The Fixer

Good morning,
I have been lurking but never posted. I have a question for a friend who has a 2001 3.4 4runner 4x4. it seems that the automatic transmission died on him. no forward or reverse motion at all. Is there a year range that the transmissions are interchangeable and also, can anyone recommend a good place to find one.
thanks for all the help,
Roger

GSGALLANT

He doesn't necessarily need a new transmission. It could be a simple issue like low fluid level, a clogged filter or bad solenoid(s). Has he been getting regular fluid flushes? If you provide more info, it may be possible to troubleshoot this so that a repair can be made instead of a replacement. It would be pretty rare for a 9 year old toyota transmission to be dead. How many miles on it?

The Fixer

Hi,
he has owned the 4runner since 04 and 70,000 miles. presently at 130,000. did a full tranny, transfer case and front and rear diffs last august. the fluid still looks clean. also did the filter at the same time. I am not sure about the solenoids though. hope this helps a bit.

GSGALLANT

So when he selects any gear other than "P" or "N" (R, D, 2, L), the engine just revs (like if the tranny was in "N" and the 4Runner does not move at all? Did this happen suddenly (i.e. one day it worked perfectly, then the next day it didn't work at all), or has it been getting progressively worse?

Try disconnecting one of the tranny cooler hoses (one of the two small diameter hoses that connect to the nipples at the bottom of the radiator), and start the 4Runner. Fluid should come out of the hose (or out of the nipple on the radiator... depending on which hose you disconnect), if your fluid is flowing properly and the fluid level in the pan is adequate.

Are you sure the problem is in the transmission and not in the transfercase? Will the truck move with the transfer case in other positions? 4H, 4L?

Any other details you can provide would be helpful. The more detail that's provided... the better chance at successful troubleshooting.

The Fixer

GS,
thank you for the response. it does in fact rev when you have it in drive or reverse. no desire to move at all. I will be back there on saturday and attempt what you suggested to see what happens.
Roger

The Fixer

one additional piece of information that i recall is that the vsc, TCS and check engine lights are on.

GSGALLANT

...There it is! (the single most important piece of information to provide, I mean.) Get the codes pulled please, and post up the results (the actual code numbers). Not sure where you live, and whether there's an autozone near you, but they typically pull codes for free. Don't bother with any of the other stuff that I mentioned yet. Get those codes!

I've got a sneaky feeling it's going to be tranny solenoid related.

The Fixer

GS,
thanks again for taking the time to look at my post. as I am not too familiar with the 4Runner, do I need a scanner to pull the codes? I can get those and post at some point on saturday when i get up there to take another look.
Roger

GSGALLANT

Since the 2001 4Runner is OBD II, you need an OBD II scanner to pull the codes. You can either buy one, or like I mentioned, you can usually get one from Autozone for free (you pay deposit, use the scanner, return the scanner, get deposit back).

The connector to plug the scanner into is under the dash, just above the driver's feet. You basically plug it in, turn the ignition to "ON" (don't start the truck), and push a button (on mine, it's labelled "LINK") on the scanner, and the scanner does the rest (you might have to push a scroll button to scroll through if there are multiple codes.)

The Fixer

perfect thanks. I do have an obdII for the Volvo so i will do just that.
Roger

GSGALLANT

Excellent!

Total cost for diagnosis = $0
Total cost for repairs = stay tuned...

The Fixer

GS,
little by little i am getting more info from him. he mentioned that the truck threw a OBD Code 0755. would this cause the check engine light and others to go off, and also to possibly put the tranny into a "limp mode?

GSGALLANT

Bingo! Code P0755 is a problem with Tranny Shift Solenoid #2, and yes it would illuminate those lights. It's much cheaper to replace a solenoid than to replace the transmission, so that's the good news. The bad news is that even with Solenoid #2 failed, he should be able to get the truck to move. In "D", if solenoid #1 is working (are you sure that he didn't also get a code P0750?), then the tranny should be in 1st gear. If for some reason solenoid #1 is not "ON", then the tranny would be stuck in O/D (hence not being able to move).

Get him to try manually shifting to see if the truck will move. Start in "L", speed up... shift to "2", speed up..., then shift to "D".

Post up the results.

The Fixer

thanks GS,
trying to get info out of him can be trying at times. I think he has just given up on the 4runner and wants to move on. in that case, I might just buy it from him for myself. that said, assuming that there is another code like you mentioned, and the additional solenoid is malfunctioning, would it make sense to replace the solenoids before you just replace the whole transmission? I honestly ahve never heard of a toyota tranny going bad.

GSGALLANT

Oh yeah! Solenoids $100-$150. New tranny $2000+, maybe?

You can disconnect the solenoid connector on the outside of the tranny and do a full manual test (in addition to the test I mentioned above). With the connector disconnected, "L" will be 1st, "2" will be 3rd, and "D" will be O/D. If the solenoid(s) is (are) the only problem, at least this way he can drive the 4Runner (manually shifting) until he can get the solenoids replaced.

The Fixer

GS,
the follow up - no other codes other than the one i mentioned. we disconnected the solenoid connector and tried the manual test and no luck. did not move an inch. it did not rev like the tranny is slipping. almost felt like it was under load. it's almost like something is broke inside. no whining, nothing. just does not move.

GSGALLANT

Really? Starting off in "D", that would make sense (truck would be stuck in O/D), but that was starting off in "L"? Even if solenoid #2 was stuck in the "ON" position instead of the "OFF" position, with the gear selector in "L", worse case is the transmission would be in 2nd gear (if solenoid #1 is "OFF"). Did you try different positions on the transfer case? Can you verify that nothing else in the drivetrain is binding (like rear brakes, maybe?) Put the tranny in "N", jack up the rear, and make sure that you can turn the rear driveshaft and both rear wheels with minimal effort.

You might not be lucky... it might be something more than a solenoid.

The Fixer

we did try the different scenarios. starting off in d, then we tried it in l. nothing binding as we had to push it onto the trailer and it rolled no problem (I did end up buying it from him at the same time, so now it is MY problem.. :O)

we reset the codes (not that that would make a difference) and re-tried and no luck. at this point, assuming that I do indeed need to replace the tranny, do you know which years are interchangeable, if at all?

Roger

and thank you for all the assistance!

The Fixer

So i located a tranny from a 2000 4runner - low miles. would this fit my 2001 4runner? it is a 4x4, etc.