Fj62 won’t start after transmission overheated. Is there something I’m missing? (1 Viewer)

[Sactofj62]

Hello all, I thought I would come here as I am in need of assistance.
I am from Sacramento and I recently was taking a trip down to Los Angeles in my fj62 with my girlfriend. On our way back up we were driving well into the night, so my girlfriend started driving. Long story short I was asleep and the transmission was overheating for I don’t know how long and it made my 62 shut off on the highway and now it will not start. The transmission was steaming and atf was hemorrhaging out. ATF leaked all over the starter so I have a strange feeling that my have something to do with it. The car will act like it wants to turn over but only will go once. Will low atf levels make your 62 not start? Will overheating your trans cause any issues that I am not aware of? Any delays or fuses that could have blown? Keep in mind the car feels like it wants to start but it feel locked up or something.

List of what I have done so far:
Cleaned battery terminals
Charged battery
Cleaned ground on starter and all starter contact electrical contact points

What I plan on doing:
Draining and refilling with fresh atf, will be doing a flush after I get car running
Possibly removing starter and getting it tested
Getting new battery

 

[BMValentine]

You may have some head gasket issues and aren't getting good compression.

 

[2mbb]

Does the starter work? Does the starter engage the flywheel ring gear and crank the engine? Or does the starter crank the engine, but the engine won't on it's own.

 

[g-man]

Make sure the transmission is not in gear. Will the truck roll??... are the wheels/drive shafts engaged? If its locked in gear try shifting to neutral and rolling it again. If this frees the wheels... disable the neutral safety switch. Make sure your parking brake works or you have the wheels chocked.

 

[Sactofj62]

You may have some head gasket issues and aren't getting good compression.

Would that cause it to not want to crank more than once? No coolant in oil and vice versa

 

[Sactofj62]

Make sure the transmission is not in gear. Will the truck roll??... are the wheels/drive shafts engaged? If its locked in gear try shifting to neutral and rolling it again. If this frees the wheels... disable the neutral safety switch. Make sure your parking brake works or you have the wheels chocked.

I have done this as well, but I was thinking that maybe the truck will not fully go into park due to lack of fluid.

 

[Sactofj62]

Does the starter work? Does the starter engage the flywheel ring gear and crank the engine? Or does the starter crank the engine, but the engine won't on it's own.

So it seems the starter is working, but it cannot crank more than once due to either not enough power, or something is seized.

 

[BMValentine]

Would that cause it to not want to crank more than once? No coolant in oil and vice versa

Yea, compression is what leads to your timing. I overheated my transmission in the ‘89 and had the ATF boiling off as well. It blew the head gasket. The same night I overheated the trans, after it had sat and stopped boiling it wouldn't start up.

 

[g-man]

I have done this as well, but I was thinking that maybe the truck will not fully go into park due to lack of fluid.

See if it will start in neutral. Can you move the flywheel or turn the crank by hand in neutral? Don't keep cranking the starter if the motor or transmission is seized. You will burn up your starter motor.

Been a while since I worked on an automatic trans but there is a parking pawl at the rear output shaft with a pin that slips into a slot on a gear or more like a donut with slots ...and this hold the output shaft from moving. I think it's mechanical. This is why when you park on a hill and put it in park it will roll back slightly...it is going to move until the pin slips into a slot. If the shift lever is not all the way in park then it's probably not activating the neutral safety switch...but in that case I don't think you would even get the motor to turn at all....the ignition would be defeated by the safety switch.

I guess it is possible for the trans to be in gear and if the hydraulics are not working even though the shifter is in park and and the parking pawl engaged.

Just putting ATF in the trans alone will NOT help it to shift. The fluid needs to be under pressure by the trans pump behind the torque converter. And that needs to be turning by the motor.

If it doesn't roll in neutral you may be able to put the transfer case in neutral and get the truck to roll...to roll it up on a flat bed and tow to a transmission shop. Putting the transfer case in neutral is not going to help get the engine running if the trans is seized.

 

[Sactofj62]

Make sure the transmission is not in gear. Will the truck roll??... are the wheels/drive shafts engaged? If its locked in gear try shifting to neutral and rolling it again. If this frees the wheels... disable the neutral safety switch. Make sure your parking brake works or you have the wheels l

Yea, compression is what leads to your timing. I overheated my transmission in the ‘89 and had the ATF boiling off as well. It blew the head gasket. The same night I overheated the trans, after it had sat and stopped boiling it wouldn't start up.

Oh dear sounds exactly like what happened to me!

 

[Sactofj62]

See if it will start in neutral. Can you move the flywheel or turn the crank by hand in neutral? Don't keep cranking the starter if the motor or transmission is seized. You will burn up your starter motor.

Been a while since I worked on an automatic trans but there is a parking pawl at the rear output shaft with a pin that slips into a slot on a gear or more like a donut with slots ...and this hold the output shaft from moving. I think it's mechanical. This is why when you park on a hill and put it in park it will roll back slightly...it is going to move until the pin slips into a slot. If the shift lever is not all the way in park then it's probably not activating the neutral safety switch...but in that case I don't think you would even get the motor to turn at all....the ignition would be defeated by the safety switch.

I guess it is possible for the trans to be in gear and if the hydraulics are not working even though the shifter is in park and and the parking pawl engaged.

Just putting ATF in the trans alone will NOT help it to shift. The fluid needs to be under pressure by the trans pump behind the torque converter. And that needs to be turning by the motor.

If it doesn't roll in neutral you may be able to put the transfer case in neutral and get the truck to roll...to roll it up on a flat bed and tow to a transmission shop. Putting the transfer case in neutral is not going to help get the engine running if the trans is seized.

It does the same thing in neutral, it seems almost as if the car is stuck in gear, but it will roll just fine in any gear except park. Thank you for your input

 

[Seth S]

You can also try pull the spark plugs out and seeing if it cranks over without issue. Have someone stand at the front of the truck with safety glasses or a face shield and watch to see if anything sprays out the spark plug holes.

 

[BMValentine]

Oh dear sounds exactly like what happened to me!

I was fortunate and didnt also roast the transmission. My episode is what is leading me to acquire parts for a chevy V8 motor swap. I can swap the motor for only a little bit more than rebuilding the transmission.

 

[2mbb]

You can also try pull the spark plugs out and seeing if it cranks over without issue. Have someone stand at the front of the truck with safety glasses or a face shield and watch to see if anything sprays out the spark plug holes.

By removing the spark plugs, you should also be able to rotate the engine fairly easily with a wrench on one of the pulley nuts on the front of the engine. This should rule out a problem with the starter. On my FJ60 I use the alternator pulley bolt because it is on the top. You could use the one on top from either side. Rotate the pulley clockwise.

 

[BMValentine]

When the trans overheated, besides the boiling of the fluid, what else happened? Was it having trouble shifting and revving high, and for how long?