After starting the car letting the engine heat up a little bit, then shifting the transmission to D or R the car doesn't move. It takes a long time for the car to move what seems to be the problem? the transmission seems fine and gear shifts are also good. but its strange, there are no check engine lights.

 

Its time for someone with a top quality scan tool to see what is happening. You will not find the problem guessing at it especially if it is CAN related. There are a ton of it could be's. Also a good place to start is with the proper manual.

 

Dicer is right but have you checked the transmission fluid level?

 

What is mileage and service history on transmission?

Fluid type?

Any leakage?

Was this a sudden occurrence or gradual?

What service have you performed?

 

i agree, check the fluid. that's what mine does if it's cold or low on fluid

 

You'll need to drop the pan and check the strainer I'm afraid. It can clog and cause fluid starvation and will lower your line pressure to the point where the pistons can't overpower the return springs to engage the clutch packs. With your car in park, stick your head under the car and slightly rev the gas pedal with your right hand. Listen for a whirring noise like a power steering pump that is low on fluid. If you hear a whirring noise from the transmission you'll need to drop the pan and either replace or clean your strainer. The strainer shouldn't clog if everything is okay so this may be a sign you're in for some transmission work in the future. Typically if a clutch pack is flat wore out you will get reverse but no forward gears as the forward clutch are usually the first to go. With you not getting either I would be looking at your strainer. Dropping the pan will also give good indication of anything bad going on.

 

Great information here. First check I would do is the level. If you don't know how to do this properly then just ask or look up online / in your manual if you have it. This is NOT like checking your engine oil, it is a bit more involved then that!

When was your last transmission service? If the answer is you don't know then I am sure its time.

 

Also how many miles on the car?

 

I wouldn't worry about servicing the transmission if you think servicing it will magically fix your problem. It won't. If you drop the pan, however, you will want to refil with Type-IV ATF from the local Toyota dealer along with cleaning or replacing your filter/strainer.

Youll want to buy 3 quarts of the stuff. Post some pics of the pan and the fluid lining the bottom of it if you decide to remove it.

 

trannys once there are symptoms u may have to replace the tranny its self, get a tranny from a wreck yard for 300$ and call it a day, they are cheap plus its rwd so labor wont be much.

 

I've read on these forums that 2 quarts is drained from the pan at a time.....is it actually 3? or is the 3rd just to be safe

 

A simple drain and fill needs 2 quarts but when you drop the pan, you need 3 quarts. The reason can be easily assumed by the link below.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...trainer-3.html

 

Yea, like Yamae said, it's closer to 3 if you remove the pan and strainer. Most people have the front of the car up on ramps. In my opinion this allows the torque converter to drain a little some as well as the extra that comes out from removing the strainer. Once I had the front of one way up in the air on jack stands to get further under the back of the car more and I had to add nearly 4 quarts after removing the pan and strainer.

 

that makes sense, because I've done like 4 or 5 drain and fills over time, one of the times dropping the pan and changing the strainer. Added 2 quarts after that and tried to drive it and it was slipping so i added another quart and it was all good. One of the magnets in the pan was missing, don't know where the hell it ended up lol

 

The longer it sits the more oil that comes out. And if the right amount of fluid was in the transmission before draining it, then just simply measure the fluid you drain out.
How do you measure it? Always save at least one of the quart fluid or engine oil containers, and use a small funnel to pour the trans fluid in the quart container to measure, then dump that out into your waste oil container and keep measuring using that quart container. Yeah there are other ways but this works.
Don't have a old container? Put the drain plug in and dump in the first quart in the transmission, now you have one. If pouring into that little funnel is too much of a chance for making a mess, then use a normal size paper cup to bail it out and into the container you don't need a funnel to do that. Just hold the container over the pan so any loss goes back into the pan.