2001 LC Transmission Issue

[MetroWest]

159k miles - started making noise last weekend, a rotational grinding thrummmm around 30-35mph under load (no noise off throttle). Has gotten louder over the last few days. Turning the O/D off silences the noise. No problems shifting up/down. Interestingly it does not make the noise when cold.

Tranny fluid not quite pink but certainly not dark or burnt. Will drain / refill this weekend to see if it helps.

Other threads have recommended not opening up to repair - just replace with a Toyota reman unit. Any guesses on the remaining life of tranny based on the above? Thanks.

 

[MetroWest]

and the answer is . . . . 1 day. I was driving around town with the O/D off (all was fine/quiet) and made the error of trying the O/D one more time.

 

[re_guderian]

Bummer. We'll add you to the list... What's the mfg date of your cruiser? MM/YY? Just trying to keep our database up-to-date.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/501772-2000-trans-status-2011-update.html#post6822293

 

[TheFuzz]

Suck. Let us know what the diagnosis is. As stated, what year/month? How was it used? Maintenance? Any towing?

 

[MetroWest]

Build date is 08/00

Daily Driver. Hardest use has been on minimally maintained dirt roads and through high snow. The LC has been a nice ride (better than my wife's 2011 Outback). Until this happened I would have no issue taking a cross country trip with it.

Has been well maintained. Mobil 1; changed out the diffs and TC fluid twice in the last 46k miles (after fording a flooded road). In hindsight I should have drained and refilled the tranny as well - it just has always looked clean when inspected. DT headers and Bilsteins are the only mods.

Has not been used for towing since I bought it in Dec 2007 (about 46k miles ago). Unknown if prior owner used it for towing.

I was driving with the O/D off around 35mph, sounded normal, and thought I would try it switching the O/D back in - bad call - something gave way and trashed all the gears including reverse - no forward or reverse motion with revving the engine. Must have impacted the torque converter as well because when I pulled over and put it into park you could still hear the grinding noise. The shifter was working smoothly and I could also still shift the transfer case.

I will call around for quotes on Monday from a dealer and a couple of indies. If anyone can recommend a good Toyota garage in Eastern / Central MA area it would be appreciated. I'll post when I have more info.

 

[MetroWest]

Have got a couple of quotes so far:

Local Toyota Dealer (fairly well regarded) $4,350 using Toyota remanufactured unit; one year / unlimited mileage warranty.

Local Transmission Shop (FWIW good Angie's List reviews) Distributor for "Certified Transmissions" $4,200 ($3,300 for tranny) all in with 3 year / 36k mile warranty. Aside from just R&R a reman unit, he did say he has sucessfully repaired a number of Toyota LC trannies in house (unless they have coolant cross-contamination - they won't touch these). Repair cost is usually $2-3k depending on extend of work.

Link to Certified Transmissions Certified Transmission - Remanufactured and Rebuilt Transmissions

The additional warranty is a plus; has anyone any experience with using a "Certified Transmission" product? Thanks.

 

[re_guderian]

go dealer and don't look back.

 

[packetstormin]

Are there no new transmissions available from Toyota?

 

[04UZJ100]

Dealer. Call Dan for a re-man unit.

 

[re_guderian]

Dealer. Call Dan for a re-man unit.

Worth a shot to maybe price-match, but shipping of unit to Mass plus return of core would likely kill any discount.

 

[jgray]

At 10+ yrs old and 160K miles I would put in a used transmission in from a wrecked 100. Look around and find one with lower mileage and it will likely last you until you get another 100 or another vehicle. You should be able to find one all day long for less than $2000. Labor to install a transmission should be less than $1000...

Plenty available here: www.car-part.com

 

[Pork Soda]

tulsa ok craigslist

used tranny 2001 lx 470

2001 Lexus LX470 Engine Transmission and Transfer Case

 

[04UZJ100]

tulsa ok craigslist

used tranny 2001 lx 470

2001 Lexus LX470 Engine Transmission and Transfer Case

Why would you ever replace it with the SAME year that has KNOWN issues?

 

[trackmur]

These are not Fords, the transmissions seem to either fail or not fail. At $2500 for that drivetrain, one might ask why anyone bothers to replace their timing belt, because it can probably go another 130 000 miles with only oil changes.

 

[MetroWest]

Wrap-up at the dealer (Acton Toyota): 1 #35010-6A020-84 RMAN ATM @ $2,673.72 + Labor of $1,485 + Shop Supplies $10 + Tax $167 = $4,335

The LC was nicely cleaned inside and out for "free". Also now have $220 "Toyota Bucks" to use at the dealership! At least the net cost of this was less than the indy shop I had also gotten a quote from. . . . .

Runs very smoothly although if feels like the torque converter takes a wee bit longer to spool up at low rpms; no issue at all when accelerating briskly.