QuestionProblem with Automatic Transmission started intermittently and is now pretty much full time. Car would try to start from 3rd but would downshift to first after a second – problem got worse as time went by. I now have to put the car into first to start going and then shift into drive – no second gear. Car will shift normally while cold (if below 0 outside) until engine warms up and sometimes if it is wet out – otherwise a full time problem now.
After problem was occuring for 4 months I started receiving code 61 – number one shift solenoid disconnected or faulty. Tested solenoid from wiring harness at the ECU and you could hear it click. To be sure I followed the wiring back from the tranny almost to the firewall (couldn't get behind the engine) as I have had problems with rotten wiring. Finally took the pan off, removed the solenoid's and cleaned/tested them – both were OK (it was suggested to me to swap the solenoids to see if symptoms change but they weren't interchangeable).
When I took the oil pan off I noticed a big dent near the front centre of the pan – looks like previous owner hit something (I had car for 6 months before problems started). Directly underneath the dented section of the pan was a tube that dropped down from near the #1 solenoid, traveled towards the left rear of the car before going back up into the tranny, about 6 inches if I remember correctly, it was the only tube that I could see with the pan off. This tube ‘looked dented and possibly bent' but was otherwise intact. The tube could be in contact with the pan as a result of the dent but I can't be 100% sure. Magnets in pan had some metal but I wouldn't describe it excessive. I tried underfilling and overfilling the amount of oil in tranny with no change to symptoms (thought maybe dent was throwing off oil level?)
I was convinced problem was electrical since Tranny works when cold and/or wet out but with the damage I see to the tranny I am starting to think that it may be that tube causing the issue... I have found a used Tranny and was going to replace it but I don't want to spend the money and find out it was the ECU or a simple fix, I am pretty sure it is not the solenoid as a result of my testing.
Any other suggestions for things to look/test for?
Can the tranny tube that I described be replaced/repaired? I couldn't figure out how to remove it and don't know if the part is even available.
Any way to test the ECU to rule it out? I was gong to hook my voltmeter between the wiring harness and the ECU and try traveling with it to see if the voltage changes for the #1 solenoid but I don't know if I should do it (don't want to risk damaging the ECU) or if it would even work.
Any advice would be helpful before I spend the money to get the tranny replaced.
Thanks
AnswerThe oil feed tube is available from the toyota dealer, it is press fit and can be pried out, try replacing it first, there is no way to test the ECU other than making resistance and voltage tests, use only a high impedance dvom, from what you are telling me there is a high probability that the transmission has a major problem.
