mmcpeck

My Auto, which is behind the 3.0 on my Runner, I think it's the A340, downshifts into 1st gear at times when it seems to me it should downshift to 2nd. This is when going around a corner or slowing down for a stop sign and then going again, or whatever.

Going around a corner at anything less than 15mph it downshifts to 1st gear, even if it's just under 15mph, like 13mph, it will shift into 1st gear. When it goes down to 1st, it just feels like the wrong gear. I would never go around corner at 12 or 13mph and put a Manual into 1st gear.

Anyway, it feels like it's in too low of a gear for about a second, and gets high revs and then shifts directly into 2nd gear...it annoys the hell out of me.

Is this normal for this tranny, to make up for the lack of power with the 3VZE?

GSGALLANT

The 2 to 1 downshift on the A340H will happen at roughly 25-27 mph. You can see the shift schedule for your tranny here.

Shawn6string

start searching on the word (solenoids). Your tranny hs three solenoids that make it shift, when they start failing its starts shifting funny. Then again if might be something else....is there a code light blinking where the OD light is?

Marc

I think that 25-27 mph value is with your foot to the floor.

Have you checked you fluid level?

mmcpeck

I have only owned it for like 6 months and it's done this the whole time, the thing is that it shifts fine, both upshift and dropping down for passing...although I don't pass too many people with the 3.0....it just felt like it was downshifting to 1st, when I figured it should have downshifted to 2nd, you know just when going around a corner, like turning off one road and onto another, at say 10-12mph.

It seems like 13-14mph is the point at which it will do this, I can go around some corners a bit faster like just at 15mph and it will downshift to 2nd, but anything right under that, say 13-14mph, it will go into first for a second then shift to 2nd.

I have never driven another A340H, but I have had other Auto trucks, and they didn't go to 1st gear around the same corners and speeds, so I figured maybe it was just the way this tranny was.

It does this for just a second, then goes right into 2nd.....almost like it's checking out if 1st gear is good or too low and then shifts.

The fluid level is fine, I always keep an eye on it and have changed it a couple of times since I've had it just to clean it out. The current fluid has maybe 1,500 miles on it, so it's clean and at the correct level.

No other shifting problems at all, this transmission feels real good with 200K on it. Shifts smooth, no slippage, no hard shifts, locks up nice, sometimes it feels a little hard when it locks up.....and pulls my boat nice and strong.

I mean I could be making this up in my head, I was really just checking if anybody else's A340H does this, to see if it's a normal thing for this tranny.

Thanks for the responses.

annoyingrob

try loosening the kick-down cable a little bit. It shouldn't be a problem, as you say it shifts smooth otherwise, but give it a shot. Takes 2 minutes to adjust.

mmcpeck

How do I go about adjusting the kick down cable?

GSGALLANT

Yeah... I think you're right. I looked at the table again, and I think that's what that note at the top means. So if you're going 25-27 miles per hour or less, and you floor it to pass somebody, it will downshift from 2 to 1. If you're going above 27 miles per hour and floor it, it won't downshift from 2 to 1.

Marc

I might be wrong but,
I'm wondering if it could be a TPS adjustement.
I think that's how the trans decides when to shift.
I read here that the "kick-down" cable acrually controls line pressure.

needsomecam

my trans does the act same thing so i say we chalk it up as normal

GSGALLANT

I was thinking the same thing. If the TPS is signalling WOT to the computer when it's actually not at WOT, it could potentially cause premature downshifting.

annoyingrob

you are right, the kick-down cable controls line pressure. I have found though, that when too tight, the transmission will downshift prematurely. Why, I don't know. I think there's some sort of safety backup system saying "when the line pressure reaches x, down shift because obviously the tps is wrong"


To adjust, find the cable on your throttle body that runs down to the transmission. Loosen the two nuts holding the cable to the mounting bracket (12mm I I believe), then screw them over to the side a little so that the threaded end of the cable sits a little closer to the throttle body. 3 or 4 turns should do it. Then take it for a drive. If it's feeling a little sluggish, or upshifts too early, it was loosened too much.

Matt16

My 5spd never does that. Weird.

phildelfino

Mine does not do this.

Hayes

This statement cracks me up... You wouldn't do it in a manual, ok, this is an auto. A 4sp auto versus a 5sp manual, of course they are different.

mmcpeck

Thanks for stating the obvious....I'm just using it as an example of how it feels when I go around a turn....like if I had put a 5spd manual into 1st at 12mph and hit the gas....that's what this Auto feels like when it does it, for a second....the RPM's hit like 2500 or so and it shifts right to 2nd.

I have had plenty of Auto trucks before, never a Toyota though, and they didn't do this. I did have an '87 Cherokee though and I am pretty sure it may have been the same tranny in that thing as in the 4Runner, A340H, and that Jeep didn't do this either.

Wouldn't a misadjusted TPS affect other gear changes also, including upshifting? This thing shifts perfect when upshifting, and is also pretty sensitive for downshifting when it needs it.

If I am cruising along at say 35-40 and need to pick it up a little, I can nudge the pedal just a bit and get it to downshift a gear and get going.....no problem whatsoever. Even when I load it with my boat it shifts perfect, doesn't hunt around or anything and not sluggish .

I'm not even really sure that this going around a corner thing is a problem, just figured maybe it was to make up for the sluggish 3.0 at that speed around corners, I don't know. Just wanted to see if anyone else's did this, since I have never driven another one of these.

4banginRunner

Toyota autos are garbage

5spd Swap

mt_goat

What? They are not, you want to see garbage... my 95 Taurus needed a full tranny rebuild at 80,000 miles. You don't know what garbage is

mmcpeck

This one has 200K on it and no problems, and the same one that I had in the Jeep had 170K on and was strong as hell, sounds a lot like garbage. My sister's Grand Prix is on it's 3rd tranny in 130K miles.....that's garbage.

Not for nothing, but Toyota doesn't make these tranny's anyway.

And on my old '88 pickup, I had the 2nd gear synchro go at 75K miles, grinded into 2nd until I wreced it at 120K. And my brother's Taco has a squeek in the tranny, most likely a bearing, since it had 50K on it.

I love Manuals, but they are not without their problems either.

abecedarian

If you have nothing to contribute to the conversation, please don't.
Subliminally suggesting the manual trans is the solution to the problem is nowhere near even anywhere appropriate.