Hello!

Automatic

I bought a Toyota 1995 towing package 4runner with this problem, looking to fix it myself.

Looking for your guys' expertise on this scenario! I'm 27 and usually had been working on Volks but fell in love with these 4runners after my last one, a 1990, which was a super awesome truck! So now, here in Hawaii, they're all so expensive except for the broken ones.


Transmission issue!

Stuck in 4low, I can shift out of 4low while driving to say 2hi, it gets into the gear but won't shift past that gear, it slips out.

So say I'm goin 20mph in 4low, I pop it into 2hi and it goes for a minute, but once it's time for the car to shift up, it 'slips' out.

It does fine in 4low, tugs along the whole way.

There are no grinding noises

 

I am guessing Automatic Transmission ??

Are you sure the transfer case shifter is correct and your not putting the case in neutral ??

Do you have the ADD system??

 

Automatic yes.

I'm not sure how to check for all that, but like I said when I am driving and I put the shifter into 2hi, or even 4hi, it seems to catch and goes for a few seconds of acceleration (like 2 seconds), and then it slips out of gear as if it were in neutral. Again, no nasty sounds or anything.

I'm going to check if the car has ADD today

 

you should never shift out of or into 4L while driving. shifting out of 4H into 2H (or vice-versa) is fine so long as you're going under 25mph. i can't say if you've screwed anything up by doing that. you may have, but i'd have to hear it

if you have the auto, and nothing has been modified, then you will have the ADD system. real easy to determine by looking at the front wheel hubs. ADD doesn't have hubs to turn by hand. just a cap that should say ADD system on it

when you say it slips out, is the transfer shifter popping out of place, or is it just that transmission is slipping gear? the transfer shifter linkage may be out of adjustment

btw, there is no neutral on the transfer case. it's 2H, 4H, or 4L

 

It only works on 4low, it still has ADD, I bought the car with this issue. When I say it slips out, I mean--

When I'm driving in 4 low (which was about 5 miles to get it home), I'm in 4 low, then I put it into 2hi from there, it goes to 2hi, I try to accelerate and the rpms rise but the car has no power. The truck stays on and I can stop and put it back in 4lo, so I can keep moving.

 

so, the tranny will move through all gears while in 4L without error?

 

Yep, it moves no problem in 4low, but all others it doesn't really engage at all. It gets out of 4low, the 4wd light goes off, it goes into 2hi, and 4hi, but there's no power when I push the gas, just revving

 

well, the tranny sounds like it's working fine, then. i'd say something is awry with the transfer shifter linkage or the case itself.

 

I heard it may be something to do with the clutch, since 4lo has less torque it doesn't slip like the other 2 would, if it is a clutch problem

 

you mean torque converter. it's an automatic

there's a lot more torque when in 4L. there's less rpm, but still more torque is produce because of gear reduction. where'd you hear this?

if the torque converter was bad, it wouldn't care what range you were in.

 

Is it possible that your rear axle or diff is screwed and 4lo is allowing it to run in 2wd [fwd] mode but the other two are disengaging 4wd and now you're rear wheels can't drive the vehicle? Food for thought

 

i'd thought of that, too. but the same mechanisms that would allow it to drive in 4L would allow 4H, also. iow's, it would still have fwd just that 4L would have greater gear reduction

you might consider draining the transfer case to see what the fluid looks like and to see if there's any undue metal particles stuck to the drain plug magnet

what does the color of the tranny fluid look like?

 

The previous owner flushed the tranny fluid before I bought it, but it is still a bit dirty, there were a few metal scrapings he said


New Update:

When the car is parked and I put it into Hi2 Drive, I can feel something engaging/trying to engage, but still no power.

No grinds, no clunks, just a dull thud as if the gear is engaging. Same with reverse.

Thanks for the help so far

 

My dad said I should try manually putting the car in 2Hi and 4hi to test for linkage. I saw it's possible to access the transfercase from the cab, is this true? I have no idea how to check the transfer case, anyone have any directions?

 

not sure what he means by "manually" putting it in 2H and 4H. the transfer case is manually shifted, anyway. you can test a transmission by manually shifting, if that's what he means. but, again, if the tranny is going to shift while in 4L it's going to shift in the other ranges; 2H and 4H.

it sounds like the transmission is engaging, but no power transference is happening. again, perhaps transfer case. good the tranny's been checked for fluid, but do check the t-case. make sure you can get the fill plug out before you drain, though. you don't want to drain it to find you can't fill it back up

you can't access the transfer from the cab. you have to get underneath where there is a big piece of metal that looks kinda like a C. the transfer shifter linkage attaches to that. it's been several years since i've had to mess with one. the linkage on my '92 got buggered when i had a wreck. so, essentially i don't recall at the moment how i went about testing for the adjustment. i do remember i found the info needed on here or the internet, so do google it. i will say, also, i had driveability/shifting issues until that was rectified. but, it was more the transfer shifter popping out of position and at times not engaging properly. i recall, also, having to replace linkage bushings...which'll affect things, too

https://itstillruns.com/runner-shift...s-5525986.html

i'd get the vehicle on blocks and check the linkage. also, check resistance in the drivetrain by spinning a rear tire in the the different t-case ranges with the tranny in D position. front and rear should both spin when in either 4H or 4L. but, there should also be a significant amount of resistance. so, it should be obvious if the resistance is present in 4L but not in the other two ranges as if it were in N....which could point to gear damage hence engagement problems. make sense?

 

the more i think about it, i'm inclined to think you just have a shifter linkage problem. i mean, those t-cases just never die unless someone really stupid and/or abusive. they're chain driven. but, the linkage is certainly prone to wear..ie. the bushings. i do hope that's all of your problem. it's simple fix

 

i thought he said if the shifts out of 4l to 4h or 2h that his 4wd light goes off. So i was assuming that the add was disengaging even though he was in 4h. Obviously if that's not the case then you are correct in that 4h should still pull him along. In which i would be inclined to think it is in fact an issue with the t case or selection area. As previously stated, if the trans works in 4l, it works

 

right. i can see where you'd infer that. you probably already know this, but for the sake of discussion the 4wd indicator light is actuated by the transfer shifter triggering the switches in the engine bay that trigger the ADD sleeve in the axle/diff assembly. i figure it...the sleeve and therefore indicator...has gotta work in 4H if it works in 4L. the sleeve engagement has no real relation to the transfer case or transmission. it could work fine even if the other two did not. i just don't think he worded what he was trying to say real well.

 

Alright, quick correction- the 4wd light does come on when in 4hi, just no power to the wheels.

With the transfercase, is it possible for me to get it off the transmission without taking the whole transmission out? Can I hold the tranny in place with a jack and unbolt the Tcase from it? I live with my girlfriend (she's not very strong), and we just moved to hawaii so I don't have any friends to help me with this and getting the tranny back into the car alone is going to be difficult I assume.

Also, thanks a lot for your responses they've been extremely helpful!

 

have you checked the shifter linkage, yet?