Should I sell, repair or replace? (1 Viewer)

[Tnvrstar]

Posting in this forum as my prado has LC 200 GX 4.0 1GRFE v6 engine and 5 spees auto transmission.

I have 2007 prado (1GEFE engine, 5 spees auto, mileage around 310,000 km (200k mile)) which has transmission problem. The gear is smooth when the car is warm and driven for few minutes. But in the cold start gear will slip and reverse will take time to connect with gear.

Dealer charged big bucks for checking soloneoid and came to the conclusion that the transmission box requires to be open to repair it.

I changed the transmission fluid and filter twice but still the same issue.

I checked with local garage and they said they can repair it for around 1000 dollar or replace the unit with another imported transmisaion for 2000 dollar.

I can still sell the car as the car drives smooth once the morning cold start hangover session is over. But I do love the car and don't want to cheat on the buyer.

So, kindly suggest whether I should sell the cat, or repair the transmission or replace the transmission??

 

[Malleus]

Unless there are other, significant, problems with the truck (for instance the interior is a mess, the body looks like it's been through the gates of hell, etc.), I wouldn't sell it, but I think most Land Cruisers are salvageable.

Do you know what type of transmission you have? We need to know this to provide any reasonable assessment of the problem and recommend a solution.

In the states, our 200s have a V8 and six speed transmission, the type is AB60F. Our 100 series have a 5 speed, type A750F, transmission. None of our Land Cruisers ever got a V6 engine (current imposters not included).

Your problem description doesn't sound right, taking into account the diagnosis you say you've received. Slipping clutches get worse when warm, not better. That's the only reason to "open up" the case;. dropping the pan to access the valve body is not what I consider opening the transmission.

No idea what the market is where you are, but here in the states, you can get a factory rebuilt transmission for about $2,500. When they're available, that is.

There is no way I'd pay $2k for a used transmission here.

Find a shop that is able to check the transmission for for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and tell you what they found, explain what that means and specifically what they recommend to fix the problem. Any shop that cannot do this isn't competent to fix the problem. FWIW, there may be a problem and no DTCs (for example, worn clutches will prevent proper operation, but will not generate an error condition code - there's no sensor there to "see" the problem). In that case, you need a very good shop to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

 

[Tnvrstar]

Unless there are other, significant, problems with the truck (for instance the interior is a mess, the body looks like it's been through the gates of hell, etc.), I wouldn't sell it, but I think most Land Cruisers are salvageable.

Do you know what type of transmission you have? We need to know this to provide any reasonable assessment of the problem and recommend a solution.

In the states, our 200s have a V8 and six speed transmission, the type is AB60F. Our 100 series have a 5 speed, type A750F, transmission. None of our Land Cruisers ever got a V6 engine (current imposters not included).

Your problem description doesn't sound right, taking into account the diagnosis you say you've received. Slipping clutches get worse when warm, not better. That's the only reason to "open up" the case;. dropping the pan to access the valve body is not what I consider opening the transmission.

No idea what the market is where you are, but here in the states, you can get a factory rebuilt transmission for about $2,500. When they're available, that is.

There is no way I'd pay $2k for a used transmission here.

Find a shop that is able to check the transmission for for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and tell you what they found, explain what that means and specifically what they recommend to fix the problem. Any shop that cannot do this isn't competent to fix the problem. FWIW, there may be a problem and no DTCs (for example, worn clutches will prevent proper operation, but will not generate an error condition code - there's no sensor there to "see" the problem). In that case, you need a very good shop to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

Thanks for answering. I have A750F 5 speed auto Transmission. The overall condition of the car is good.

I can't understand how come the gear shift so smooth once the car is warm yet it is defective. It shifts even better than my newer model camry . But in the morning during cold start it seems like fluid does not flow properly and lacks fluid pressure. The reverse gear takes time to connect and is weak.

I am still daily driving the car. Not taking it offroad anymore (sand dune) as I am scared that it will be stuck there.

I have driven the car for 100,000 km (60k mile) since I bought it used. During this time, I have repainted the full car, put on new tyres, did some interior upgrades, changed radiator and condensor, changed compressor (denso), changed starter motor (OEM), replaced shocks (oem), replaced all lower & upper arms (after market chinese). Replaced the valve cover gasket to stop the oil leak. After all these, it will hurt to get rid of the car.

I guess I should spend some bucks for the transmission fix as well.

 

[Malleus]

The A750F is computer controlled, so if your problem was related to the computer, again I think it would get worse as the heat increased, not better. This points to a mechanical problem, and particularly, one related to fluid flow.

You mentioned that you changed the fluid and the filter. These transmissions don't have a filter, just a screen (called a strainer), which is positioned before the valve body, in terms of the path of fluid flow. I usually recommend someone flush the transmission, using the cooler lines and the transmission pump, but that's hard to do on the A750F, since Toyota removed the dipstick and fill tube. You typically can't get more than a couple of quarts out of the pan, using the drain plug, but if you've drained it twice, you've probably put in enough clean oil to make some sort of difference.

If we rule out the computer, internal clutches and oil as the root cause of the problem, we're left with the fluid flow path. This includes the cooler lines (hard and soft), cooler, torque converter and the valve body. Any of these could be the problem, since warm oil has less viscosity than cold oil, it would flow past or through any obstruction, better when hot than cold.

If I had it with me, I would disconnect the two lines from the transmission and run clean kerosene through them until it flowed clean, using a small fuel rated pump, a bottle of kerosene and a catch basin. Then I'd run clean ATF in the lines until it flowed clean, and reconnect them. This is what a shop should do, to check and clean the cooler circuit, prior to removing the pan and inspecting the valve body. No more than a quart (each) of keosene and oil would be required.

This process is time consuming and a bit labor intensive, but it's is preferable to opening the transmission (which is currently sealed) and exposing it to the environment.

In my opinion, this process is superior to simply connecting the transmission to a cleaning/flushing machine, because those machines simply move contamination through the entire transmission, and in so doing, expose areas and components which have not been damaged to potential damage. After the external fluid circuit has been cleaned, and the circuit has been verified to be free of contaminants and any blockages, then a machine fluid flush would be appropriate, but not before.

If the road test after the cooler circuit flush did not result in solving the problem, the next step is to remove the pan and the valve body, followed by a thorough inspection and cleaning.

I would expect that either, or perhaps both, of these would solve your problem.

Again, I would not sell the truck just because of this problem. If you are not able to perform this work yourself, this should at least help you to speak with a good shop to ensure that the proper procedures are followed to identify the root cause of the problem and solve it.

Good luck.

 

[Tnvrstar]

The A750F is computer controlled, so if your problem was related to the computer, again I think it would get worse as the heat increased, not better. This points to a mechanical problem, and particularly, one related to fluid flow.

You mentioned that you changed the fluid and the filter. These transmissions don't have a filter, just a screen (called a strainer), which is positioned before the valve body, in terms of the path of fluid flow. I usually recommend someone flush the transmission, using the cooler lines and the transmission pump, but that's hard to do on the A750F, since Toyota removed the dipstick and fill tube. You typically can't get more than a couple of quarts out of the pan, using the drain plug, but if you've drained it twice, you've probably put in enough clean oil to make some sort of difference.

If we rule out the computer, internal clutches and oil as the root cause of the problem, we're left with the fluid flow path. This includes the cooler lines (hard and soft), cooler, torque converter and the valve body. Any of these could be the problem, since warm oil has less viscosity than cold oil, it would flow past or through any obstruction, better when hot than cold.

If I had it with me, I would disconnect the two lines from the transmission and run clean kerosene through them until it flowed clean, using a small fuel rated pump, a bottle of kerosene and a catch basin. Then I'd run clean ATF in the lines until it flowed clean, and reconnect them. This is what a shop should do, to check and clean the cooler circuit, prior to removing the pan and inspecting the valve body. No more than a quart (each) of keosene and oil would be required.

This process is time consuming and a bit labor intensive, but it's is preferable to opening the transmission (which is currently sealed) and exposing it to the environment.

In my opinion, this process is superior to simply connecting the transmission to a cleaning/flushing machine, because those machines simply move contamination through the entire transmission, and in so doing, expose areas and components which have not been damaged to potential damage. After the external fluid circuit has been cleaned, and the circuit has been verified to be free of contaminants and any blockages, then a machine fluid flush would be appropriate, but not before.

If the road test after the cooler circuit flush did not result in solving the problem, the next step is to remove the pan and the valve body, followed by a thorough inspection and cleaning.

I would expect that either, or perhaps both, of these would solve your problem.

Again, I would not sell the truck just because of this problem. If you are not able to perform this work yourself, this should at least help you to speak with a good shop to ensure that the proper procedures are followed to identify the root cause of the problem and solve it.

Good luck.

Thanks a lot for detail answer. Unfortunately, I am not able to do the job myself. Unfortunately, here in Qatar it's hard to find good mechanic who can actually do such kind of job.

I actully went to the dealer. The service agent told me that it is likely a solond electric issue and they can do some kind of wiring job and it will be fixed. They inspected and told me all electrical is ok and charged me 700 dollar!! But nothing was fixed. 700 dollar here is a lot of money.

Most mechanic here are from south asia who are underpaid are not good at doing complex task. That's why owning European car is a nightmere here.

I will try my luck to find someone who will actually consider your advise.

 

[Malleus]

You're very welcome. I consider $700 a lot of money anywhere. I'm sorry you didn't get any value for your money. I guess the dealer didn't want to refund your payment, after his "repair" failed to solve the problem?

If you cannot find a shop that can do the work for you, maybe you'll have better luck with a friend who has tools, or even an engineering student or young engineer who would be interested in helping you. You would not need a fully outfitted shop, just a clean, dry place to work (and the dry part is for your comfort, I don't think the truck would care).

As I said, I don't believe this problem has a root cause inside the transmission case. If that is correct, the repair, even if it is the worst case, will not require any special tools, but would require basic hand tools, both mechanical and electrical. However, the cost of those tools, if you do not already own them, or cannot find someone to help you who does own them, will not be much more that $100, at least it would be more than that here.

I, or someone else on this forum, would be happy to help you through the troubleshooting process and hopefully the repair process, to get your truck back to 100%.

 

[asr1]

Replace the gearbox with a decent condition used item