01 Transmission Problem (1 Viewer)

[Hampton]

Guys, my transmission went out last night (or so the Toyota dealership is telling me) and I would love to get your input.

I have had my 2001 LC for roughly 1.5 years and started baselining it when I got it (previously rebuilt a 1997 LC). It currently has 315k on the clock and I bought it from a dealership with 275k on the clock (supposedly new fluids).

Yesterday I had driven roughly 250 miles in a lot of rain with no real issues. After work yesterday was taking a backroad to my hotel and had to cross a low point in the road with roughly 6” of a stream crossing the road (low point had a yellow measuring stick off to the side). I though, “6 inches? No worries”. Crossed with no issues.

Shortly after (I mean, maybe a mile...maybe), I hear a slight clunk, but I keep driving. Then, IIRC a few seconds after, another light clunk....then I lost all power, pulled off the back road and....off into the ditch (literally). Fortunately, AAA loves me (surely it’s cause I seem to call them all the time).

I punched CDL to see if that engaged anything and put into D - nothing
Put into low 4WD - nothing
Put into low transmission - nothing
However, the whole time, I did hear something spinning underneath. Against my better judgement, while all spinning and in gear, I got out and looked underneath to see what was spinning - nothing

At that point, I do what I typically do before “panic” sets in - I started searching through Mud to see if I can figure it out before I have to call AAA. Read all I could on diff failure (obviously common weak feature), which I initially thought it might be. All C-clips were firmly in place on both axles (neither busted) and no free movement of the front drive shaf. Yes, the diff could possibly still be shot, but on to moving down the checklist.

Later last night we finally get my LC towed to the local Toyota dealership. I tend to do all my own maintenance/rebuilding (thanks to all of you for that - wouldn’t even try it without you), and normally don’t prefer the dealership service as an option. However, after sitting in a corn field for a few hours waiting, thought the dealership might be the best option while on the road.

Side note here - seems the only thing I have not yet replaced/rebuilt is a tranny and gear box. Haven’t even tried to drop them. Seen how that stuff comes together in my FSM, but practically speaking it’s a black box.

[Flash forward to today]
Dealership calls and says they’ve got the car, hear my version of the story and try to determine what’s up. Called back in a few hours with diagnosis late in the morning saying its a transmission failure...so of course I go into Mud research mode. After reading all the articles on transmission. Seems that may actually be the case. I’ve read about others stranded in the same way, with no power, given multiple gear shifts and CDL engagement.

I’ll talk to the guy in the morning, but it seems my best option is to put an OEM Toyota remanufactured Transmission back in and keep up the maintenance so I don’t have to worry.

Any other valid options I might be missing? Possible diagnosis steps I am missing? Thoughts?

Thanks again for all of your help - it wouldn’t be possible without you.

 

[LostAfrican]

Ouch, so sorry. Am inclined to agree with you, OEM reman -just as long as it’s definitely the transmission. I think if it were the transfer case or diffs there’d be a lot more noise and movement

I always get frustrated tho when something gets broken in a transmission and the solution is to replace the whole thing. Isn’t there some way to replace just the piece that broke!?

 

[gatormark91]

Did putting it in park hold it in place? The check is to put it in park, put transfer case lever in neutral, and see if it moves. If it moves, it is something downstream of the trans, since the parking pawl will lock the trans output in place.

Sounds like possibly a bad torque converter to me. Don't count that out, it is a bunch cheaper than a new trans.

 

[Hampton]

Lost / Gator - thanks for the responses. A torque converter would be great news! After I pulled over on Monday night, I did put it in park. At one point, I did put the 4wd into neutral. In fact, as I was sitting there going through Mud threads, I had it in 4wd N, with the transmission in P - no movement. Great to know about the check mentioned above, tho.

I also just got off the phone with the service guy at the dealership (first real discussion, yesterday he left me a message). He gave me all the details from his side. Said they pulled the transmission dip stick and saw a lot of silver flakes in the fluid and the fluid was kind of silver and looked a little darker than normal (new fluids have been in for 40k miles - doubt that would have been the issue). The service manager also said it looks to be a complete transmission failure having run through their checks also. Said we should change out the oil cooler and the rubber hoses from the transmission to/from the oil cooler. Says the metal hoses going to/from the transmission can all be cleaned up by blowing them out.

Quote:
Toyota OEM re-manufactured transmission - $2700
(+) New oil cooler - $670
(+) New rubber hoses to/from oil cooler to transmission
(+) 10 hours of labor

a) I hope I'm not violating any forum rules by posting up the prices above; however, I am kind-of amazed to know the price of a Toyota OEM re-manufactured transmission is still around $2700. Based on some of the other posts I've seen, I think it was around that back in 2012!?
b) I have changed some of the rubber hoses around the oil cooler already (old ones were starting to leak). However, given metal shavings in the rubber hoses, I can see where changing those makes sense. While the quoted price on the oil cooler may seem a little high (and I don't like the price at all), I can also see where changing out the oil cooler makes sense, especially if the metal can't be blown out of the cooler itself (which, I've been told it can't be).

As a general sanity check, does all that sound right? If so, I think I know what I gotta do (I don't like it, but I've enjoyed my hundy).

Thanks again for the help!

 

[gatormark91]

Lost / Gator - thanks for the responses. A torque converter would be great news! After I pulled over on Monday night, I did put it in park. At one point, I did put the 4wd into neutral. In fact, as I was sitting there going through Mud threads, I had it in 4wd N, with the transmission in P - no movement. Great to know about the check mentioned above, tho.

I also just got off the phone with the service guy at the dealership (first real discussion, yesterday he left me a message). He gave me all the details from his side. Said they pulled the transmission dip stick and saw a lot of silver flakes in the fluid and the fluid was kind of silver and looked a little darker than normal (new fluids have been in for 40k miles - doubt that would have been the issue). The service manager also said it looks to be a complete transmission failure having run through their checks also. Said we should change out the oil cooler and the rubber hoses from the transmission to/from the oil cooler. Says the metal hoses going to/from the transmission can all be cleaned up by blowing them out.

Quote:
Toyota OEM re-manufactured transmission - $2700
(+) New oil cooler - $670
(+) New rubber hoses to/from oil cooler to transmission
(+) 10 hours of labor

a) I hope I'm not violating any forum rules by posting up the prices above; however, I am kind-of amazed to know the price of a Toyota OEM re-manufactured transmission is still around $2700. Based on some of the other posts I've seen, I think it was around that back in 2012!?
b) I have changed some of the rubber hoses around the oil cooler already (old ones were starting to leak). However, given metal shavings in the rubber hoses, I can see where changing those makes sense. While the quoted price on the oil cooler may seem a little high (and I don't like the price at all), I can also see where changing out the oil cooler makes sense, especially if the metal can't be blown out of the cooler itself (which, I've been told it can't be).

As a general sanity check, does all that sound right? If so, I think I know what I gotta do (I don't like it, but I've enjoyed my hundy).

Thanks again for the help!

Likely the dealership will not warranty the job without the new cooler. If you don't get it done at the dealership, you could just get a used junkyard cooler (I'd get one from a rear-ended or t-boned truck, so you know the trans was working when it died) and have the shop you are working with use that. They can still buy an OEM trans from Toyota if you want one, and a shop will get the 'jobber' price on it, not consumer retail. With normal shop prices, and all the parts, I think you are looking at near $5K from the dealership, which, IMHO, is really a ridiculous price to pay to replace the trans when you can buy a whole, nice 2001 like it for $7-8k if you look.

Honestly, buy a nice used trans, a used cooler, spend $2k on the whole thing at a local shop, and call it done. Spend the extra $3k you saved on fun stuff for the truck.