Hi all, first post on the site. I've been digging around here and the other forums for the past two weeks, trying to figure out the issue I've been having with my Tacoma. It wasn't that bad until this morning, which is why I'm having to start a thread. Hoping to get some reassurance on the problem I'm having or be pointed in the right direction.

First off, it's a 2001 double cab TRD SR5, obviously automatic, with ~155k miles. I've owned it for just over a year with no issues and only taken it off road two or three times, rather mildly. Transmission fluid is bright red and full.

Here's the issue; start the truck up in the morning (or after it's been sitting for over 30 minutes), shift into reverse to pull out of the driveway or parking spot, no issues. Shift into drive and nothing. Two weeks ago, I could start giving it a little gas, the revs would rise and then it would start to move and I'd be good until I got wherever I was going. This morning was way different though. I sat outside my driveway for about 10 minutes trying to get the truck to move. Rev, rev, rev nothing. Put it in reverse, back up a bit and put it back into drive, nothing, just revs. Basically like I have a clutch depressed. It eventually started to move after repeating the above steps, but with a loud violent pop/bang from the transmission area. Shifted perfectly fine and didn't have any other issues while on the 2 mile drive to work.

It seems to be a converter problem based on the fact that I can rev the engine with no response from the transmission while in any forward moving gears (even 1, 2 and 4wd), reverse works perfectly fine. I've been loosing coolant and have to top the radiator up every few months. Thought it was probably leaking in the heater area, since I feel like it does it more when using the heat, but read today that some transmissions use coolant to cool the converter. Sometimes that can leak and cause premature failure of the TC. Other than that, I'm at a complete loss. Really don't want to drop it off at a dealer and take it up the can, but I'm between a rock and hard place.

Would appreciate any feedback to a Tacoma n00b and let me know if you need to know anything else. Thanks!

 

A bad torque converter would also have problems with reverse. I would take a look at the shifter and linkage to the trans.

 

I should add that another reason I believe it to be the TC is that when I am approaching a stop at a really low speed, like pulling into a parking space, it almost as if the brakes get randomly slammed and the truck really jerks.

I attribute this to the transmission disengaging from the motor (again, like depressing a clutch), which decreases the amount of 'go' force the brakes have to clamp against. They are suddenly trying to stop a larger force that no longer exists and over compensating.

I'll check the linkage tomorrow in the daylight. Thanks for your input.

 

The transmission cooler resides inside the bottom of the radiator. If it fails, transmission fluid & coolant will mix.

Take a look inside your radiator cap for a strawberry-colored liquid.

These failures are well-documented on the forums.



Andreas