PLEASE HELP: 2005 GX470 150k miles with Engine oil leak and three errors: P0340 P0345 P2757

[Nikita]

Dear Comrades,

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone; I wish you all that your rigs last 1million miles!

Last year wasn't the best for many of us; for me, the last day of the year had another cherry on the top. Yesterday I noticed an oil leak under my car; the leak looks like engine oil. This observation coincided with four warning lights on my dash. Then, I connected a scanner and got three serious errors:

WARNINGS:
VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, ANTI-SKID, CHECK ENGINE.

ERRORS:
P0340| Camshaft Position Circuit
P0345| Camshaft Position Sensor "A" Circuit (Bank 2)
P2757| Torque Converter Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid Control Circuit Performance or Stuck Off

This has been done recently: new front axle shafts, rear shock absorbers replaced, oils and filters were religiously changed following maintenance schedule. I also noticed that my battery goes down very quickly, so it is running low, I suspect and may need to be replaced.

When I drive the car, the engine has to ramp extra RPMS when trying to get at a higher speed. It feels like the transmission is not catching up on higher gears. Acceleration is very slow, and fuel efficiency dropped extremely low.

I am not a mechanic, and a bit lost, to be honest. What should I do, and where do I start?

Thank you very much for any suggestions and input!

Happy New Year again, everyone
Nikita

 

[z00t3ch]

First off, ANYTHING that trips the CEL will trip those three other lights with it. Scary the first time, then just an annoying Toyota quirk thereafter. Secondly, it's possible (albeit not necessarily probable) that your sensors are tripping due to your battery situation. I'd rule that out first as I don't see how a camshaft code and transmission code are related to one another. Once the charging system is addressed, including an inspection of the grounds, if it was mine I'd flush the transmission so I could rule out low or bad fluid.

 

[Nikita]

First off, ANYTHING that trips the CEL will trip those three other lights with it. Scary the first time, then just an annoying Toyota quirk thereafter. Secondly, it's possible (albeit not necessarily probable) that your sensors are tripping due to your battery situation. I'd rule that out first as I don't see how a camshaft code and transmission code are related to one another. Once the charging system is addressed, including an inspection of the grounds, if it was mine I'd flush the transmission so I could rule out low or bad fluid.

Thanks very much, I followed these suggestions and got a new battery installed. I cleared up the codes with the scanner and then had no issues diving for the next couple of hours. However, the problem with gearing and the same error codes came back again. When you recommended checking the grounds, did you mean I should look at wirings underneath the car? I am not sure if there is any schematic manual of the electrical system.

 

[aztoytec]

If you have the capability check the freeze frame on the codes. Look to see what the battery voltage is reading when the code was thrown. If the voltage is reading low, below 12 volts or so you may have a charging system issue, or electrical. Pretty sure Toyota has a service bulletin for that, common issue with those codes. Also just having recent repairs Id look real close at what they did and make sure everything is tight and in order!

 

[Nikita]

If you have the capability check the freeze frame on the codes. Look to see what the battery voltage is reading when the code was thrown. If the voltage is reading low, below 12 volts or so you may have a charging system issue, or electrical. Pretty sure Toyota has a service bulletin for that, common issue with those codes. Also just having recent repairs Id look real close at what they did and make sure everything is tight and in order!

Thanks! I replaced the battery today and reset the computer. It was driving perfect for the next couple hours but then the issue came back. Is there a manual for electrical wirings to ensure that cables are in order so to speak?

 

[z00t3ch]

Check the battery's ground cable where it attaches to the chassis. Also look for any engine ground straps that may have corroded and broken.

 

[Nikita]

Check the battery's ground cable where it attaches to the chassis. Also look for any engine ground straps that may have corroded and broken.

Thanks I checked today all cables that I was able to see underneath and around the engine bay. I didn't notice any corroded cables.

 

[Nikita]

The battery was replaced and all visible cables were inspected. Once the battery was installed, I cleared the codes and it was fine for the next couple hours. Then all issues came back again. Another observation is that I hear pronounced hit somewhere underneath the car when I shift gears from P to D and R. However, I haven't noticed any hits when I shift low gears 2-3-4.

 

[Nikita]

I checked Engine Oil today - everything looks good there.

 

[wrcfan]

Your earlier post referenced the transmission code for P2757| Torque Converter Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid Control Circuit Performance or Stuck Off

If there are issues with the torque converter, you will have issues going from Park to any gear, but maybe no issues between various drive gears. Overall does not sound good, if it was my truck I would consider taking in to a dealer or a transmission shop to diagnose the problem.

 

[Nikita]

Your earlier post referenced the transmission code for P2757| Torque Converter Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid Control Circuit Performance or Stuck Off

If there are issues with the torque converter, you will have issues going from Park to any gear, but maybe no issues between various drive gears. Overall does not sound good, if it was my truck I would consider taking in to a dealer or a transmission shop to diagnose the problem.

Thanks for the suggestion. Some folks on FB GXOR group recommended to change VVT Bank 2, I have already ordered this part and planning to replace it tomorrow. If this maneuver won't remit the issue, I will have to bite the bullet and bring it to the dealer for diagnostics.