PearlLexus

I recently had some transmission problems that I thought I solved. I'm sure another filter/fluid change will cure it. However, tonight I went to the store and when leaving, it acted like it was in neutral again(the problem I will solve with another filter/fluid change). This time, I got it to make it home but I'm not sure what other problems are happening now. I went to take off at a light, and had to really get on it for it to go. When I made the turn, I got on the throttle because I was just inching, and the RPMs redlined(I let off of course) and then tried again. It went that time, but made a hard banging noise and I'm not sure if it was from the transmission itself or the trunk of the car(as it did squat and take off like a bat out of hell even squealing tires, there are loose parts and jack stands in the trunk). Well I slowed down, and for the rest of the trip home, I couldn't go over 30 MPH as it wouldn't shift out, but it drove fine in first and second gear. At home, I inspected everything underneath, calipers, rotors, plug wires, belts, vaccum hoses, coolant resivoir was about 3 inches below the full cold line and not boiling, though I did feel a lot of heat from the engine(temp guage was normal 3 notches up). When I gave it a little throttle in park, it made a weird muffling sound from the back of the engine near the headers. I have suspected for some time now I have bad cats, so perhaps it's back pressure from those? However, then I got confused, I held my hand about 3 inches from the tailpipe and had someone give it throttle, I felt a ton of heat come out, no smoke or anything so maybe not the cats? If not, what could be causing the muffling sound? It's dark, my mini mag only allows me to see so much, so tomorrow I'll look around better. What could this problem possibly be? I checked all fluids by the way, everything is full, oil is about due for a change but no odd color or smell, trans fluid is full, clean and has no odd odor, same for the coolant, a nice neon green color, and no foreign odor. By the way, it drove fine in first and second after that light insident where I got on the throttle hard, but when trying to go above 30 MPH, I would give it throttle and the RPMs would climb quick as if I were in neutral and the speed wouldn't budge. I'm parking it until Tuesday when I can change the fluid and filter again, but now I'm concerned about the muffled sound I hear nead the back of the engine bay. Any answers?

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

I would take it to a good mechanic before you do more damage driving it like that. They can atleast tell you what it isn't with one hours worth of work maybe 80 bucks. I am not following your logic about "I'm sure another filter/fluid change will cure it"? Did you recently change the filter and fluid? If you did why would you think another one would solve your shifting problem?

PearlLexus

I was saying the trans fluid looks good still, but it did start acting funny when it was ran more often, once having acted like it was in neutral, but after letting it cool off for a while it drove fine. So I assume the filter has just caught what was left in the torque converter and needs replaced again. What I'm concerned about is the noise I hear from the back of engine bay all the sudden. I give it a little throttle and it sounds like there is no manifold there or something, like a ton of air is trying to come out from back there. Gasket problem or something more serious?

PearlLexus

Oh I forgot to check back... do you have the gasket too? If so, then I'll PM you on Tuesday.

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

Me thinks you will have to take apart the valve body and clean it thouroughly. All the solenoids ect. This still may not fix tranny. when you say fluid change do you mean poor mans flush or just the few quarts in the pan?

PearlLexus

Yeah I mean a do it myselfer flush, sort of.

I just went out and started the car up again, I listened closely for that muffling sound, and inspected a bit more.

The findings:

Car won't rev past 1800 RPM's in PARK. Put car in Neutral, with E-Brake on(Thank God!) gave it throttle and it acted like it was a brand new trans in Drive! Because there was a car in front of mine, I immediately hit the brakes, but was not able to listen for the muffling sound(While reving, OR DRIVING in neutral!). I believe the moving in neutral thing may just be that the hard driving home earlier possibly bent the linkage. I'll be able to further inspect tomorrow. I also heard a sucking or blowing noise from around the trac control cover but I can't feel any air, see nothing leaking, and no broken lines/hoses etc.

The question:

What, the, hell?

LexChamp

Do not use the gasket, on the trans pan. I tried using a gasket before and had to take it off because it did not sealed as it should. The RTV I bought from Toyota was Black and it worked fine. After using the RTV you gotta leave for a while so it dries completely. I left it on overnight before I drove the card again.

PearlLexus

I still can't see anything, but I didn't pull the pan yet. It's still acting like it's in drive in every gear except park. It seems park is the only gear it won't rev past 1800 rpms. Any suggestions to look at?

PearlLexus

I had no trouble with the gasket myself. I bought the filter kit at AutoZone and it actually said "Toyota recommends not using gasket sealer". I liked the gasket, because the holes were tight enough to hold the bolts in place during installation, but I ran out of light and had to install the next day. To make it faster, and not use the bolts to hold the gasket in place, I grabbed a tube of tack gasket and used a very thin layer on the pan itself and applied the gasket, let it dry 10 minutes and installed easily. I checked for leaks around the pan for 3 days, and it hasn't leaked a drop. I didn't pull the cross bar(what connects to the cats) so installing it was kind of a pain with maneuvering the lip of the pan between the filter itself and the cross bar. Is it possible I knocked something loose that's causing these problems? Like I said I can't check today as it's cloudy out and I don't have a garage.

Hopefully I'll have some light tomorrow and I'll pull the pan to look. Just trying to get some ideas/suggestions as to what it could be. I only have a couple hundred dollars to fix it with for a few more months, so I'm hoping it's something knocked loose, or a cheap fix.

I'm still confused as to the muffled air sound coming from the back of the engine bay with the car in park when it's revved, and it only being able to rev to 1800 RPMS(this is my biggest concern). I haven't ever heard of this, so I'm completely stumped here.

PearlLexus

I don't see any cracks or anything. However, the sound is coming from the back of the engine bay, from the headers maybe? It's the oddest thing, I have never heard of this happening, and of course never witnessed it. Now I'm really wanting to know what the sound is, where it's coming from, and why it's happening. I can't see back there very good, and have no lift or anything to get a better look back there. Nobody else has ever heard of this syptom before either?

My only "guess" since no leaks or cracks anywhere, is that maybe the cats are clogged so badly that the back pressure is causing the muffling sound from the headers. Anyone else on this?

Also, today, I moved the car up, in Neutral, it drove great, idled fine, and RPMs were fine, I also didn't hear the muffling noise when it was in neutral. Odd? I have NOTHING in reverse, though reverse lights do come on, it acts like neutral. I think I somehow bent or broke something. I'll attempt another fluid/filter change Tuesday, and see if I can see anything messed up with the linkage. If all else fails Tuesday, I guess we'll never know cuz I'll junk it.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

did you maybe check the manifold gasket...?

go seafoam your car, clean up the motor as well as create a goodly amount of very visible white smoke that as an added benefit makes spotting exhaust leaks a piece of cake.