May I ask a Toyota transmission question please??

May I ask a Toyota transmission question please??

Dear newsgroup, I wonder if I may ask you, who in your opinion is the most knowledgeable person for me to ask about a Toyota transmission, 1991 Camry please? I gotta wee bit of a problem (actually me mum). Any thoughts you may share with me would be very appreciated and thanks in advance!

Most Gratefully, big ed

PS Please don't respond to email above. Its unopenable.

Reply to
slakka
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Ray is the best, but none of us will have any idea whatsoever if you don't ask!!!

Reply to
Hachiroku

Ask the question. You'll get answers.

Reply to
Gary L. Burnore

When you ask your question, please include some background information, like: Mileage on the car and transmission (if the transmission is not original) Transmission service and repair history Transmission type, e.g. automatic or manual If the transmission is acting up, what is happening, what vehicle speeds, what engine RPM, how long the car has been driven when it acts up, what gear (if you know what gear), whether the brakes are applied, whether the "OD off" light on the instrument panel is flashing Condition of transmission fluid, e.g. red and translucent, brown and burnt smelling, black and burnt smelling, last time the transmission fluid was changed and what type of facility did the service Whether anyone who drives the car brakes with their left foot

Reply to
Ray O

Sir thank you for your swift response. i may have to re post next week as im away from the car at the moment and unable to go over particulars u requested. iow car in question is at me mums Please bear? ed

When you ask your question, please include some background information,

like: Mileage > >

Reply to
slakka

You are welcome! Is mum having a problem with the car?

Reply to
Ray O

Ray is our current actual bona-fide Toyota guy. He was a Factory Rep for a few years, and knows a lot about Toys. Not only that, he is a really good guy, as you saw from your rapid response!

In addition to the motor mounts, it could also be one or both axles, which I may be inclined to believe even more than motor/tranny mounts. There are ways to check both. With the engine running, the Parking brake ON and a FIRM foot on the brake, open the hood and have someone shift the car from neutral to drive and then to reverse. Stand aside the car (not in front!) and watch the engine. If it moves more than an inch or so, or jumps, it's a motor mount. If the tranny moves, check the tranny mounts.

Do you hear any kind of rubbing or grinding taking corners? Or a clicking? This would indicate CV joints, about the same as Universal joints on a RWD car. You can lift the car with a jack and grab the wheel and try to turn it with the tranny in park. If you feel a 'notch' or hear a clunk, chances are it's the CV joint.

My Supra does this same thing, esp when cold, but I KNOW the universals are shot from having an AT that doesn't shift by itself. I learned how to shift it nice and smooth, the girl before me didn't! :(

Reply to
Hachiroku

No expert here, but something you might check. '91 Camrys had various automatics depending on if they were 4 cyl or V6, and depending on the trim level, for example, then top of the line LE had electronically controlled.

There is a throttle pressure cable that goes from the throttle body down to the trans. If this is adjusted improperly, or if the throttle is not closing all the way, it can cause very harsh engagement. To check the adjustment, open the throttle all the way and look for a round bead on the transmission cable where it disappears into a rubber sheath near the throttle body end. The ball should be half in and half out of the rubber sleeve at wide open throttle, if it is, do not adjust it. Check for why the throttle may not be closing all the way, for example, gummy build up on it's back side.

Lee Richardson Mech-Tech

Reply to
Lee Richardson

If there is no other work done recently or damage you know of to the engine mounts, then check the fluid level and the condition of the auto trans fluid first. This is the first step when you encounter problems with the tranny.

slakka wrote:

Reply to
johngdole

Should I drain the tyranny fluid and if so, exactly where is the drain bolt on this model? 91 Camry/4 cylinder/auto trans with overdrive. ed

Reply to
slakka

If the automatic transmission fluid is not red and translucent or you do not know the last time it has been changed, then you should change the ATF. The drain bolt is in the bottom of the transmission fluid pan.

Reply to
Ray O

The first year of the Lexus ES300 was notorious for their rotten tranny. It had a little plastic ball in it that would wear out and the tranny would start shifting funny and/or making a klunk sound. All you needed to do was take it Hans und Franz at the tranny shop and let them do their mystical $2000 job on it or to the stealership and let them do their $4000 magic to it, and it was good as new. Could be the same problem? The ball was in something where it went up and down with pressure as you shifted from reverse into drive or other such gears. At least they explained it to me that way. It screwed up at about 86,000 miles on the wife's kudzu burner.

Reply to
mcbrue

ATF=Auto Transmission Fluid right?

Also is there a brand or viscosity preference?

She's got over 140 thousand miles.

ed

Reply to
slakka

Sorry, yes, ATF = automatic transmissionn fluid.

I do not have a particular brand preference, other than sticking to a name brand.

ATF is not packaged and classified by viscosity. ATF has a specific type, for example, your transmission probabaly uses Dexron III - check the dipstick for the correct ATF type.

If the ATF is original, I would not have the transmission fluid flushed. I would just drain and refill the ATF.

Reply to
Ray O

Hi Ray,

I've heard other people offer up this same advice regarding automatic transmissions with over 100,000 miles on them that contain the original ATF. However, it's been a while since I was given the mechanical reasoning/logic behind this advice. Can you provide myself and the rest of the group with the reasoning behind this suggestion? I do remember something to the effect that a flush at this point could cause internal component damage to some of the transmission's moving components. But again, I just can't remember exactly why.

Thanks in advance!

Ron M.

Reply to
Ron M.

An automatic transmission has internal clutches and bands that are immersed in the automatic transmission fluid (ATF). As the friction material on the clutches wear, it is carried by the ATF and tends to settle in tight passages and at the bottom of the transmission fluid pan as a sludge-like goo. A power flush could dislodge the goo from where it has settled and get it stuck in a tight orifice and cause shifting problems. If the transmission has been flushed routinely, then the goo doesn't have a chance to accumulate, but if there is a chance that there is a goo accumulation, a simple drain and refill is a safer course of action.

If you look at the owner's manual, the automaker doesn't even list a transmission flush in the recommended maintenance interval, just a drain and refill.

Reply to
Ray O

Oh and Ray,

The > >> If the ATF is original, I would not have the transmission fluid flushed.

Reply to
slakka

Check the wires snaking from the door frame thorugh the door for damage, check the dome fuse, make sure the switch the rubber boot at the lower corner for the door frame pops out when the door is opened. If the switch is stuck, carefully peel back the rubber boot and spray with WD-40.

A happy holiday to you too!

Reply to
Ray O

Thanks for the detailed explanation Ray O. After I read your response, it came back to me what the other guy had stated during a conversation that I had with him a while back. It makes sense. I think the best bet for owners of vehicles with automatic transmissions is to change the ATF every 30,000 miles max.

Reply to
Ron M.

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