First Generation LS Concerns
 

I've got a '91 LS, with 99000 miles. Just wanted to compare and see if you guys experience the same things. So here are the 2 issues:

1) When coming to a stop, the last downshift is somewhat noticable. There is a little jerk/kick. I think it's more noticable when making the stop gradually.

2) When shifting from Park into either Reverse or Drive, the transmission sort of kicks into gear and there is a jerk. Now, of course this is felt more when the car is cold (engine RPM is high). But even when the car is completely warm and the RPM has reached the normal level, there is a kick. My friend's Camry does not do this at all; you would not even know if he's shifting from P to R or to D.

Do you guys have these problems?

Thanks

inspect/replace the following...tranny fluid, diff fluid and the tranny mount.

I did have the transmission flushed, and differential fluid changed about 20000 miles ago. Did not change the transmission mount, however.

I had a '91 with 144K miles and no issues with trans shifting.
It should be buttery. I agree mounts and fluids.

Azari, did you use Toyota Type-IV fluid when you had the tranny flushed? This has been discussed many times - many independent shops will use a multi-vehicle fluid or worse yet - Dexron.

yea, you must use Toyota T-2 or T-4, whichever is available. I agree on the tranny mount, pretty fix. You can do it yourself.

yes
 

yes, I certainly had the Type IV transmission fluid put in, no doubt.

Overall, how do the transmissions in the first gen LS hold up? Are they bullet proof like the engines are? Anybody with major transmission problems/replacements? if so, after how many miles?

Mine shifts like that as well, when the car is cold. (Jerks between P and R)

a properly maintained LS400 tranny will last you forever. I always told ppl, that this first gen LS engine/tranny will go easily 500k miles w/o any major problems. Given the proper scheduled maintainence

i have a 91 also and when i first got it, it had 260,000 and it did the exact same thing but now mine is gone but now the transmission is slipping when trying to take off on the freeway (bad slipping). what you should do is change your tranny fluid often, yours is probaly like that because the fluid is dirty so do change often with toyota fluid only. this is a critical moment so make sure you take care of the tranny from NOW because if you don't your tranny will end up like mine.

Could also be a tranny mount. . . happened to my 90 LS400

the a341e tranny is absolutely bulletproof! nothing short of blatant abuse/neglect will do harm. didnt change my fluid until ~150k miles, still runs and shifts without a hitch.

I got the same P to R jerk. Everything else is silk. So how do you go about changing the tranny mount? Anybody got a cost on this or part number?

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Yea, I should have mentioned that in every other aspect the transmission seems to work perfectly fine: buttery smooth upshifts/downshifts during driving, no slipping or anything like that. Even the little jerk I mentioned when coming to a stop is really not that big; since I know it's there I sort of look for it. Maybe a new driver wouldn't even notice it.

On a different topic, I was checking out something under the hood today and noticed that the general area shown with the red arrow is a bit wet. What's causing this? is it engine oil? what's the fix?

thanks