tranny slipping

craneman · #1 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 01:27 PM

My 05 has started slipping going into 5th gear when cold. When I leave in the morning the first time it tries shifting into 5th the motor will often rev 3-500 rpm (or more when it was really cold outside) before grabbing. After that it seems to be fine for the rest of the day. The truck was just in at the dealer for its 96,000km service which included a change of the tranny fluid. It seems to have helped a little but the slipping is still noticeable. Its been doing this for about a month or so now.

Do you think my tranny is getting ready to die, or is there something else to look out for?

skinny2 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 06:59 AM

Hard to say really. There is some programming on these to avoid OD when the engine is cold, so it really shouldn't be shifting into that high of a gear right off the bat. Have you tried driving with OD off for awhile and see what happens then why you turn the OD back on? That might help narrow things down. I'd say the main thing is to make sure you've complained to the dealer and gotten the problem documented before the powertrain warranty expires. Toyota doesn't have the best reputation at fixing things out of warranty so you might have to force the issue if the transmission fails down the road. Make sure they clearly document your complaint of slipping and their diagnosis.

craneman · #3 (**permalink**) 05-08-2008, 01:14 PM

I did try starting out with OD off a few times and then turning it on after a short time and every time it still slipped the same way. I dropped the truck off at the dealer early this morning and was careful to explain to them the problem only shows up when its stone cold. So what do they do? I get a call from them about an hour or so after I dropped it off saying the tranny shifts fine. So I think I'm going to leave it at the dealer for a sleepover tonight and have them test it in the morning. We're supposed to be getting up to a foot of snow this afternoon and tonight so it should be cold enough.

cheers!

craneman · #4 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 03:21 PM

Update:

Dealer said they could not replicate the problem.

So i guess I am out of luck if it gets worse from here. We shall see I guess.

craneman · #5 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 04:48 PM

I took a short video clip of this happening yesterday morning. Its a little shaky but you can clearly see at around 0:15 the rpm jumps when shifting into 5th gear.

skinny2 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 07:16 AM

I wonder if it could be related to the road you drive first thing daily and perhaps the dealer didn’t get the same result when they test drove it on a different road. I notice if I go a different direction to town, mine shifts quite different first thing in the morning because I’m going downhill. Certainly doesn’t explain “slipping” but the way the transmissions are programmed it’s possible it may not slip if the transmission is shifting differently. I would think the video would be enough for them to warrant having a look see though. There’s more than one Toyota dealer out there, try another if they won’t help you. I have to drive an hour to take mine to a decent Toyota dealer……the closer shops are goons.

guyaverage · #7 (**permalink**) 05-23-2008, 06:51 AM

I've rearranged some internals on an automatic before with success, but I'm not a transmission mechanic. That having been said, it would appear from the video you have a "flair shift". Too much lag between 4th releasing, and 5th engaging. If fluid levels are ok, and it wasnt extremely cold out, my guess would be a computer problem, or a bad solenoid.

I had flair shifts during cold weather on a Honda Accord that went on for YEARS. There is a risk of burning up clutches if it goes on too long, but it never happened on the Honda.