When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I had to get my trans rebuilt around 90k. I live on a steep long hill and that's where it gave out. Car was ok until recently and I'm at 135k rn. Recently been having extremely sluggish performance with the car
When I'm on the freeway, I can be cruising at say 60 and it will randomly just feel like it loses power. I can see the rpms drop when it happens. It's kinda like you're foot's off the pedal when it's still on is the best way I can describe how it feels. From a stop it is absolutely horrible now if I'm in drive. If I need to make sure I'm going to have enough power from a stop I have to manually put it in second or first. It feels like third doesn't do anything. Fluid levels are good. I thought it might have been the diff since I ride low and my tires are wide so I changed that out too. The old one sounded like a piggy bank, lots of metal. I probably should have changed the vb too but I didn't..it also had a trans solenoid code I forgot which one but I changed that too..I've sent out my pcm to sia electronics awhile back but they didn't find anything.
I've asked the shop that did the rebuild and the guy I was talking to didn't think it was the trans itself. He said it rarely is on these cars but said he couldn't diagnose it over the phone and it had to be brought in so they could run diagnostics. Only thing is they are backed up until late December..
I've tried searching and haven't found a definitive answer but I know the 01 to 03 are more prone to trans problems right? At this point I'm even thinking it's the pedal but idk.
Amy suggestions on what else to check?
Aloha cuz! I'm from Kaua'i originally what island you from?! Sorry to hear you have been dealing with tranny issues. Welcome to the club! There aren't many LS owners that have had problems with the A650e...I happen to have been one of those unfortunate few. What I gathered from the whole experience is that I recommend not even trying to fix the thing, your best bet is to call up wreckers near you until you find one. I ended up driving down to Oregon from BC and picking one up for 350 bucks. It's been great so far! Of course it will be a bit of a gamble because you don't know what the condition is, but the first used tranny I bought prior to that was from a Japanese Celsior and that thing was a piece of ****!!! I would stay away from the JDM import trannys because they tend to come from cars that were sitting around for a long time...also I hear that owners over there tend to not keep up on maintenance....they'll drive the car for a year or two and then forget about it because they want to buy the latest and greatest...it's not like North America where people keep their cars and baby them for years and years.
I'm almost certain that the A650e from a SC430 is interchangeable...the label is pink instead of green, and if anything the TCM may be slightly different (different shift profile possibly). Your best bet is just finding another LS430...there are plenty wreckers out there carrying them. Only thing that sucks of course is that you are in Hawaii so you might have to ship one out with Matson or Young Brothers.
Aloha cuz! I'm from Kaua'i originally what island you from?! Sorry to hear you have been dealing with tranny issues. Welcome to the club! There aren't many LS owners that have had problems with the A650e...I happen to have been one of those unfortunate few. What I gathered from the whole experience is that I recommend not even trying to fix the thing, your best bet is to call up wreckers near you until you find one. I ended up driving down to Oregon from BC and picking one up for 350 bucks. It's been great so far! Of course it will be a bit of a gamble because you don't know what the condition is, but the first used tranny I bought prior to that was from a Japanese Celsior and that thing was a piece of ****!!! I would stay away from the JDM import trannys because they tend to come from cars that were sitting around for a long time...also I hear that owners over there tend to not keep up on maintenance....they'll drive the car for a year or two and then forget about it because they want to buy the latest and greatest...it's not like North America where people keep their cars and baby them for years and years.
I'm almost certain that the A650e from a SC430 is interchangeable...the label is pink instead of green, and if anything the TCM may be slightly different (different shift profile possibly). Your best bet is just finding another LS430...there are plenty wreckers out there carrying them. Only thing that sucks of course is that you are in Hawaii so you might have to ship one out with Matson or Young Brothers.
Howzit brah! I'm from Oahu, right on I went back couple years ago and was trippin how much the beaches changed. I was just in Oregon to a couple months back but in the boonies visiting some friends. You live in BC? Must be cold ah? Lol I cannot...
The guy I bought my parts LS from supposedly blew his trans, and my daily was rebuilt at 90k and now hearing you did, idk if it's a Hawaii thing or what 😅.
Just the other day and after hearing how this trans is supposed to be bulletproof, I decided to call the ECU repair guy again. I had sent it out to Sia electronics maybe s couple years back now. They said it came back. But when I was talking to the local ECU repair guy (auto comp tech) when I had him look at my lightning ECU, he said that he does so many repairs on Toyotas from around the same era, so he said I bet it's the ECU. I had him look at it Monday he said he bench tested it and found a fault in some chip for the trans side. He said it would fix the electrical side but if there was already damage done mechanically, the damage would be done already. He said chip shortage, don't know how long it'll take to get but repair and parts came to 900. I just sold the parts one to a guy that lives by me, we agreed on 4 payments, and since I never got paid anything for it yet I asked him to let me borrow the ECU and I got it today from him.
so 250 to reprogram that to work on my car. But with the holidays I'll probably get it Saturday or Monday now. Idk hoping it ends up being a 250 fix.
I'm hoping it turns out just to be the ECU cause I actually posted it up for sale and had a lot of interest in it. My friend in Hilo wants me to ship it up and I had another guy check it out and he and his wife really want the car too. I always wanted a 04-06, but mines pretty clean still and it's a UL. All maintenance is good timing belt was done at 90k and I ended up doing it again a little early so i everything is in top shape except the trans issue again.
Thanks for the info and yea that's automatic on the shipping i already know how it is. I shipped my cobra short block from Missouri for 325 delivered to my door with a freight forwarder, so it'll prob be around there for trans. But yea mahalos and take care🤙🏽
Just wanted to update. I now have my trans problems solved! I figured I would take my ECU to the local guy that does repairs since he kept saying how many of these older Toyota ecu's he had repaired and how positive something was wrong with the ECU. He said I guarantee something's wrong with the ECU but that doesn't mean that it hasn't turned into something mechanical either if driving it for a long time. Gave him mine and guess what, he called the next day and said he found a fault on something related to the trans controller. He said a chip needed to be replaced but he would have to order it. He suggested finding a ebay one and then he could swap over the information to that ECU. So I ended up doing that and I finally got my ECU back today.
Happy to say that it feels like a new car again! It slips a little bit but nothing like the way it was before. It feels like I have second and third gear again. No more harsh downshifts. I'm gonna drain and refill the fluid again on Monday..it'd probably dirty already from driving it like that. It kinda makes me question if SIA ELECTRONICS even looked at mines when I sent it to them before.
I think most of the guys that have issues with their transmissions are probably related to the ECU cause I was changing everything on mines aside from taking it out to get rebuilt. Even my solenoid code went away.
Howzit brah! I'm from Oahu, right on I went back couple years ago and was trippin how much the beaches changed. I was just in Oregon to a couple months back but in the boonies visiting some friends. You live in BC? Must be cold ah? Lol I cannot...
The guy I bought my parts LS from supposedly blew his trans, and my daily was rebuilt at 90k and now hearing you did, idk if it's a Hawaii thing or what 😅.
Just the other day and after hearing how this trans is supposed to be bulletproof, I decided to call the ECU repair guy again. I had sent it out to Sia electronics maybe s couple years back now. They said it came back. But when I was talking to the local ECU repair guy (auto comp tech) when I had him look at my lightning ECU, he said that he does so many repairs on Toyotas from around the same era, so he said I bet it's the ECU. I had him look at it Monday he said he bench tested it and found a fault in some chip for the trans side. He said it would fix the electrical side but if there was already damage done mechanically, the damage would be done already. He said chip shortage, don't know how long it'll take to get but repair and parts came to 900. I just sold the parts one to a guy that lives by me, we agreed on 4 payments, and since I never got paid anything for it yet I asked him to let me borrow the ECU and I got it today from him.
so 250 to reprogram that to work on my car. But with the holidays I'll probably get it Saturday or Monday now. Idk hoping it ends up being a 250 fix.
I'm hoping it turns out just to be the ECU cause I actually posted it up for sale and had a lot of interest in it. My friend in Hilo wants me to ship it up and I had another guy check it out and he and his wife really want the car too. I always wanted a 04-06, but mines pretty clean still and it's a UL. All maintenance is good timing belt was done at 90k and I ended up doing it again a little early so i everything is in top shape except the trans issue again.
Thanks for the info and yea that's automatic on the shipping i already know how it is. I shipped my cobra short block from Missouri for 325 delivered to my door with a freight forwarder, so it'll prob be around there for trans. But yea mahalos and take care🤙🏽
Chee, right on cuz! Sorry for the super late reply, been bust but just got to Kaua'i the other day for Christmas to see my family...now i'm on Island time and got time to cruz! So you are on Oahu then? I bet they got a few LS430s over there...only seen 1 on Kauai...that was years ago, but it looked in bad shape. It's nuts how much cars deteriorate in Hawaii compared to the mainland...well at least compared to Vancouver. My 01' has 285 k miles and not a speck of rust,plus the paint is still super cherry!
Damn so you are trying to sell your LS? I bet you are sad to let it go, but i guess it's cause you want the 04-06'?
Bra i used to think i wanted the facelifted LS but after owning my 01 for almost 5 years now it's grown on me to the point where i actually prefer the 01 pre facelift look....the only thing i wpuld take from the newer ones is the rear end (taillights and bumper)...it looks meaner, but the 6speed tranny is less reliable and more expensive last i looked.
