Dublin

Hi just wanted to say you've got a great place here, and please forgive the length of my first post but my BABY is in trouble.

Had my 4runner parked for a few months while doing some major body and interior work. Recently put it back on the road and suddenly having power and transmission problems. Automatic transmission 1st problem, the transmission doesn't seem to shift properly. It will take the engine almost to redline before shifting up. 2nd problem, while at highway speed and the acelerator fully depressed the engine will rev up as the transmission slows down the truck. 3rd problem gas mileage has dropped from 12 mpg down to 4 mpg (no fuel in the oil, no black smoke, no fuel leakage). 4th problem, top speed 65mph acts as if there was no more to give. 5th problem, pinging on aceleration. Sorry for the long list but all was fine 3 months ago. Had no problems hitting 110 mph, could break the rear tires loose on a whim, and it ran like a top. Occasionally it will have a miss now and then, idles fine, no oil or tranny fluid leaks, no other fluids in the oil or radiator. 1994 V6 auto 4WD.

Any one have any ideas?? Thanks.

User 051420

All of this on a 3.0?!?!?!

Fink

That comment about breaking the tires loose could be right...if you were on ice!!

What the heck did you to your engine to make it able to do that??? The fastest I've gone is 105 and its was shaking like leaf.

Fink

Dublin

I need to review my posts before submitting. I meant 100 not 110, and no shaking just no more to give. As for breaking the rear tires loose, used to do it all the time. Just a bit of a bark, not to the end of the block. Loved to do it because the neighbors Nissan couldn't. But now even on the ice she has a hard time. One other thing it has just started doing is making a pinging noise on exceleration as if the timing were off.

AgRunner06

You may want to try putting some octane booster in the tank and filling it up with premium. Your gas could have gone bad. That's all I can think of.

The fastest my runner has seen is probably 85.

Dublin

Thanks but i've tryed the octane booster and injector cleaner for the pinging. The transmission seems the likely candiate, the engine rpms really peak but the truck just doesn't takeoff anymore, not to mention when driving at highway speed as soon as you step down on the accelerator the the engine revs, the rpms peak, and the truck slows at least a mph or two.

By the way nice rig.

Bulkhead

I'll start off by saying I don't know any thing about Toyota Auto Trannys. It sounds like the kickdown function is not working on the tranny. I dont know if your tranny uses vacuum or cable kickdown but your symptoms sound like there is a vacuum line disconected from the tranny.

Most vehicles use vacuum retard for the timing, so if you had a leak that would cause advanced timing and your pinging.

A vacuum leak at the tranny also would cause it to not downshift or upshift correctly.

Just a guess, hope it helps. Brad

MTL_4runner

I would tend to agree with you if the RPMs are higher now at the same speed than they were before.
Possibilities in the tranny:
1) Torque converter
2) lockout solenoid
3) shift bands (would require a rebuild)

Might want to PM yotatech member Techwrench....I think he used to be a tranny mechanic.

I would also check all the basic tuneup stuff just to eliminate it (plugs, cap, rotor, wires, PCV, air filter, fuel filter, adjust TPS). I would also check the timing with a gun just to be sure that is correct also, if not adjust it to 12 degrees BTC.

CrazyDiamond

Sounds just like the bands are shot in the tranny. The pinging could be caused by excessive load by the trans. The engine will have a tendency to ping more if under heavy load.

Shot bands will cause the slippage when in whatever gear had fried bands. Could also have band material (which is like brake pad material) in the transmission pump...that could cause problems too.