100 Series LC Auto Not Changing Out of 3rd Gear
Submitted: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 16:45
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Member - Rob D (NSW)
I am currently in
Mitchell west of
Roma QLD; a long way from
home in
Canberra.
My 2003 100 series Sahara TD auto is not changing up to 4th or 5th gear.
If I put the lever into 3rd gear and accelerate up to say 3500 revs and then take my foot off the accelerator the vehicle slows down and the revs reduce only a small amount.
If I put the lever into 4th or 5th gear the revs do not change from what they were in accelerating in 3rd gear, but if I take my foot off the accelerator the engine revs drop right back to idle speed. There is no deceleration, as if the vehicle is in neutral.
The vehicle did the same thing last year, but then the problem magically disappeared. I had no problem on our
Cape York or
Vic High Country trips since that time.
I have checked the LCOOL site and found roughly similar problems, with no consistent solution.
I have been talking remotely to an auto transmission expert who has given me some valuable information on running various tests (including resetting the engine CPU) to try to determine the problem; however it appears that it is either a computer problem or else a gearbox problem.
I have booked the vehicle into the closest Toyota Service organisation.
Has anyone else had this problem; if so then how was it fixed. It appears that I may be up for about $10k worst case.
Reply By: Member - Arsenal Phill - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 17:35
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 17:35
Try changing the fuel filter. My mate had similar problem on his 200 series. Toyota couldn't come up with solution, but his father-in-law, a farmer, sorted it by going back to basics. Once the filter was changed it didn't miss a beat, even though previously the computer had said it was fine.
AnswerID:
511603
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 17:59
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 17:59
Thanks Phill. When it happened last year I did change the fuel filter and the problem seemed to magically disappear, although I did disconnect the Steinbauer chip at the same time and let the vehicle cool down.
FollowupID:
789888
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 18:01
Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 18:01
Phill,
I did change the fuel filter and it did not fix the problem on this occasion. Thank you for your suggestion as I know that the computer is connected to many sensors that affect gear changes and many other things.
FollowupID:
790482
Reply By: Axle - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 19:21
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 19:21
G/Day Rod,, Those 5speeders can do some weird and wonderful things, mine used to do what your saying, after pulling over and turning the motor off waiting a minute
it used to sort of reset its self and would be right for a few months. there was a period when it did play up regulary over a couple of weeks, but after changing the transfer case oil , it was fine for a long time...?????...could never work that one out as i said a weird gearbox at times. Make more enquirys before you part with ten grand, here on the Central Coast NSW, I've heard the figure six thousand, mentioned for one of those
gearboxes.....Hope all works out.
Cheers Axle.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Axle - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 19:40
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 19:40
Sorry...Rob..
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 19:40
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 19:40
Thank you for your reply Axle. The transmission fluid was changed at 60,000 km, it now has 165,000 on the clock.
I am hoping it won't cost 10 grand, I have heard of cheaper units, not including labour. I believe that the genuine Toyota is in excess of seven grand, not including labour.
FollowupID:
789899
Follow Up By: Mattgm - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 20:22
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 20:22
G'day Rob D,
I would give Wholesale Automatics in
Melbourne a call and ask to speak with Rodney.......what he doesn't know about these transmissions is not worth knowing. I have used them twice, once for an Extreme Trans rebuild on an 80 Series and more recently for an Extreme Valve Body on a 100 Series. A very satisfied customer and I am pretty sure it wouldn't cost you anywhere near $10k if you can get to them of course. I have no affiliation with Wholesale Automatics.
Regards, Geoff
FollowupID:
789902
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 20:45
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 20:45
Thank you for your suggestion Geoff.
Rodney is the expert I was referring to. I am along way from
Melbourne though.
FollowupID:
789904
Follow Up By: Nutta - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 20:52
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 20:52
After over a 100k on the last oil change I would do that just for the hell of it, you never know it may fix it.
FollowupID:
789905
Follow Up By: Mattgm - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 21:06
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 21:06
Yes I agree with Nutta, 100,000km since last ATF change is a lot of km even for fully synthetic and probably with some severe service work towing a van? I would ask for a trans fluid flush and if that model trans has a filter to change have that done as
well. Good luck.
Geoff
FollowupID:
789910
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 16:30
Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 16:30
I agree that it would have been a good idea to change the transmission fluid before this time, even though Toyota claim it is sealed for life. They no longer have a dip stick, so it is not easy to see the colour of the fluid or to smell it to see if it is OK.
FollowupID:
789952
Reply By: tdv - Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 08:57
Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 08:57
I had this ahhpen to me at Christmas with a new Ford
Ranger 6 speed auto. It happened after I had a flat battery (another story). After driving for 10 minutes on a slow track it just wouldn't change gears. I turned it off and restarted and all has been good since.
I assumed it was something to do with low voltage to the computer etc????
I wonder if it is worth checking your battery and alternator?
Best of luck
AnswerID:
511650
Reply By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 16:20
Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 16:20
Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions.
These suggestions seem to mirror the information I found on the LCOOL website; that is there may be many different causes that manifest themselves as the problem described.
I will be taking the vehicle into
Roma Toyota first thing in the morning for diagnostics. I have my fingers crossed.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Mattgm - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 20:01
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 20:01
Hi Rob,
Curious to know what the problem was........has it been resolved for you or not?
Geoff
FollowupID:
790426
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 20:46
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 20:46
After 4 days at
Roma, Friday to Monday, the Toyota people said that their diagnosis pointed to a faulty solenoid valve, they then told me that they did not have the equipment to make any auto transmission repairs in
Roma and that they sent all their auto transmissions to Gilroy's Automatics in
Toowoomba.
I limped the 360 k to
Toowoomba and took the truck into Gilroy's early the next morning. Peter Gilroy immediately started diagnostics on the truck and said that it appeared that it was a computer problem. He then dropped the bottom off the gearbox and found specs of metal in the fluid which he suspects is from the torque converter. He has had a couple of identical vehicles with similar km on the clock that have needed a new torque converter. So it appears that I have at least 2 problems.
A new computer should arrive tomorrow which will permit further
testing.
I will post the final results when I know the answers.
FollowupID:
790433
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 18:21
Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 18:21
Today I found out that one of the clutches had burned out and I will need a re-conditioned gearbox. I asked what could have caused this and was told that it was possibly the computer as this controlled the pressure on the clutch.
In summary I will have the computer replaced with an upgraded computer, the torque converter will be refurbished and the gearbox will be replaced with a reconditioned gearbox.
I suspect that some of the metal particles found in the transmission fluid may have degraded the performance of the solenoid valves and contributed to the problems.
I guess that if I had insisted on having the transmission fluid changed at around 50,000 km intervals and having the fluid examined for metal particles then I would have reduced the collateral damage.
FollowupID:
790483
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Sunday, Jun 02, 2013 at 17:32
Sunday, Jun 02, 2013 at 17:32
I finally got back on the road on the afternoon of 1st June. Cost a little over $5650, considerably less than I thought.
I asked Peter Gilroy what I could have done differently to avoid the damage caused. He said that if I had changed the transmission fluid every 20,000 km I may have picked up the metal particles earlier and avoided the cost of a re-conditioned gearbox.
I hope this helps others who have the same vehicle.
FollowupID:
790725
Follow Up By: Les - PK Ranger - Sunday, Jun 02, 2013 at 17:44
Sunday, Jun 02, 2013 at 17:44
Thanks for the follow up Rob, good to know for any auto trans that does a bit of work.
Glad you got out of it for less than anticipated, but still ouch.
FollowupID:
790726
Follow Up By: Member - Rob D (NSW) - Sunday, Jun 02, 2013 at 17:56
Sunday, Jun 02, 2013 at 17:56
Les,
Thank you for the
feedback.
FollowupID:
790727
Follow Up By: RobMac (QLD_Member) - Tuesday, Jun 04, 2013 at 00:14
Tuesday, Jun 04, 2013 at 00:14
Geez.... That's what makes me a bit nervous about all these new vehicles and their so-called LONG-LIFE Auto Fluids..... Toyota say that I should never have to change the fluids in my 150's...... yeah right .... until the box goes boom outside the warranty period
| Cheers..... RobM
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