Stutter at Constant Steady Speed (1 Viewer)

[powderpig]

In defroster mode, the a/c compressor is cycleing on and off. Maybe the compressor is dragging the engine a bit when you are at the speed you are. Thus the engine is trying to catch up to the sudden load of the compressor. This would also happen when you have he A/C on as well.

 

[MelFeliFJ]

Yes, that is pretty much what the dealership is saying. It seems to be doing it more when the defroster is on.

Do you guys know if it is true that when there are problems with the tranny/engine will that trigger the check engine light? This is what the dealership is saying.

 

[DEWFPO]

Do you guys know if it is true that when there are problems with the tranny/engine will that trigger the check engine light? This is what the dealership is saying.

Sometimes, not always. It depends on the problem. Example : A fellow FJ'er had a bad torque converter and the problem was physically noticeable but no codes were set either with the ECM or TCM.

DEWFPO

 

[Bluester]

What about fuel filter or vapor lock?

 

[larsdennert]

Dirty MAF? That affects 3rd Gens quite a bit.

 

[MelFeliFJ]

Stutter

They didn't even look at the MAF. I don't know much about cars so I'm not exactly sure what I should have them look at. I would think they would automatically know what to look for. I guess it is documented and hope that if something turns out breaking they will take the responsibility of fixing it.

 

[larsdennert]

Mass Air Flow Sensor. It can be cleaned with electronics cleaner or replaced at a cost. When dust (from wheeling) gets in the sensor it doesn't read correctly and throws off the air fuel mixture.

In short, a wire gets heated to a specific temperature and the air moving through the sensor cools it. The more and cooler air that is flowing, the more power it takes to maintain the temp. The computer calculates from this how much fuel must be added to get the correct mixture. Dust on the sensor confuses the computer into thinking there is less air so it adds less fuel. You then get a lean condition that causes the motor to stumble at constant closed-loop throttle positions.

 

[OlyWaFJ]

Water in your transmission.

EXACTLY what mine was doing... I was able to work it through insurance and only cost me my deductible, it is a non-warranty issue. If insurance doesn't cover it then get your check book out to the tune of about $3k-6k depending on if you go used, rebuilt or new.

My dealership missed it the first time around too...

Good luck, hope I'm wrong!

 

[MelFeliFJ]

Definately should not be any water in the tranny. I rarely go through water.

 

[rusty1]

Hi all
I too have the same problem with my fj. Its new only 250 miles on it and it shifts especially if I go around 28 or 29 mph. I did not take it to the dealer yet but will in the near future. would like to know if anyone ever got the problem fixed.
Thanks Rusty1

 

[Dmitry]

im having this issue. i think it is my torque converter going bad. i have 65k on my truck

the symptoms are when i am in D and accelerating slightly right around the 1k-2k mark before the transmission shifts up the truck starts shuddering.. sometimes its minimal but sometimes its like an earthquake. if i give it more gas it stops if i let off it stops and if i move the shifter over to 4 it stops. My only guess is its the torque converter. I believe the tranny breather is located in the engine compartment so i dont think i got any water in there. I also think that if the transmission was messed up my shifts would be weird and it wouldn't matter if i am manually shifting or not. This does not happen if i am manually shifting from L all the way to 4. The only time it does it is in D. The fj has a special torque converter that allows the clutch to not be fully engaged to save fuel. I am guessing this is my issue. Dragon on the FJ cruiserforums had this issue almost to a T and he had his torque converter replaced which fixed the problem.

 

[MelFeliFJ]

Hesitation at constant speed

I still get the hesitation at constant speed every once in awhile. It seems to happen at highway speeds for me. I have taken it to the dealership but they could not replicate it and suspects it is the AC compressor kicking in. For those that have the same symptoms as I do, let me know if you have solved the problem.

 

[Niner]

Mine has done somthing like that around 35-40 MPH. I believe it is a thing were the perfect throttle position causes a trans upshift, Torque converter lockup then unlock causing a weird shift. Mines done it since new and I just expect it once in a while.

 

[MelFeliFJ]

Mine has done somthing like that around 35-40 MPH. I believe it is a thing were the perfect throttle position causes a trans upshift, Torque converter lockup then unlock causing a weird shift. Mines done it since new and I just expect it once in a while.

Mine usually does it at Hwy speeds like 50-58 mph. Do you think the Torque converter locks up/unlocks at this speed also?

 

[Niner]

Definately at that speed it does a slight incline in the road can make the Torque unlock

 

[MelFeliFJ]

I still have the slight hesitation/hiccup. I especially notice it going uphill at around a constant speed of 55mph. Its a little annoying. I just hope it is normal.

 

[MelFeliFJ]

Has anybody solved this issue yet?

 

[SkyKing]

If you could get the dealer to see the problem, you could try for a free transmission flush, just to be sure. I changed out my transfer and rear diff oils at 5,000 and both were black/brown. Can't wait to see what the transmission looks like at 50,000.
The FJ does have one of the most used Toyota transmissions out. It has gone through a few upgrades in the past years, and does look to be very well made. I see a lot of people killing FJ's, but have yet to see a transmission blow on a "young" truck... So my guess is your fine.
Defrost will make the motor change RPM when it kicks in, but I am sure you know that...
My FJ tranny took me a long time to get used to. It ain't no Blazer...
Try to find a user near you and try his/hers.

You near Wisconsin?

 

[MelFeliFJ]

I'm actually from Oregon. It usually happens when the defroster is on. I actually have a 30,000 mile tuneup soon. And I believe they flush the transmission. Hopefullly it will correct it. Thanks.

If you could get the dealer to see the problem, you could try for a free transmission flush, just to be sure. I changed out my transfer and rear diff oils at 5,000 and both were black/brown. Can't wait to see what the transmission looks like at 50,000.
The FJ does have one of the most used Toyota transmissions out. It has gone through a few upgrades in the past years, and does look to be very well made. I see a lot of people killing FJ's, but have yet to see a transmission blow on a "young" truck... So my guess is your fine.
Defrost will make the motor change RPM when it kicks in, but I am sure you know that...
My FJ tranny took me a long time to get used to. It ain't no Blazer...
Try to find a user near you and try his/hers.

You near Wisconsin?

 

[DEWFPO]

I'm actually from Oregon. It usually happens when the defroster is on. I actually have a 30,000 mile tuneup soon. And I believe they flush the transmission. Hopefullly it will correct it. Thanks.

A trans flush is not part of the normal Toyota recommended 30K maintenance procedure for the FJ. It has synthetic fluid and Toyota recommends changing it every 100K. That being said, many are changing sooner if they wheel allot or tow just to be safe.

DEWFPO