Difficulty Shifting into Gear (2 Viewers)

[campoj2]

Team -
I have searched the forum as I normally do for problems with the LCs. I could not find anything concerning the near inability to get the LC from Park into Drive. The actual process of getting the truck into gear is now almost impossible.

The LC is my daily driver and whenever I stop driving her on a regular basis the ability to shift from Park into Drive becomes difficult. She has sat for about 3 weeks and now I cannot get her into gear. There is no shifting issues with this LC, the problem is getting her into gear. Once in gear the rig drives as smooth as silk. There are no caution lights and there is nothing on my scan tool.

I have taken a close look at the shifter cable and that is OK, I feel like the problem may be where the cable intersects with the transmission and the magic happens.

Does anyone have any background on this type of issue? The LC is approaching 300K miles and I am wondering if this something that happens with a high mileage trucks.

Thank you in advance for any help/direction.

 

[Karbon]

Mine has done this periodically over the past few years, where the shifter requires force to get into gear. It would even happen on random days when the truck wasn't sitting for a longer period of time. What I found to be helpful is to lubricate the pivot point where the linkage meets the transmission housing. I used a light synthetic spray lube, shifted a few times, then reapplied. I now do this once or twice a year.

Most of the time when it requires some extra force there isn't any issue with doing so, and the problem quickly resolves itself within that day. However, be careful if it's really excessive force. One time it seemed a bit more than usual - I shifted to park yet the truck was still moving, with the P indication on the dash from the shifter console.

 

[NYC570]

This is a known issue. Some people report it being worse after rain. A lot of people report that the solution is to clean your MAF sensor which is highly unusual. Mine does it intermittently but I haven't tried the suggested solution yet.

 

[bloc]

This is a known issue. Some people report it being worse after rain. A lot of people report that the solution is to clean your MAF sensor which is highly unusual. Mine does it intermittently but I haven't tried the suggested solution yet.

It isn’t discussed a lot, especially lately, but you are right that it has been discussed. I do remember the MAF thing and thinking that is super odd.. but if it works…

 

[campoj2]

Thanks team!

I will get after it Monday morning and will report back, I hope this is not a transmission issue that will require open heart surgery.

 

[AJLaz]

It isn’t discussed a lot, especially lately, but you are right that it has been discussed. I do remember the MAF thing and thinking that is super odd.. but if it work

I just returned from a 2 week holiday and I am also having this issue on my ‘10 LX. This is not the first time but it is extraordinarily stiff this time around.
I can safely rule out the MAF cleaning thing because before I left I just happened to change my air filter and clean my MAF.
Does anyone have a diagram of this shifter linkage? This issue definitely seems lubrication related.

 

[1MAC]

I had this issue recently and read all these threads. The difficulty shifting seems to come and go at random with no obvious correlation. Cleaning the MAF should not have any effect on the shifter. Just because it got easier to shift after you cleaned your MAF, that’s no proof that cleaning the MAF fixed the problem. Post hoc, propter hoc fallacy.
I took my console apart and although the shifter gates and plastic guides were pretty clean, I cleaned them anyway. Shifting didn’t get any easier but then two days later it was normal again. The mystery remains unsolved.

 

[campoj2]

My situation remains unresolved. I am off to the stealership where they are going to tell me I am going to need a new transmission -

 

[bloc]

My situation remains unresolved. I am off to the stealership where they are going to tell me I am going to need a new transmission -

Have you tried pressing the parking lock release button as I described above?

 

[linuxgod]

The MAF sensor cleaning sounds odd but be aware that the shift lock is actually electronic, not mechanical, so it could actually be related. @TheGrrrrr had a fuse blow which prevented shifting out of park (and also set off the airbag light and disabled climate). We swapped it and could shift again. Point being I’m not sure lubing the cable will matter

 

[campoj2]

Thanks for the idea, I will get after the park-lock switch later this week and report back!

 

[INTP]

My 13 LX does this occasionally. I have found that cleaning the MAF does help. But the best thing I found is to give it several very brisk accelerations.

I don’t claim to know how or why this works, but for me, it does.

 

[linuxgod]

It’s funny, I’ve had the opposite issue pop up recently. In my case I’ll shift to park, set the e-brake, and shut the truck off. The gear shift will pop into park like it wasn’t quite in gear even though I’d full moved the shifter. maybe the shift lock solenoid isn’t clicking into place right or something. Thinking maybe I’ll get some MAF cleaner and hit mine up as well just for kicks.

 

[SteelRain]

All,

Neutral safety switch corrected this in my case, a very known issue with the 200 series:

200 SERIES NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH REPLACEMENT

So I misdiagnosed my 2010 lx570 as having a bad neutral safety switch due to no display of what gear you are in as well as the disabling of many things due to this condition. Turned out my back up light bulbs (no name led but several years old) short circuited and burned up causing fuse to blow...

forum.ih8mud.com

I hope this gives you a starting place.

 

[RatherBeRacing]

My 2011 has been doing the same since I bought it 6 years ago after sitting for a while especially when cold. I assumed and read it's normal.

 

[TeCKis300]

Seems like several potential causes?

Outside of the neutral safety switch, some of this almost sounds internal to the transmission. Anyone experience a change for better/worse after transmission fluid maintenance?

 

[linuxgod]

My hunch is some misalignment if the shift lever, but if the issue is actually get it out of park it may just be the solenoid in the shifter assembly which is sticking. The solenoid I believe is NC and requires voltage to open.

Diagram of the assembly, linkage, etc:

https://partsouq.com/en/catalog/genuine/unit?c=TOYOTA00&ssd=%24%2AKwGIvK2jzMjP9sDU2Pm8oNDE5OP9jIOOj52ygcnP_Ov_8_X9r6i4_v7y6env7vetqo_ly8_L-vHo86u0xvvxivmOi42H19XFxNX8xpjPnoTBt9OWmd-fgInBwJaElfrAnt7T356E0cHT3NLYn4CZj43S39OWmdXTmIGejdDexYKJ-J_HxcrXh62KmNLIn4CZ6vetz92Y0s-fgJn26q6lqI369ov-j4yP2tnJjpmQn9nYnoTB2siLj4qNmJee04DPy5ju7veIi4zyzqq_7v73_JiXntiKidOAipCfzNiehMHZwY_snsAAAAAASMegLA%3D%3D%24&vid=0&cid=2&uid=384916&q=JTMHY7AJ6D4019484

 

[campoj2]

The stealership confirmed the bad news from the indy about the "stiff" shifting.

It's not:
MAF sensor
the shifter
the shifter linkage
the shifter rod
the shifter bushing
the shifter cable

No, it is the neutral safety switch that plugs directly into the transmission. It's about a $900 repair and that is not the issue.

The issue is the actual removal of the switch. The bolt that goes into the transmission that supports the NSS is the critical design flaw. These bolts are known to fail.

IF THE BOLT BREAKS YOU WILL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION

Then they told me it's a 12 to 25 hour job to swap out the transmission, total labor cost $2000 to $3,300 give or take a few hundred. Throw in another $3K for a transmission and I will be all set.

I am in the pit of misery on this one, I am thinking about going back to the independent repair facility where they will let me watch them remove that bolt and if it breaks then I will see it with my own eyes.

Has anyone pulled a transmission out of a 200 series, if so, was really that hard???

Does anyone have a part number for a 2009 Neutral Safety Switch? I tried but could not find one -

Thanks for the support!

 

[campoj2]

And then I searched my own thread and found this link -

200 SERIES NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH REPLACEMENT

So I misdiagnosed my 2010 lx570 as having a bad neutral safety switch due to no display of what gear you are in as well as the disabling of many things due to this condition. Turned out my back up light bulbs (no name led but several years old) short circuited and burned up causing fuse to blow...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[campoj2]

And the part number

8454060050​