Engine RPM Running High (W/ Other Problems)

Intro
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Hey, I’m new to the site, just wanted to hear your guys thoughts. Thank you for your time and feedback!

To start with, I drive a 2012 SR5 Tundra 2WD 4.6 with the towing package (1 owner, my dad and me), currently ticked 137,000 miles. There is currently still no issues with the cranking and all my gauges from the start of this mess (2019) to this morning have shown me to be within good oil/transmission temp, good oil pressure and normal battery readings this entire time (gone through 6-8 independently done oil changes starting after all this had already commenced, never with any evident leak/pressure issues and always putting water in my batteries).

I will also note that I mention my transmission acting funny quite a bit throughout this, though the only car I’ve really torn down and rebuilt was a 66 mustang, in-line 6 C4 tranny... this is a completely different beast understandably, and the sound and feeling descriptions I use could be perpetuated by something entirely different than my transmission; I’m just feeling it through my center console and seats. I understand it could be some other mechanical/pneumatic/fluid part that’s transferring this kinetic energy, but my descriptors best illustrate the issues in my opinion.

2019 Initial Problems

Starting around halfway into 2019, my truck felt like the transmission was slamming and hesitating into a couple of gears (around the 45mph+ mark), and would start violently shaking until I let my foot off the pedal and (the best way I know to describe the feeling being) the gear finally ‘set’. ​

A few months later, and my truck throws itself into limp mode. Finally took it to Toyota, and their rep said something about a coal filter and I think something about leaking oil. Their mechanic however wrote “codes for secondary air injection pumps stuck off” and I was charged $2137 in parts alone (2 pump assemblies, 2 different kinds of ‘valve set emissi’ (not sure what that is), an inlet air pump and some gaskets). All was fine, minus my ac blower going out whenever it’s hot outside (not always the case, it can work when it’s hot and go out for seemingly no reason, but there’s definitely some correlation lol. And it only started happening after their repair).

2019 Problems Cont.​

Fast track to halfway through 2020, and the transmission shake and slamming is back, took it to Toyo for a transmission inspection (though there was not any transmission lights flashing on the dash, just check engine and TRAC OFF), they told me the inspection charge and came out 3 hours later saying for 8 grand I can get (if memory serves) a refurbed tranny, with ‘reassurance’ that there was no correlation to the parts replaced in 2019. I asked how long it would survive on the current one and got the whole spill and to drive it real easy.

The problem was almost on a ‘cycle’ of intensity, some weeks being pretty violent and shaking every other time I accelerated to highway speeds, and other times having no real noticeable problem other than periodic shifting hesitancy or lag around the 45-55mph mark (accompanied with a varying pop). I should mention that the popping and lagging could, though rarely, start around the 30mph mark (don’t recall it happening any lower) and once past 65-75, it feels like it’s ran out of gears and the RPM starts climbing, not dangerously, but I recall somewhere around 75-90 shifting before this all started (sadly it’s been too long to recall if this is normal or not, please enlighten).

New Problem Arose
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Putting this problem off for almost a year, the popping and weird acceleration lag was ‘diminishing’ but 100% still there (the problem only getting less intense over the months), but it has finally caught up. Starting a couple of weeks ago, my truck made a good pop, but was joined by a great increase of RPM with the engine whining (I can’t hear the whine through the exhaust when I roll down my back window, but can hear it’s correlation to the higher RPM through my firewall. I believe it to not be a separate problem from the RPM spiking, and just a byproduct of the engine running harder, but just adding it as detail nonetheless).

I was going around 45 and the RPM jumped to 3000. When I took my foot off the pedal quickly/entirely, it felt like it immediately lagged, and the RPM fell to 1200 in about half a second. Press the pedal ever so slightly and it’ll jump right back up to 3000 just as quick as it fell and you’ll feel the lag/hesitancy with the engine whining until you let off the pedal again (let your foot off slowly until it’s completely off, and it’ll start ‘winding’ down. When my foot is practically off, the RPM will finally ‘settle’ and not sound/feel like my engine and tranny is running wack).

For the past couple of weeks, the engine will fluctuate in between running 3000 at 45 (only going up and up from there), to 3000 at 55 (again, only going up and up from there, but in this case settling around 2500 RPM at 45, still nowhere correct). I have to drive on our detour roads (speed limit 35 thankfully) because when I have the pedal down at 35 MPH, I’m usually only sitting at 2000 RPM. At 35 MPH, the engine is still whining and I still get have the problems when I completely let off the gas quickly, but it’s is not as much of a burden on my truck (I hope).

Note that my truck has not gone into limp mode (yet) as it accelerates very quickly (faster than normal from what I can tell, but I’m not even going to mess around with it like that lol) when the RPM’s are spinning high.

New Problems Cont.
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starting a couple of days ago (happening again this morning), very oddly and to my surprise, the initial time I start my truck and get to highway speeds (55), it drives beautifully. Maybe a tiny/quick pop, no lag and the engine actually feels like it runs great (sitting about 1200-1500 RPM at 55 MPH). But as soon as I decelerate (hit a red light), the lag and high RPMing issues come back for the rest of the day (even after turning my truck off, waiting a second and turning it back on). The last couple of days (after the initial acceleration), 35 is a little high in the RPM’s and the mentioned issues are a little more prominent.

Maybe in a couple of days it’ll be a different story, like 3000rpm at 25 or hopefully at 55 again, either way it’s time I gather as much knowledge on this because as I can because I do not have the money for a mechanic to just throw a transmission in and then it be something completely different.

Summary
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If I missed (or perhaps incorrectly demonstrated) any details or need to reassure anything please do comment so.

I have an OBD2 already coming (should be here within a couple of days) so I can finally read whatever check engine codes are being thrown and get back to you guys with that.

Thank you so much if you read this and thank you again if you take the time to respond and enlighten!

If I posted this in an incorrect formate, there are others places/websites this is better posted on or there are any issues at all with my post please message and I will do my best to rectify the situation, thank you! I plan on investigating my A/C and an unmentioned broken lock electrical system and will be most definitely posting questions sooner than later. Again, thank you!

 

Welcome, sorry you're having so many issues... if you stop by an Autozone, Oreilly's they can pull codes for you, for free99.... I'm starting to hear the same whine you're talking about, but its rare... I picked up a blue driver OBD2 and have been abke to pull C codes which I just cleared one, was able to turn off my TPMS, but an update killed that option.

I would suggest a drain and fill of the transmission, there are countless threads on how to with occular pleasure and vids.

 

Official welcome

 

#1 - Don't pay for the air injection repairs. Get the bypass kit, it's a few hundred dollars and shuts all that crap off.
#2 - Have you ever done a drain and fill on the transmission? If you have the original fluid in there, you might just need to perform 3-5 fluid drain and fill procedures.
#3 - The AC blower isn't all that expensive and is a 20 minute repair (I did mine a few weeks ago).
#4 - Door lock actuators are known to fail. I thought I had one last week but the lock cable had just popped out on its own.

I am very bothered that whoever you are taking your truck to hasn't suggested servicing your transmission. I would suggest going somewhere else or doing your own work.

 

@blackdemon_tt Thank ya for the welcome and concern friend! I got lucky and Amazon surprised me with my el-cheapo reader early lol, and it luckily read all (f’in 8) codes. Next step is most definitely a fluid change, seeing that they all correspond to a few different solenoids (one being in my TC. I’m gonna post the codes in a different reply if interested).

Thank you again for the welcome!

 

@toyofan87 Thank ya friend! Wasn’t signed up for a while, usually admiring the DIY’ers, but I’m loving the community!

 

@audiowize
1) Im gonna look into that bypass kit, I think I read a thread about that a while back, but didn’t know it pertained to my issue.

2) Im definitely just going to change my tranny fluids as the next step, but what do you mean by 3-5 fluid drain procedures? Should I just google it because I usually see people just say fluid change (the C4 transmission was just drain, change and drive for a little to see if you needed to add more. Just a heads up, I got the OBD reader early and I’m going to be posting all the codes if interested).

3) It’s either the blower motor, a fuse, or worst case scenario, the actuator. Just need to get it fixed before winter rolls around and I’m stuck scraping ice.

4) The lock system is a little fickle lol. If the lock actuator is broken, would only the front passenger door motor engage when I pressed the button on the driver side door (I mean the other 3 door locks are completely dead lol, no response to the ‘rapid-clicking’ method or northing...). The key fob would give me the same result (until it died lol).

They’ve had their ups and downs, but you should be able to trust your car manufacturers local dealer ship... kind of ticked me when he didn’t offer a service and just jumped on the big ticket. I get it, I work service... doesn’t mean I can rip my customers for commission though.

 

There's a drain plug on the transmission and am overflow plug you can open on level ground when the transmission is up to temp. A decent scan tool will tell you when it's hot enough and you can open the overflow. You may also have a thermostat going to your cooler that you'll need to pin open.

Drain what's in the pan out and refill it, then go for a twenty minute drive and repeat. Do this till you get clean fluid coming out.

If you have a bunch of transmission codes and fluid doesn't clear them, post the list of what they are. You could have an electrical problem outside the transmission causing all of this. Imagine spending $8000 on a new trans and it doesn't fix the problem...

On the door locks, I would probably see if replacing the front driver's actuator allows that one to work. You don't hear any ka-chunk in those doors with the unlock button?

Is this truck a salvage truck by chance?

 

Here’s the (8) codes accompanied with its description from https://www.troublecodes.net/pcodes/?amp


anyone know why 6,7 and 8 are identical to 1,2, and 4 (there’s a weird symbol top right of the reader which is the only thing I can tell differentiating them; any thoughts?)

Also... are solenoids a reasonable repair? I figure not, but is it worth a shot if the tranny is already kaput?

Thank you guys again! I really do appreciate the feedback so far!

 

You can pull the pan and remove the valve body, then install a new one. I think a new valve body is about $800. A decent independent transmission shop would do this for you, maybe even if you provide them with the OE Toyota valve body. I don't think I'd do this though. I strongly suspect you either have really nasty fluid in there that can be cleaned out, or you have an electrical problem elsewhere causing all these codes that's not in the transmission. Let us know what the fluid looks like as it's draining out. Also be sure to buy Toyota WS fluid.

 

@audiowize
I’ll be doing that fluid drain here soon (and I’m pretty sure I do have the thermostat, my panel has a tranny temp gauge).

The door locks (minus the front passenger, which works), do not make the ‘ka-chunk’ noise Lol. Still look into the actuator?

I wish I could say it was a salvage at this point... it would be less embarrassing. This thing has had habitual problems since 80,000. Wanted to trade in for a newer model a while back but at this rate, Toyo and me weren’t me to be. I am seriously trying to hold onto this truck though, I love the body and the engine itself has held pretty fantastically imo (I think I currently have a head gasket leak, but no drop in pressure or increase of temp yet, might just be more dealership tactics...).

 

I got the P2714, I changed the fluid as stated and it has not been back since... my vote is cheap first, request a blackstone transmission kit and get yourself 12 quarts of transmission fluid and start the drain and fill process get a sample of the 1st fluid and send it out to them. And start the drain and fill process... An answer from Blackstone can better direct where your investment goes to... if it still does funky stuff then invest in a valve body....

 

I hope the fluid does the job I’ll be doing more research of coarse and will keep on posting here. Thanks for all the help!

 

I hope the fluid drain gets all those valves unstuck lol, cause if not... it’s getting messy... or expensive (it’s gonna be both, I already know it lol).

 

But keep in mind that the truck can think things are stuck when it doesn't have control over them. A single broken wire or a corroded pin on a connector could cause this. If you do end up getting your transmission replaced, I would insist that they put the old one on a pallet in the bed of your truck.

 

Honestly I do think so, my 07 popped that code 10k miles ago, changed the fluid and its good to go, its at 242k now. I'm probing other issues but no other codes referencing transmission have come back.

 

Welcome to the Forum DeckerDie,

From reading your description of all that is wrong, I had a thought. Then seeing your codes it made sense that what I was thinking could possibly be the issue. My thought was a torque converter. As you say the RPM is going up and down (slipping), causing all solenoids to go crazy trying to maintain control but can't, because of the slipping. The drain and fill does sound reasonable, and could fix all problems. Have you stayed up on all drain and fill Maint? Even if you do not do it yourself it is a good idea. Toyota's are great rigs but you do have to do periodic maintenance to keep them alive.

 

Also one thing to keep in mind , check for proper power and grounds to the solenoid , if its a power problem there no point in throwing money at a part thats not broken an still won't work after replacing.

Code readers are great but theres a reason they're called a "diagnostic tool" and not a "this is whats broken tool" always check the work , always finish up the proper way on doing diagnostics. Hope your issue becomes simple and a easy fix.