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92 4runner shifts very hard

Ok, I'm reeeeally hoping I can get some good feedback on a problem I'm having w/ my 92 4runner. The problem is that it shifts extremely hard between gears, as if there was nothing to smooth the transition between gears. It's an automatic. It's not that it shifts at a high RPM, causing the shift to be hard. It shifts hard no matter what RPM it shifts at. It used to only do this about 10% of the time. Now it's doing this about 90% of the time. If it's not shifting hard, I cannot figure out how to make it shift hard. It has nothing to do with the EFT Power button, the OD button, or temperature of the engine or the air. It seemed pretty random when it did this only 10% of the time.

I've changed the transmission fluid and filter screen - no improvement. I'm thinking it could be the torque converter, but I don't know much about those.

I also notice that when it's cold, it tends to wait until a high RPM before shifting into second gear. This has gotten progressively worse as the shifting hard has gotten worse...maybe related?

Any advice would be appreciated. I just hate to dump money into it until I have a good idea of where the problem likely is.

Thanks, V

Reply to
habersetzer
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Harsh shifts are generally associated with a bad accumulator. They are usually not to difficult to change in a RWD or 4WD vehicle.

What is cold? Is it the ambient air temperature or the coolant temperature? The transmission is designed to delay shifts when the coolant temperature is cold and will not shift into OD until the coolant is warmed up.

Does the temp gauge operate normally and does the engine warm up within a reasonable amount of time? If the temp gauge doesn't work properly, check the connection at the temperature sender near the thermostat. If the engine takes a long time to warm up, check the thermostat.

Good luck!

Reply to
Ray O

Bad accumulator, eh? I haven't heard of that part before...hope it's in my hanes manual. Thanks for the info! Regarding the cold temperature, I'm referring to the engine / transmission temperature. It can be 80 degrees outside, but when I first start the engine and leave the driveway, it revs very high before finally shifting into second (and it's a very hard shift at that). Feels like I have a shift kit installed.

The temp guage works great, and the engine warms up normally.

Thanks, H

Reply to
habersetzer

An accumulator is basically a shock absorber for the transmission.

If you are familiar with driving a manual transmission, you know that shifts are smoother if you gradually engage the clutch and jerkier if you engage the clutch very quickly. Contrary to what many people believe, the clutch will last longer if you quickly engage the clutch instead of gradually engage it. The same is true of automatic transmission accumulators. Getting some shift shock from an automatic transmission is not harmful to the transmission.

The high revving you're getting when you first start the engine and leave the driveway sounds like a condition known as delayed engagement. This condition will tend to become more pronounced as the transmission ages, especially in cooler weather. There are a few causes to this condition, like wear in the transmission pump and wear or damage to a piston seal. This condition does not necessarily need immediate attention, but you can prolong the transmission's life if you engage reverse or drive and let the truck creep for about 15 or 30 seconds before revving the engine.

I suspect that these 2 conditions appear in vehicles under 200,000 miles if the driver shifts from drive to reverse and vice versa before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, like when backing out of a driveway or parking spot. A friend of mine will back out of his driveway, apply the brakes, and then shift into drive when the car is almost but not quite stopped, and he has had transmission problems on just about every vehicle he has owned with an automatic transmission including a Dodge Colt, Cressida, Camry, and Windstars.

Reply to
Ray O

Makes sense. Thanks a lot for the explanation. I'll try driving slowly for about 30 seconds to see if it finally shifts into second w/o revving it. I've only owned this vehicle for the past 4000 miles (it currently has 96k miles on it), so I can't vouch for the past drivers' habits. I've found a transmission place that will connect a "scanner" to it for free to see if it's an electrical problem. Not sure if it is, but free to find out.

-H

Reply to
habersetzer

If the "OD Off" light is flashing, then it is worth scanning the codes from the transmission electronic control unit (ECU). If the OD Off light is not flashing, then no codes will be stored so it's not worth scanning for them.

Reply to
Ray O

Ok, I'm not getting any lights on the dash. Only the feeling of getting rear ended when it shifts from gear to gear. Will the OD Off light flash even if it's not an OD-related thing?

Thanks!

H
Reply to
habersetzer

A flashing OD Off light is the electronically controlled transmission's version of the check engine light. On a newer vehicle with OBD II diagnostics, the check engine light takes care of transmission malfunctions as well.

If the OD Off light is illuminated and not flashing, then OD gear is locked out and the transmission is in effect a 3-speed transmission instead of a

4-speed.
Reply to
Ray O

Ok, thanks for the info! I'll let the mechanic see what he can find, and then decide if I can afford the repair cost. I noticed today that the hard shifting seems to go away when the engine is warmed up. Not sure if that's a consistent behavior, so I'll pay attention over the next few days to see if that's the pattern. If it's related to engine temp, would that give any clues as to the problem?

Thanks, H.

Reply to
habersetzer

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