Hello all! I've been lurking as a guest since I bought my 1995 Prado (KZJ78W-PET, 1KZTE, A343F G284) in June while living in Japan. I thoroughly enjoy the rig, but it's surely showing that it's 30 years old. Been chasing electrical issues, starting abnormalities (slow starts, a hard kick/knock IVO the drivers side [RH] while warm) , a seemingly original suspension, and some other previous owner poor decisions. I'm posting today though because I'm in a pickle: my truck has decided to stop engaging the transmission.
Some backstory: I started having some weird shifting abnormalities (the truck didnt seem like it could decide what gear to be in, especially when letting off of the accelerator) about a week prior to this, and had decided I needed to investigate the ECU and possibly the solenoids based on searches on this forum. Last Saturday (currently Wednesday) I went out to investigate the ECU, dug it out and am pretty sure the thing has been repaired already. Cleaned out 30 years of built up dust in the AC blower fan while I was at it, and put it all back together.
After a dinner on Monday night, I was driving some people to a metro station and the truck started shifting extremely erratically and seemingly sporadically disengaging the transmission. This is where I will openly admit I messed up in the name of getting the thing done: the AT temp light flashed on for about a minute, and I had just read a post about it possibly coming on faultily, so I pressed. It went away, and stayed off for the rest of the night. It started down shifting and over rev'ing more regularly until we dropped off the pax. I checked the transmission servicing with the engine idling (may have been high? It doesnt seem to change whether its hot or cold though frankly and is above the marked portion of the dipstick) by about an inch. Turned the truck off, let it sit for a bit, turned it back on and went on my way. Except that now, every time I let off the accelerator the transmission would disengage and would not re-engage. I should have stopped there and called it a night, but I decided to make a bad situation worse and continue home. This required me to turn the truck off at stop lights, pick up a fair amount of speed and then coast between stop lights. (Understood, I did the big dumb and will almost certainly pay the pretty penny for my sins). I was able to get it back to my apartment building, where it sat over night: the next morning it would not engage between the engine and transmission at all. I can put the transmission in gear, it goes into reverse, it goes into neutral, it goes into drive, but the engine just revs. In my attempts at diagnosing I noticed a ticking noise (almost sounds like a cicada) when I first start the truck (which I have a video of, though I dont know if it will be able to be posted) which goes away within a minute or so as everything heats up. I mention that because I believe the issue to be either I destroyed the torque converter, or the flext plate, or both. BUT I was hoping yall might be able to lend some thoughts and advice if you can spare it! Thanks in advance!
I am willing to pay to fix the thing, because I do love it and I want to bring it back to the states with me whenever I finally end up going home... but that isnt super possible if the thing doesnt drive. I am moderately technically inclined, though not always the most informed, and time is really my limiting factor. Borrowing a buddy's car right now, and there are plenty of days that I cannot ride my motorcycle (my only other means of transportation), but I would be willing to work on it myself at the auto hobby shop assuming that I can get the parts. I havent approached the local Toyota dealer yet, because in needing to translate things to Japanese to communicate I want to have a better idea of whats wrong.
Some backstory: I started having some weird shifting abnormalities (the truck didnt seem like it could decide what gear to be in, especially when letting off of the accelerator) about a week prior to this, and had decided I needed to investigate the ECU and possibly the solenoids based on searches on this forum. Last Saturday (currently Wednesday) I went out to investigate the ECU, dug it out and am pretty sure the thing has been repaired already. Cleaned out 30 years of built up dust in the AC blower fan while I was at it, and put it all back together.
After a dinner on Monday night, I was driving some people to a metro station and the truck started shifting extremely erratically and seemingly sporadically disengaging the transmission. This is where I will openly admit I messed up in the name of getting the thing done: the AT temp light flashed on for about a minute, and I had just read a post about it possibly coming on faultily, so I pressed. It went away, and stayed off for the rest of the night. It started down shifting and over rev'ing more regularly until we dropped off the pax. I checked the transmission servicing with the engine idling (may have been high? It doesnt seem to change whether its hot or cold though frankly and is above the marked portion of the dipstick) by about an inch. Turned the truck off, let it sit for a bit, turned it back on and went on my way. Except that now, every time I let off the accelerator the transmission would disengage and would not re-engage. I should have stopped there and called it a night, but I decided to make a bad situation worse and continue home. This required me to turn the truck off at stop lights, pick up a fair amount of speed and then coast between stop lights. (Understood, I did the big dumb and will almost certainly pay the pretty penny for my sins). I was able to get it back to my apartment building, where it sat over night: the next morning it would not engage between the engine and transmission at all. I can put the transmission in gear, it goes into reverse, it goes into neutral, it goes into drive, but the engine just revs. In my attempts at diagnosing I noticed a ticking noise (almost sounds like a cicada) when I first start the truck (which I have a video of, though I dont know if it will be able to be posted) which goes away within a minute or so as everything heats up. I mention that because I believe the issue to be either I destroyed the torque converter, or the flext plate, or both. BUT I was hoping yall might be able to lend some thoughts and advice if you can spare it! Thanks in advance!
I am willing to pay to fix the thing, because I do love it and I want to bring it back to the states with me whenever I finally end up going home... but that isnt super possible if the thing doesnt drive. I am moderately technically inclined, though not always the most informed, and time is really my limiting factor. Borrowing a buddy's car right now, and there are plenty of days that I cannot ride my motorcycle (my only other means of transportation), but I would be willing to work on it myself at the auto hobby shop assuming that I can get the parts. I havent approached the local Toyota dealer yet, because in needing to translate things to Japanese to communicate I want to have a better idea of whats wrong.