2009- "Lurch" in shifting from 1st to 2nd gear

[NC2COCruiser]

Hello, and happy holidays to everyone!

I recently bought a 2009 LC with around 97k miles. Still learning all the amazing features and nuances of the LC, coming from being a 3rd Gen 4Runner owner for many years.

I have noticed that there is a slight "buck" or "lurch" when accelerating from a stop. For instance, I feel this when I get a green light and start going, which I believe may be the shift from 1st to 2nd gear. Now, this is not something that I would consider major, but its noticeable to someone who pays attention to these types of things, which I think being on this forum, most of us do. It is annoying to me, because all the rest of the gears seem to shift like butter, and if there is something simple I can do to fix it, I would like to.

Now, if this is just something I should expect, being that the LC has almost 100k, then I can live with that, but if I need to get the ATF level checked, or flushed, or the propellor examined or lubricated, then I want to do so to avoid any potential bigger issues. Any suggestions, or experience with this would be appreciated.

In addition, I am closing in on 100k, and I am moving from NC to CO in a few weeks and will be towing a Uhaul trailer. I plan on getting my oil changed before I go, but if anyone feels like there is more I should do before I make the trip, I would like to hear any opinions on 100k maintenance. With some searching on the site, I am seeing recommendations to do the coolant as well.

Appreciate all the help and knowledge on this site! Loving my LC so far and want to keep it in tip-top shape!

 

[TexAZ]

Lubricate the joints in the drive shafts. You are at the interval that they will need to be done, and it should take care of the "slop" in the driveline that gets felt during starts and slow shifting.
Use the VIN and the Toyota website to get the maintenance history of the truck.
The common faults in the LC drivetrain are water pump, starter, radiator, and to a lesser extent coolant leaks in the intake manifold gasket.
There is a thread on what to look for on the radiator top. They usually show signs of stress before cracking.
There is no way to know if the starter is going out. if it does, there is a thread on how to bypass the solenoid to get you to a safe place to get it replaced.
Hope this helps. congrats on the new truck.

 

[chilibit]

Depending on the size the trailer the conventional wisdom is to keep the transmission from shifting to an overdrive gear when towing. I pull a race trailer with a car in it. On my 13 that means I limit upshifts past 4th gear. RPMs rise slightly, fuel usage goes up a bit but transmission temperatures don't rise (because the torque converter stays locked). The motor is quite comfortable at the higher RPMs. All of this is in the owner's manual.

 

[NC2COCruiser]

Depending on the size the trailer the conventional wisdom is to keep the transmission from shifting to an overdrive gear when towing. I pull a race trailer with a car in it. On my 13 that means I limit upshifts past 4th gear. RPMs rise slightly, fuel usage goes up a bit but transmission temperatures don't rise (because the torque converter stays locked). The motor is quite comfortable at the higher RPMs. All of this is in the owner's manual.

Thanks! Appreciate the insight!

 

[NC2COCruiser]

Lubricate the joints in the drive shafts. You are at the interval that they will need to be done, and it should take care of the "slop" in the driveline that gets felt during starts and slow shifting.
Use the VIN and the Toyota website to get the maintenance history of the truck.
The common faults in the LC drivetrain are water pump, starter, radiator, and to a lesser extent coolant leaks in the intake manifold gasket.
There is a thread on what to look for on the radiator top. They usually show signs of stress before cracking.
There is no way to know if the starter is going out. if it does, there is a thread on how to bypass the solenoid to get you to a safe place to get it replaced.
Hope this helps. congrats on the new truck.

Appreciate the information above! Very helpful! Is lubricating the driveshaft something that I can do with a little research, or is this something I should have done at a shop/dealership? If it is something that is not too costly, I would likely prefer to just take it in, but if I am going to get slammed a couple hundred bucks for something I could be doing myself, I'd definitely give it a go. Thanks again!

 

[TexAZ]

There's a few posts about doing it back in July I think. Couple guys were saying they needed a needle attachmebt foe the grease gun to get to the grease fittings.
I was able to get to mine without any special tools, just a small grease gun from autozone/ harbor freight.

 

[HighMile200]

It sounds a bit like the "driveline thunk" you speak of. The TSB calls for replacement of the propeller shaft assembly. It would certainly be worth doing a lube and re-torque before dropping the cash on replacement. Start with the simple stuff.

I recall a post with a nice diagram being posted about lube points, etc awhile back. I, personally, have used my dealership for all maintenance and have done so religiously every 5K without variance. Just have to remind them of the major service intervals.

Between 95K and 110K, I opted to have ALL fluids flushed/replaced at Toyota. Plugs at 120K and have the prop shaft lubed/torqued every 40K. I'm not really a DIY kind of guy as I have an area of expertise/knowledge/skills/tools that do not include working on vehicles. I recognize this is a gap that I could and probably should close. I am currently nearing 200K and everything runs like a top.

 

[NC2COCruiser]

It sounds a bit like the "driveline thunk" you speak of. The TSB calls for replacement of the propeller shaft assembly. It would certainly be worth doing a lube and re-torque before dropping the cash on replacement. Start with the simple stuff.

I recall a post with a nice diagram being posted about lube points, etc awhile back. I, personally, have used my dealership for all maintenance and have done so religiously every 5K without variance. Just have to remind them of the major service intervals.

Between 95K and 110K, I opted to have ALL fluids flushed/replaced at Toyota. Plugs at 120K and have the prop shaft lubed/torqued every 40K. I'm not really a DIY kind of guy as I have an area of expertise/knowledge/skills/tools that do not include working on vehicles. I recognize this is a gap that I could and probably should close. I am currently nearing 200K and everything runs like a top.

Thank you for the info above. I scheduled my 100k service at the dealership today. Going to do oil/filter, engine coolant replaced, lube underneath and propeller re-torqued. All for $250, which seems OK to me, but would love to hear from anyone else if that is high/low.

 

[TexAZ]

$250 isn't bad considering the cost of supplies needed. Toyota coolant is $20/gallon and oil is 6 to 7 a qt. If they still have the truck, have them inspect the water pump weep hole, radiator top, and cam tower for leakage or potential failure. The only other real reliability weakness on the engine is the starter, and there is no way to know if it is going to fail, until it does...

 

[NC2COCruiser]

$250 isn't bad considering the cost of supplies needed. Toyota coolant is $20/gallon and oil is 6 to 7 a qt. If they still have the truck, have them inspect the water pump weep hole, radiator top, and cam tower for leakage or potential failure. The only other real reliability weakness on the engine is the starter, and there is no way to know if it is going to fail, until it does...

I scheduled it for early next week so i will definitely have them also check out the spots you mentioned above. Thanks again for the help!