I have had the habit of manually shifting down to slow my 2005 GX since new.

Only have 55,000 mi so not really a high milage or worn out yet.

Now the other day there was a resistance moving into or out of a gear (can't remember which) at a time where I needed to get moving so used some extra oomph to try to complete the change and seemed to have a resistance ..... and then felt what I guess was something plastic break.

Now the selector does not stay in 4th when moved left but springs back to "D". Also feels as if the spring resistance is less. All seems looser.

What am I looking at for repair and what is really amiss?
Where is a diagram to see the broken parts and how to access it? ---- Part #?

Thanks, Ed

 

I have the EXACT same issue with my shifter. It's a small metal pin about 3/4" long and maybe 3/16" in diameter. It sits on a spring and its guided up and down this plastic plate with ridges and grooves in it. So as you move the shifter up and down, the metal pin jumps in and out of the little grooves in the plate. The problem is that the pin snapped out of place and now the shifter feels very loose. It won't stay in gears that move left-right. For example, my shifter will not stay in "L" (first gear). If I want "L", I have to manually hold the shifter there. I know it's the pin because I took the floor shifter unit apart and tried fixing it. But some reason it snaps out of place every time I try moving the shifter down. It goes fine down to "D", but then snaps off if I try to go lower. So for now I left it loose like that. I'm trying to find the entire floor shifter unit at an auto recycler yard. Seems to be usually around $100-150. Here's the part at Sewell (number 33550) http://lexus.sewellparts.com/oem-cat...X470-2003.html

 

good luck with this...

i'm not trying to be a jerk, but why would you do this excessively? unless you live in SF and require engine braking over prolonged periods of time coming down steep hills, why wouldn't you just use your brakes? call me crazy, but aren't brake pads still pretty cheap?

 

Thank you as this gets me going in the right direction.
Don't know why I didn't find that diagram myself.

Exactly how far did you disassemble the shifter to discover the pin etc.?
From the top? What/how did you get started? Trim & moulding stuff is not a friend of mine.

 

Thanks and no one would think you were being a jerk.

Auto transmissions are for convenience but guess it is a holdover habit from 4-speed days.
Also my wife seems to have a similar view on using the shifter like "I used to."

 

i do the same thing, not going to ride the brakes down a long hill, they just heat up and wont work for you when you get to the bottom, besides the transmission is bullet proof, what happen to the pin is unusual. brakes are the weak link in the GX, stuck calipers, pads that leave enough residue on the rotors to make them shudder, short pad life...so there is nothing wrong with down shifting an automatic trans when needed.

 

You gotta take outtake center console. From dash all the way back including the DVD player I believe. I unbolted the floor shifter unit so it would be easy to work with it, since it sits pretty low. Then you drive out the long metal pin holding the top plate in place. Take off the plate and you'll see it there. The little pin might have fallen down lower, so I just used a magnet stick to get it.

 

Thanks again GX.....

Now just need to find the confidence to start ripping it apart.

Merry Christmas.

 

break the habit! It's unnecessary

 

isn't that what downhill assist is for? if it is a very long hill, i'd downshift pre descending on the hill... it sounds like the OP is coasting along and to slow the car down is popping the shifter down a gear to save his brakes (similar to a manual trans downshift)

brake fade from boiling the brake fluid is one thing, overheating the pads/rotors to the point of warpage is another issue... granted the issue is currently sitting in the shifter for this scenario, but I wouldn't gamble the bulletproof trans over $50 brake pads...

its the same when I drive my MR2 mt... I use my brakes more often than downshift to save the clutch/synchro wear...

 

Well, downhill assist control is for off road scenario. Since it's only for extreme down hills, and only at VERY low speeds. And you have to put your truck into 4-L just to be able to use it. However, under normal driving down a hill, the transmission automatically down shifts to help control the speed. So I'd say there's no need to manually down shift, unless maybe if you got a 5,000lb trailer behind you.