1986 4Runner 22RE 4 speed auto

suddenly stopped downshifting to 1st when coming to a stop at a stop sign or red light

tries to take off in 2nd which results in very sluggish acceleration

if i manually stick the gear shift in 1st it downshifts and does fine just wont do it on its own anymore

my idle is a bit off (will sometimes stall if i let off gas pedal suddenly)

other than that interior trans probs the only thing i can think of, thoughts?

 

Trans fluid?
trans filter?
Trans solenoid?
Idle could be fuel filter
Fuel pressure regulator
Valve adjustment
Plug wires
Spark plugs
Throttle position sensor
Dirty injectors
Or several other things...
it's diagnose and elimination
It's a process...
Start with the simple, cheap stuff and work your way towards a solution.

 

Check your kickdown cable going from the throttle body to the transmission. I'm just assuming your model year is similar to my '93 auto trans. Look for the cable that isn't the throttle cable, that comes off the same "wheel" at the throttle body. When they get older they can either stick or they can accidentally get knocked loose or not installed properly after a repair job. Not saying it's for sure the cause, but it is something that could possibly cause this issue if the cable is too loose. Like mentioned above, also check trans fluid levels. If neither one of those, then get more serious and check the transmission filter and solenoids. It could also be possible that the vehicle speed is not being relayed to the transmission in some way?

Hopefully someone with more knowledge can help you out if the easy fixes are not working.

 

might or might not be helpful re: "kickdown" cable 1987 kickdown trans cable and the following post within the thread not a kickdown cable

 

It would help if we knew what transmission you have (it's on the driver's side door pillar). Apparently, the A43D did rely on a "kickdown" cable, and that is in the (long) list of possible causes of your problem.

The more common A340[x] models have electronic shifting, use the throttle cable to determine how hard the shift is (not the shift points), and have electronic diagnostics to point you towards your problem.