2001 4Runner Won't Move
06-25-2013, 05:00 AM
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2001 4Runner Won't Move
Been squattin' these forum for a while while I looked into 4Runners... finally pulled the trigger and 3 days later, this happens.
2001 SR5 w/ 105k miles. No evidence of pink milkshakes form as far as I can tell.
Driving down the road to work in the am, I forget exactly the combination of moves but at the light I shifted from 2Hi to 2Lo, then back again I believe. After doing this and driving off at the light, she just won't respond to acceleration. I coasted to a stop in the lane and had to be pushed off. Engine revs, sounds good, but just won't go. All gears. 4WD *seems* to engage when you click it, shifters for 4Lo-N-Hi seem to work, shifting from Park to Drive to 2 to 1 all works... but not one combination of any of the aforementioned will produce movement. It just seems like every gear/combination keeps the truck in Neutral.
Initial mechanic suggests an entire transmission replacement, but I don't know if that's the case... there was no real destructive noises or even any hint of shifting/gearing problems. Seems very... electronic related or some kind of breakage or connection that just isn't happening.
Then again, I'm clearly no mechanic.
Any thoughts? I've poked around and didn't see much on this. Going to talk to mechanic later today and likely have it brought to a toyota shop for second assessment. Ill follow up regardless with where this goes... for science.
2001 SR5 w/ 105k miles. No evidence of pink milkshakes form as far as I can tell.
Driving down the road to work in the am, I forget exactly the combination of moves but at the light I shifted from 2Hi to 2Lo, then back again I believe. After doing this and driving off at the light, she just won't respond to acceleration. I coasted to a stop in the lane and had to be pushed off. Engine revs, sounds good, but just won't go. All gears. 4WD *seems* to engage when you click it, shifters for 4Lo-N-Hi seem to work, shifting from Park to Drive to 2 to 1 all works... but not one combination of any of the aforementioned will produce movement. It just seems like every gear/combination keeps the truck in Neutral.
Initial mechanic suggests an entire transmission replacement, but I don't know if that's the case... there was no real destructive noises or even any hint of shifting/gearing problems. Seems very... electronic related or some kind of breakage or connection that just isn't happening.
Then again, I'm clearly no mechanic.
Any thoughts? I've poked around and didn't see much on this. Going to talk to mechanic later today and likely have it brought to a toyota shop for second assessment. Ill follow up regardless with where this goes... for science.
Last edited by Lets4RunIt; 06-25-2013 at 05:25 AM.
06-25-2013, 05:35 AM
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Sorry for the misleading verbage -- I mean 4hi/4lo with 4WD both engaged and not engaged. But yes -- to me thats what it seems. I tried to ask the mechanic if he checked and he said "That is part of the transmission"... and also said that the radiator+transmission fluid mix (pink milkshake) was not a large problem on pre 2003 4Runners.
After hearing both of those, I lost some faith in the recommended mechanic.
Last edited by Lets4RunIt; 06-25-2013 at 05:36 AM.
06-25-2013, 05:41 AM
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I'm no mechanic, but I seemed to know that one. I asked if he checked that and he said it would require removing the trans and checking... and proceeded to talk about replacing the entire thing. I'll have an update from him shortly, but I'm still leaning on bringing it to the Toyota dealer to have them check/take care it. I know I'll get beat up on price, but I got the scare in me now that it died 3 days after owning it, but everything else on it looks perfect! Hoping this is just a fluke...
06-25-2013, 05:52 AM
#6
First off your mechanic sounds like an idiot.
It seems as if your t-case is stuck in neutral. The t-case is not part of the transmission as they just bolt together.
Also the milkshake was an issue BEFORE 2003, i've never heard of a 4th Gen 4Runner (03-09) having this issue.
-Brian
It seems as if your t-case is stuck in neutral. The t-case is not part of the transmission as they just bolt together.
Also the milkshake was an issue BEFORE 2003, i've never heard of a 4th Gen 4Runner (03-09) having this issue.
-Brian
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06-25-2013, 06:00 AM
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I definitely agree the T-Case seems stuck in Neutral. I played it with when it initially happened, but I still got no movement. Shifting up and down, in Park, Drive, 2, 1, R, etc. Nothing. I got a noise from putting it into park every other time or so, but it was the sound of a weak rattling or spinning, nothing that made me cringe from a "Oh ˟˟˟˟" type sound, if that makes any sense. I think something inside the Transfer case is broken, in my extremely internet-research based opinion. I tried shifting from Lo to Hi slow and fast and... still nada.
And yes, when the guy told me pink milkshake was a post 2003 condition, I knew this recommended mechanic wasn't too informed. I hope the dealership doesn't punch my wallet too hard...
And yes, when the guy told me pink milkshake was a post 2003 condition, I knew this recommended mechanic wasn't too informed. I hope the dealership doesn't punch my wallet too hard...
Last edited by Lets4RunIt; 06-25-2013 at 06:05 AM.
06-25-2013, 06:51 AM
#9
your mechanic doesn't know 4runners
on yours, the transfer case is not part of the tranny, [although sometimes
they are on certain vehicles]
drop tranny pan, inspect everything you can see for the tiniest speck of rust.
find any ? tranny has been milkshaked
does it have a replacement radiator ? might have milkshaked in the past
it sounds like it has been....
about the a340...when in drive, and it doesn't want to move forward....
and you manually shift automatic transmission to 1, that is
a mechanical action to the transmission and this is used to definitely get moving
when all else fails...if this is also not doing it for you, that tranny is ˟˟˟˟˟˟ed
on yours, the transfer case is not part of the tranny, [although sometimes
they are on certain vehicles]
drop tranny pan, inspect everything you can see for the tiniest speck of rust.
find any ? tranny has been milkshaked
does it have a replacement radiator ? might have milkshaked in the past
it sounds like it has been....
about the a340...when in drive, and it doesn't want to move forward....
and you manually shift automatic transmission to 1, that is
a mechanical action to the transmission and this is used to definitely get moving
when all else fails...if this is also not doing it for you, that tranny is ˟˟˟˟˟˟ed
06-25-2013, 06:56 AM
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your mechanic doesn't know 4runners
on yours, the transfer case is not part of the tranny, [although sometimes
they are on certain vehicles]
drop tranny pan, inspect everything you can see for the tiniest speck of rust.
find any ? tranny has been milkshaked
does it have a replacement radiator ? might have milkshaked in the past
it sounds like it has been....
about the a340...when in drive, and it doesn't want to move forward....
and you manually shift automatic transmission to 1, that is
a mechanical action to the transmission and this is used to definitely get moving
when all else fails...if this is also not doing it for you, that tranny is ˟˟˟˟˟˟ed
on yours, the transfer case is not part of the tranny, [although sometimes
they are on certain vehicles]
drop tranny pan, inspect everything you can see for the tiniest speck of rust.
find any ? tranny has been milkshaked
does it have a replacement radiator ? might have milkshaked in the past
it sounds like it has been....
about the a340...when in drive, and it doesn't want to move forward....
and you manually shift automatic transmission to 1, that is
a mechanical action to the transmission and this is used to definitely get moving
when all else fails...if this is also not doing it for you, that tranny is ˟˟˟˟˟˟ed
I may have to suck it up and get it towed to a legit Toyota dealership/mechanic instead of this recommended guy and pay the price for a legit analysis before I commit to a new trans...
Last edited by Lets4RunIt; 06-25-2013 at 07:45 AM.
06-25-2013, 09:27 AM
#11
transfer case has nothing to do with power to the rear wheels
it has one driveshaft coming out, for the front
power to rear wheels comes out the tranny itself
if transfer case was silently fubar, rear wheels would still turn amirite ?
since you do not hear obvious grinding...all your symptoms are
sounding like either swollen seals in the tranny (due to water) preventing
shift solenoids/valves from working correctly, or actual slipping brakes (brake pack/clutch pack,
basically same thing in an automatic)
it has one driveshaft coming out, for the front
power to rear wheels comes out the tranny itself
if transfer case was silently fubar, rear wheels would still turn amirite ?
since you do not hear obvious grinding...all your symptoms are
sounding like either swollen seals in the tranny (due to water) preventing
shift solenoids/valves from working correctly, or actual slipping brakes (brake pack/clutch pack,
basically same thing in an automatic)
Last edited by BigBallsMcFalls; 06-25-2013 at 09:32 AM.
06-25-2013, 09:55 AM
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I could be wrong but I'm fairly certain the 00 4runner we had as well as my current 96 tacoma require the transmission to be in Neutral to engage low range. If you were able to do it otherwise it's possible it's just confused. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head that shifting the T-Case lever through it's motions on an otherwise functioning truck would cause to instantly become immovable. The transmissions are much tougher than people give them credit for when the inevitable milkshake occurs. Ours did it and my wife called me and told me it was puking red coolant all over the parking lot at her work. She drove it another 20 miles home no problem. About 5 gallons of ATF flushing through it, cleaned out the cooling system, changed the tranny filter, new radiator, and it was good as new.
06-25-2013, 09:59 AM
#13
transfer case has nothing to do with power to the rear wheels
it has one driveshaft coming out, for the front
power to rear wheels comes out the tranny itself
if transfer case was silently fubar, rear wheels would still turn amirite ?
since you do not hear obvious grinding...all your symptoms are
sounding like either swollen seals in the tranny (due to water) preventing
shift solenoids/valves from working correctly, or actual slipping brakes (brake pack/clutch pack,
basically same thing in an automatic)
it has one driveshaft coming out, for the front
power to rear wheels comes out the tranny itself
if transfer case was silently fubar, rear wheels would still turn amirite ?
since you do not hear obvious grinding...all your symptoms are
sounding like either swollen seals in the tranny (due to water) preventing
shift solenoids/valves from working correctly, or actual slipping brakes (brake pack/clutch pack,
basically same thing in an automatic)
I'm sorry to show my ignorance about the 01 Runner, but is the 4x4 manually shifted or is there an electric shifter for that particular model?
06-25-2013, 10:48 AM
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Correct. The output of the transmission isn't a direct drive to the rear driveshaft. Someone hasn't ever had a transfer case apart.... These are manually shifted with an actual lever. But I'll admit I have never had this particular transfer case apart myself. But I've had 2 of them. I'm pretty sure my Automatic Tacoma and our old 4Runner required the truck to be in Neutral to engage low range. If the OP could freely move it when in another gear something is up. But not likely a dead transmission or transfer case.
06-25-2013, 11:06 AM
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Memory has it that no gear provided me forward or reverse movements. Putting it in neutral, however, allowed me to get a push (clearly). The only noise present after failure is the *occasional* (read: only after playing with the 4Hi/Lo shifter) rattling sound for about 1-1.5 seconds that sounds almost like a spinning belt coming to a halt. Like I said previously, it doesn't sound like a "Oh ˟˟˟˟" type sound, but again I'm no mechanic... as you can tell by my amateur hour descriptions of sounds and my begging of hope its not a transmission replacement on my horizon.
It does not *feel* like a serious issue. It's almost like the car chose to just disable all movement for some reason. Initially I thought it was something electronic perhaps, as some cars like to act odd when electronics go amiss. I just can't tell... how aggravating.
My hope is the Toyota dealership, while being a rip off, will at least diagnose the issue from the current "Transmission Replacement" news from the mechanic who thinks "Pink Milkshake" is a post-2003 condition.
It does not *feel* like a serious issue. It's almost like the car chose to just disable all movement for some reason. Initially I thought it was something electronic perhaps, as some cars like to act odd when electronics go amiss. I just can't tell... how aggravating.
My hope is the Toyota dealership, while being a rip off, will at least diagnose the issue from the current "Transmission Replacement" news from the mechanic who thinks "Pink Milkshake" is a post-2003 condition.
Last edited by Lets4RunIt; 06-25-2013 at 11:08 AM.
06-25-2013, 12:42 PM
#16
Correct. The output of the transmission isn't a direct drive to the rear driveshaft. Someone hasn't ever had a transfer case apart.... These are manually shifted with an actual lever. But I'll admit I have never had this particular transfer case apart myself. But I've had 2 of them. I'm pretty sure my Automatic Tacoma and our old 4Runner required the truck to be in Neutral to engage low range. If the OP could freely move it when in another gear something is up. But not likely a dead transmission or transfer case.
are side-mounted, and center shaft of tranny drive rear wheels. front power
is tapped with a chain driven transfer case
see this pic ? that is what is under that 4runner
the main shaft inside the transmission powers the main propeller,
which is the center driveshaft to the 3rd member to power rear wheels only
the tranny has a big hole in the side, that drives a big chain, and
bolted to this hole is the transfer case and this chain runs inside the
transfer case that runs the front propeller only
you have to be in neutral to shift from 4hi to 4lo, you do not have
to be in neutral to use the transfer case whatsoever...it is shift on the
fly into and out of 4wd
summary
engine crankshaft powers torque converter/clutch and center shaft of
transmission
main shaft in transmission ends up going to rear wheels ONLY
a bolt-on piece, the transfer case, has a big ol chain running
into the tranny to tap power from the primary shaft in the transmission,
to run it's driveshaft, which goes to the front wheels only
transfer case is engaged or disengaged on-the-fly in any gear
only 4hi to 4lo needs to be in neutral to shift, and this doesn't
involve the transfer case one bit...this involves the low gear
in the transmission, transfer case has no gears, it only has enough
parts to move power from chain to the front driveshaft
you 'no move forward', transfer case has nothing to do with it
unless the rear driveshaft is disconnected and the vehicle is front-drive only
Last edited by BigBallsMcFalls; 06-25-2013 at 12:56 PM.
06-25-2013, 12:53 PM
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not true, if the t-case has a neutral it disengages the rear drive shaft as well. which almost sounds like the issue. but i am not familiar with this particular t-case setup in this truck. is it a stick shifter or push button engagement for the 4wd? do you even have the option to put the t-case in neutral?........if not then i'd blame the transmission before blaming the t-case. if you have your truck at home.....drain the fluids out of both t-case and trans, see what you got. look for glitter and/or metal shavings/chunks. if you dont see that then i'd start blaming the torque converter.
Last edited by maachine; 06-25-2013 at 12:57 PM.
06-25-2013, 12:56 PM
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not true, if the t-case has a neutral it disengages the rear drive shaft as well. which almost sounds like the issue. but i am not familiar with this particular t-case setup in this truck. is it a stick shifter or push button engagement for the 4wd? do you even have the option to put the t-case in neutral?
Stick Shifter .
4Lo - Neutral - 4Hi
And yea, it seems like it's stuck in neutral.
06-25-2013, 01:07 PM
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in that case one of the solenoids could have gone bad leaving you stuck in neutral, or like someone mentioned it could be "confused"
Last edited by maachine; 06-25-2013 at 01:09 PM.
06-25-2013, 05:14 PM
#20
transfer case has nothing to do with power to the rear wheels
it has one driveshaft coming out, for the front
power to rear wheels comes out the tranny itself
if transfer case was silently fubar, rear wheels would still turn amirite ?
since you do not hear obvious grinding...all your symptoms are
sounding like either swollen seals in the tranny (due to water) preventing
shift solenoids/valves from working correctly, or actual slipping brakes (brake pack/clutch pack,
basically same thing in an automatic)
it has one driveshaft coming out, for the front
power to rear wheels comes out the tranny itself
if transfer case was silently fubar, rear wheels would still turn amirite ?
since you do not hear obvious grinding...all your symptoms are
sounding like either swollen seals in the tranny (due to water) preventing
shift solenoids/valves from working correctly, or actual slipping brakes (brake pack/clutch pack,
basically same thing in an automatic)
If you put the T-case in neutral then you will NOT get power to any wheels.
And it has 2 driveshafts coming out of it, one in the front off to the side for the front wheels and one in the back in the middle for the rear wheels.
