Not to sure on this, but i believe it may be the torqe converter. I did notice the trans slipped the other day and while driving today the car would shudder while excelerating. some of the shifts where nice and smooth while others more of just dropped into gear.

so if it is the torqe convert, any ideas on a price to fix this?

there's 89K miles on the car.
im the second owner

 

How is the fluid level? it almost sounds like the wrong fluid type is in it.Maybe even a blocked filter.

 

toyota type iv. levels are good.

 

Then maybe the filter is blocked,is your check engine light on by any chance?(I`m trying to rule out all possabilities for you)please excuse my spelling,my dictionary is @ work.

 

If the original filter is on, the probability is low for it to be clogged [screen mesh which keeps solids out it and get constantly washed by the sloshing of the fluid it is immersed in].

Salim

 

nope the check engine light isnt on. when the car shudders you can just tell theres a lack of power. and with the trans acting funny at the sametime, something has to be related here.

 

In idle, can you hear any noise by where the torque converter is (by where tranny is connected to engine block), i.e. you may have to go underneath to listen?

 

could a bad speed sensor cause this??

 

He would have a P0500 show up then. I wish I could be there every time we had one of these issues pop up.

 

i dont hear any wine, but did notice alittle different noise today. never heard before, didnt sound bad or anything and not loud.

lexmex, i know in another thread you had mentioned about the car shuddering being linked to the torque converter cause this person was having transmission problems.

 

What I am looking for is any kind of rattle below the vehicle appearing to come from inside. The torque converter is not cheap at all, over $1000 USD, but one issue with the torque converter is that old fluid can gather in there, particularly I am speaking about metal bits that can accumulate inside. I think more this issue goes back to the transmission itself, because that would be the first thing to look at with these kinds of issues, though an issue with the torque converter could exacerbate this.

Best thing to do would be to change out the tranny fluid, filter and clean the tranny pan to see what kind of bits you got in there.

 

i just did the first drain and fill acouple weeks ago and was about to do the next one to get the rest of the old fluid out. the drain plugs just had real fine metal pieces almost like a paste they were so fine. i guess i'll do the filter and pan with the next one and see what i can find.

 

What's the color of the fluid?

 

kinda a dark cherry color, but more red. not as dark as tunedrx's color when he did the pan drop. the fluid still has a sweet smell to it. but thats also cause only about two hundred miles ago i did the first drain and fill.

 

Statistically, yours would be the 2nd (if you do have a trans failure) who had transmission problem soon after a drain and fill.

Salim