Strange Transmission Issue
 

Last week my girlfriend goes outside to leave for work and she came back into the house and said that my 97 4WD automatic 4runner had drifted back about 8 feet into the parking lot. The parking lot isn't at all steep but probably just steep enough if in neutral to roll back to the other side of the parking lot. Since there was ice on the road I just thought maybe somehow it may have slid back over night. Didn't think much about it after that.

Fast forward to yesterday I was backing into a parking space, put the truck in Reverse however when I hit the gas nothing would happen. It was like the truck was in neutral. I moved forward and parked in another space and went into the store. I came out hoping I could back out of the parking space and all was well. Haven't had an issue since.

Notes:

1 I check fluid level and all is well. The fluid was a bit on the brown side in color.
2 I haven't had the filter checked yet.
3 It was bitter cold outside.
4 Shifting is smooth and no other problems exist to my knowledge with the tansmissoin.
5 Had been running in 4WD all weekend due to the snow and ice here in VA.
6 97 4runner Auto 4WD 250k fluid levels normal.

Any ideas?

You may want to take a look at the park/neutral switch located on the passenger side of the transmission. It may just need to be cleaned instead of being replaced (not a cheap part), but since I have never removed it, use the search thread to find out more.

Your linkage is loose under the rig. Climb under and look at the DS of the tranny. The linkage is loose or out of adjustment, so when you slide the shifter into gear/park, its not seating all the way actually into gear.

Yes, same thing happend to me with my 96. Make sure the nut that secures the linkage on the drivers side of the transmission (under the truck), is on tight and not moving around. Its the nut that when loosened, adjusts the mating between the shifter and the input of the tranny.