2000 LC Transmission Failure at 50k (50,381) Miles (1 Viewer)

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Just to be clear, you have a 2000 Land Cruiser with 50,000 original miles on it? Or has the transmission been rebuilt and now has 50,000 miles on it?
The former; she's been on a trickle charger in my parents' garage for the majority of her life. Dealer maintained, never before taken off paved roads.

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I saw various PN 89-00 all NLA. Could be Toyota found issue with 98-00 and the 01-02 corrected those issues. I can think of any reason the 01-02 won't work. Only thing that may make a difference is plugs for wires or cooler lines. I need 98-00 setting next to a 01-02 and check wire plugs for difference. But off the top of my head, I can't think of difference in fitment.

Maybe someone can help determine whats different in the 98-2000 and 2001,2002 A343F maybe you can make the Toyota reman work for you. The Toyota remanufactured transmission for 2001 & 2002 models: 35010-6A020-84 $2405 at McGeorge.

Curious about usage: Did you get any kind of advance warning signs: like over the course of several days leading up to failure, did you notice any slipping, hard shifting between any gears fwd or reverse, odd noises etc. How much time offroad had you spent in 4HI vs 4LO? Where or under what situations did you use 4LO?

Reviewing the video you posted; sounds like sizable pieces of transmission parts tumbling around in there: maybe flex plate, torque converter, planetary's.

Whats the update?
 
Maybe someone can help determine whats different in the 98-2000 and 2001,2002 A343F maybe you can make the Toyota reman work for you.

2000 is the year of the changes and the problems. 98-99s are bulletproof, about as durable as a transmission can get. 98s and 99s had the same part number, and they were available from Toyota until quite recently. The 2000 transmission got a new part number, and a new rebuild kit. There's one rebuild kit for 1995 to 1999 and a different rebuild kit for 2000 to 2002. There had to be quite a few internal changes in 2000 to warrant a new rebuild kit.
 
Oddly enough, I have a recent post about this very issue, since I have 2 95s and 1 2000, all with A343F xmsns in them. The 2000 has 300k on it and it's slipping in 1st and starting to slip in 2nd. My plan was to buy a used A343F and swap it in to all three to allow me time to rebuild them, one at a time. The concern I had was exactly the point @97 AZ LC makes - there are different part numbers and I was hoping someone knew what the difference were and if they were significant. At least significant enough that a donor transplant wouldn't be usable.

That knowledge would certainly help out @nahtanoj :)
 
In case you are considering a used unit there's a 1998 with 106k on the odometer.


There can be differences with ratios, option codes and which engine your vehicle came equipped with. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure of the interchange found below. Our goal is to eliminate any surprises upon arrival.

Interchanges With:
LAND CRUISER 1999 - 2002 AT; (4.7L, 2UZFE engine, 8 cylinder)
LAND CRUISER 1998 - 1998 AT; 4.7L (2UZFE engine, 8 cylinder)
LEXUS LX470 1998 - 2002


 
Maybe someone can help determine whats different in the 98-2000 and 2001,2002 A343F maybe you can make the Toyota reman work for you. The Toyota remanufactured transmission for 2001 & 2002 models: 35010-6A020-84 $2405 at McGeorge.

Curious about usage: Did you get any kind of advance warning signs: like over the course of several days leading up to failure, did you notice any slipping, hard shifting between any gears fwd or reverse, odd noises etc. How much time offroad had you spent in 4HI vs 4LO? Where or under what situations did you use 4LO?

Reviewing the video you posted; sounds like sizable pieces of transmission parts tumbling around in there: maybe flex plate, torque converter, planetary's.

Whats the update?

So they just pulled the inspection plate, and the flex plate seems to be intact, which unfortunately means it is the transmission...

I have a case open with Toyota Corporate to see if any goodwill policies can apply since it's still under 60k miles, but we'll see.

They're looking to put in a reman 2000 (35010-60840-84). The 2001 and 2002 (35010-6A020-84) should work too, at least according to the master mechanic here. He said the 2000 (35010-60840-84) and the 2001 and 2002 transmissions (35010-6A020-84) are the same, they just updated the part numbers for some reason.

I've been thinking about any possible warning signs, and the only thing I can think of is I remember noticing the shifter was a tiny bit stiff that morning. It wasn't as smooth, but it wasn't enough to cause me to be concerned at the time.

Neither myself or my friend noticed any sounds. We're not mechanics, but I'm confident we would've noticed anything unhealthy; we both have a decent amount of time behind dirt bikes, motorcycles, quads, cars, etc.

There were no other known issues other than the Throttle Position Sensor issue when starting in cold weather I mentioned earlier.

There was no slipping or hard shifting.

I use 4LO for most off-road ascending, descending, and obstacles. I never went above ~4k RPM or ~30 mph in 4LO and constantly monitored engine temps. The truck has maybe 100 miles in 4LO, if that. 4HI was used for most everything else including most dirt roads, unless they were particularly rough. I'm pretty aware of RPMs and engine temps; they've both been kept away from red.

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When the failure happened, did you have OD off or did the truck naturally kick down to maintain speed or accelerate? Did the tranny fail on kickdown?

Also, you should draft up a sales agreement (for fun) between the master mechanic and you for $30k. See if he catches it. If he does and gets insulted, just tell him you swore he meant $30k and not $3k since $3k would have been unbelievably insulting and must have been a mistake. And master your deadpan face.
 
When the failure happened, did you have OD off or did the truck naturally kick down to maintain speed or accelerate? Did the tranny fail on kickdown?

Also, you should draft up a sales agreement (for fun) between the master mechanic and you for $30k. See if he catches it. If he does and gets insulted, just tell him you swore he meant $30k and not $3k since $3k would have been unbelievably insulting and must have been a mistake. And master your deadpan face.
Ha, that'd be awesome. I'd prefer not to have rocks in my new transmission though, say I stick with them...

I've always left OD on since I've never towed anything, and it was on when the failure happened. I was going up a hill on the highway when it occurred, and the engine redlined to 5.5k as soon as I lost power to the wheels. I don't recall if the truck kicked down when it failed.
 
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Sounds like its just crap luck- hopefully you’ll find out just what failed.

Maybe you can negotiate a fair price on the reman trans and labor- knowing the reman trans can be bought for $2400 and labor should be under $1k then + fluids and shop supplies.
 
So they just pulled the inspection plate, and the flex plate seems to be intact, which unfortunately means it is the transmission...

I have a case open with Toyota Corporate to see if any goodwill policies can apply since it's still under 60k miles, but we'll see.

They're looking to put in a reman 2000 (35010-60840-84). The 2001 and 2002 (35010-6A020-84) should work too, at least according to the master mechanic here. He said the 2000 (35010-60840-84) and the 2001 and 2002 transmissions (35010-6A020-84) are the same, they just updated the part numbers for some reason.

I've been thinking about any possible warning signs, and the only thing I can think of is I remember noticing the shifter was a tiny bit stiff that morning. It wasn't as smooth, but it wasn't enough to cause me to be concerned at the time.

Neither myself or my friend noticed any sounds. We're not mechanics, but I'm confident we would've noticed anything unhealthy; we both have a decent amount of time behind dirt bikes, motorcycles, quads, cars, etc.

There were no other known issues other than the Throttle Position Sensor issue when starting in cold weather I mentioned earlier.

There was no slipping or hard shifting.

I use 4LO for most off-road ascending, descending, and obstacles. I never went above ~4k RPM or ~30 mph in 4LO and constantly monitored engine temps. The truck has maybe 100 miles in 4LO, if that. 4HI was used for most everything else including most dirt roads, unless they were particularly rough. I'm pretty aware of RPMs and engine temps; they've both been kept away from red.

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Looks like you've been blowing some kind of fluid back all over the gas tank skid. What is it and where did it come from? Did you check that there was gear oil in the T-case? Also you can have them check the trans pan for debris if you think it ate itself.
 
Looks like you've been blowing some kind of fluid back all over the gas tank skid. What is it and where did it come from? Did you check that there was gear oil in the T-case? Also you can have them check the trans pan for debris if you think it ate itself.
Good eye. Looks like left lower side of TC is dark- covered in dust & fluid
 
Evening,

So here's today's update if anyone's interested. I'm currently contemplating the following options. Any insight is welcome, as always.

Option 1: OEM Remanufactured 2000 LX 470 Transmission (35010-60840-84)
LexusPartsNow.com has a LX 470 transmission in stock here for $2,660. This is probably the safest bet, though the dealer still recommends against it since it's not officially listed as compatible with the LC; they want to put in a $3,850 reman unit from ATK, which I'd prefer to avoid. Labor + fluids are $1,400 from the dealer here, which doesn't seem too outrageous, so I'll probably just stick with them so I can keep the loaner Corolla and avoid towing again. The total cost for this option would be about $4,060.​
Option 2: OEM Remanufactured 2001 / 2002 LC Transmission (35010-6A020-84)
I still haven't been able to uncover whether this transmission is actually compatible in a 2000, but if it is, it's the best option. It's the cheapest, most available, and possibly fixes any known issues with the 2000 transmission. Christo (sleeoffroad), Paul (2001LC), Robbie (powderpig), and The Toy Shop are all uncertain of compatibility, given there could be differences with the electricals. ATLR, Toy Doctor, and the local dealership said they are not compatible. That being said, a parts guy referred to me by The Toy Shop said they are compatible, and ToyotaPartsNow.com has one in stock here, and lists it as compatible with 2000-2003. On the flip side, McGeorge also has one in stock here, but states it's only compatible with 2001-2002. The total cost of this option would be about $3,805. If I can confirm this part will work, I'll definitely go this way and share my results.​
Option 3: Salvaged 2000 LX 470 Transmission
Oleg, a well-known parts guy here recommended to me by RisingSun4x4 members, has a 2000 LX 470 transmission with 70k miles on it. It would likely need to be resealed as it was salvaged back in 2012, but it's an option for $1,000. Oleg is a real standup dude as well; I don't have to pay until I confirm it works, and he even offered to let me keep it until I'm done with my road trip if finances are an issue. The total cost for this route would be $2,400 plus whatever it costs to reseal/inspect the unit, which I haven't yet looked into. If I do end up going with this, let me know if you're in the area and want to help me break the failed unit open and try to find what went wrong. I'm really curious at this point, and I want a gear as a display piece.​

Regardless, I just want to say how incredibly awesome and helpful the LC community has been. Specifically, Paul (2001LC), Robbie (powderpig), ATLR, and Toy Doctor have collectively given me many hours of their time, knowing full well that their garages are 100% at capacity, or that it may not make logistical/financial sense to tow to them. The level of knowledge and care they exhibit is making me seriously consider driving out from CA for any future work though. Plus, it would be an excuse to come back to CO 😜

You all make me proud to be behind the wheel, even still, so thank you.

Looks like you've been blowing some kind of fluid back all over the gas tank skid. What is it and where did it come from? Did you check that there was gear oil in the T-case? Also you can have them check the trans pan for debris if you think it ate itself.
Good eye indeed... I'll ask the mechanic about it.
 
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There is just over $200 differenc between option 1 & 2. I kinda like 3 since these trannys are supposed to be good and @70K is barely “broken in”. Good luck which everone you choose.

And Oleg is giving you some good deals with it trying it out and all.
 
I'd go with option 3. If any expensive, non-transmission problems comes up in the following couple years (plus thinking about an accident for example - hopefully not), the other two options would be wasted money. Don't forget that it's a 20yo truck, even if it is low mileage.
 
Just to throw it out there, could the transfer case be bad? Could be stuck between high and low range.
 
My truck is a 2000 with 360k miles on the original transmission.
Dec. 99 build 2000, pushing 300k on original trans

That said, if there is a large labor cost involved, I would not choose the used option if you are in a financial position to go for a proper Toyota or Lexus parts reman.
 
I'm pretty certain the "official" part number compatibility relies mainly on a list of what was installed during production. If you do not choose option 3, let me know. I need that gearbox. Especially at that price.
 

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