks!

Kerby J

you prolly only have a bad selenoid and those are fairly eaisly repaced, i owuld say have a good mechanic or yourself redo the transmission pan gasket and fix the selenoid and new fluid, and y not just go ahead and use synthetic and here is a link for ya http://home.centurytel.net/stevenjac...sh/tranny.html

and it will delay untill it fully engages

kball

They dropped the pan on the trans to service it right before they sell it? That sounds a little fishy to me. People don't normally throw much money into vehicles they are trying to sell. Is the radiator new also?

WestEnd

Kind of what I thought, kball. Definitely looks like an amateur job. Bought it from Oakbrook Toyota in Chicago. There's no service history of any trans work being done, so I'm not sure if I should go ahead and throw a Shift Solenoid at it, or just start saving for a new tranny?
The radiator looks original, but pretty clean after the dealership put the power wash and dressing treatment to it.

SkidPalace

Yah, sorry to hear about the code. Seems awfully fishy that the code comes on so soon after the sale. Wouldn't surprise me to hear that cleared the computer before you picked it up, knowing it takes two startups for the light to appear.
If it makes you feel any better, I had a P0770 show up on my rig, even though I had no shifting abnormalities. I drove it for a while as I researched the issue and decided to just let it go since it was not exhibiting the symptoms of malfunction (torque converter was locking up and releasing perfectly). A few weeks later I just happened to do some work that required a computer reset, and whaddaya know, the codes never reappeared.
Can't explain what happened, but the code appeared and disappeared.
I know the smoking gun is the recently serviced tranny, but are you having issues with your torque converter?
You also didn't say if the the radiator was new. That could indicate a pink milkshake repair, which could have fouled the solenoids.

WestEnd

SkidPalace- The torque converter doesn't "seem" to be an issue. The only tranny glitch seems to be a hard down shift when braking. I've driven it another 100 miles now, and no real problems other than the check engine light. I was going to order the Toyota solenoid, filter, and gasket and replace it this weekend and see what happens.

I can't tell if the radiator is new or not. If it's been replaced, it has a few miles on it. BTW, what is a "pink milkshake" repair??

Thanks for your help!!

kball

Search for strawberry or pink milkshake. You'll find lots of threads. It's when the tranny cooler in the radiator fails and leaks. Then trans fluid gets into the engine coolant system and engine coolant get into the transmission. The tranny fluid into the coolant is a mess but not really bad except it will make you overheat. But the coolant into the trans will kill the trans quick. This is why I asked about the radiator. It just seemed like the previous owner may have just experienced the milkshake and did a quick repair and sold it to you.

WestEnd

OK... definitely had the strawberry milkshake going on. So far, I've dropped the tranny pan, to find a valve body bolt just lying there stuck to the pan magnets. It doesn't appear that any "milkshake" stuff was happening in the pan. I've drained out 6.5 quarts so far, and it all looks like new. I have a question on the shift solenoids though. Are they all the same? I ordered a new "SL" shift solenoid, but when I went to get it at the Toyota dealer, it was about half the size of the one I took out. A local NAPA store had one for $86. It's the right size, but it has an orange wire, where mine has a blue wire. The other two solenoids in my transmission do have an orange wire on them. Do you think I'm safe to put this one in??
I've replaced the radiator, hoses, thermostat, cleaned out the overflow tank, and flushed the coolant system with distilled water. Someone had filled the system with Green Prestone. I understand that the factory Toyota coolant is red (?)
Will the green have caused any damage??

Thanks to everyone who has given me your advice in this project!

WestEnd

Lesson learned: If you have the pink milkshake going on... scrap the transmission. Save yourself the money on flushing, etc. etc. and just ante up for a rebuilt tranny. Mine lasted 3 days after flushing, new radiator, coolant flush, etc. etc. etc. Big Suck!!
...but I still love this truck...