Hesitation or slipping from a stop or below 10 mph

This just started last night. I did a quick search, but I'll do some more searching later

it's not the engine - RPMs jump up to 1800 or more depending on how much gas you give it for a normal acceleration, but it sounds like something is possibly slipping - I can definitely hear a noise. Once it gets to between 8 to 15 mph it seems to catch and accelerate normally

you can also feel it when it grabs

seems to be very consistent. Whether it's cold or normal operating temperature

 

Have you checked your transmission fluid level?

 

2006 V8 do not have a dipstick, correct?

 

Correct. Have to get under the truck and pull the level check plug when the trans temperature is somewhere around 110-115°. Should have a slight steady dribble if it’s got enough fluid in it.

 

Check for strawberry milkshake in the coolant. When that loop of trans fluid in the radiator blows, coolant and trans fluid mix in both systems. Slipping gears is often the first sign. Don't drive it!

 

is that also true when you have the towing package with the transmission cooler?

 

There does not appear to be any transmission fluid in with the coolant. I'm not sure if that is an issue if you have the towing package with the transmission fluid cooler. As best I can tell the transmission fluid lines only go through the transmission cooler and not through the radiator but I'm not 100% However, as I found out recently, with the last radiator flush they put in the wrong (green) coolant. It's still pure green, so I don't believe there is any transmission fluid in there

Check engine light just came on. I believe that is normal when there is some slippage I've not had a chance to get up under the truck and check the transmission fluid level

i've misplaced my ODB reader to check the code.

 

Does it do it with the overdrive on and off too?

 

I don't know why I get so angry about the fact that there is no dipstick. I don't know, I'm ranting.

 

You're a dude. You were born with a dipstick. Of course you're going to get angry about the thought of not having a dipstick.

 

Solid logic for sure. When I reach for my dipstick, I expect it to be there

 

Naughty naughty Mr Badwrench, we don't want to know what you're doing to your transmission.

Suddenly "Badwrench" has a whole new meaning I cannot unsee.

 

I did not get a chance to try this last night. And I didn't consider trying it before since it only seemed to slip from a dead stop or low speed (<10-15mph)

 

I'm going to go by the shop first thing this morning that did the transmission fluid service this past year. Now that I'm semi educated just enough to be dangerous so I can find out exactly what they did before. I recall we talked about it being a closed system with no dipstick. I'm just not sure how many times they did the drain and fill. I'm fairly certain they did it until the fluid looked acceptable

Since I can't put my hands on my ODB reader, I'll probably just let them check it out if they can do it while I'm there to observe.

otherwise, I'll get fluid and whatever else I need to check the level and possibly do a drain and fill. Either find my ODB or get an infrared gun to measure the temperature

not sure why the level would be low. There does not appear to be any leak. Absolutely no drips/leakage where I park each day and there appears to be no fluid in my radiator

 

Another possibility, given that there was recent service, is that they used "universal fluid" rather than WS as specified. This would not be a good thing, so be sure to ask about it.

 

I don't think you can tell by looking at the coolant. You'd need to check the transmission fluid. I don't think the trans cooler prevents pink milkshake. If you crawl under the truck you'll see small lines going into the radiator where trans fluid gets pumped in. That internal seal can fail and cause coolant to mix and then get pumped back to the transmission via the return line. If your coolant isn't low that might be a good sign though.

That's a problem. Especially if they didn't get out all the old coolant. Mixing colors of coolant is a big no-no.

You need to find another shop or start doing this type of work yourself.

 

where is the seal inside the radiator located? Is that part of the radiator itself? EDIT: after rereading it sounds like the seals are inside the radiator which was replaced probably 60,000 miles ago. I have a new one to install when I do the timing belt in the coming month or two

yeah I was pretty disappointed to see that green coolant. The sad part is that was done by a Japanese Auto specialist, and the owner was very familiar with Toyotas having owned them most of his life he was always real good about knowing the common problems with Toyotas and saved me a good bit of money on one of the more expensive repairs. That shop is no longer convenient for me since I don't work in that area, but he had also gotten difficult work with often preferring to let problems go for a while until they were easier to diagnose I finally had enough


The folks that did the transmission service are pretty good, but do not specialize in Toyotas and they are the ones that used the wrong differential fluid. In their defense it turned out it was the auto parts store that gave them the wrong fluid. They gave them the VIN so they could look up the correct fluid. But as I found later that Toyota database does not include all of the information such as mine having LSD. a Toyota specialist would've known this without having to look it up

I am starting to do more and more of the maintenance myself after all of these half assed repair and maintenance jobs

 

I wondered about wrong fluid also, but the symptom is typical of low fluid.

That said, I’d almost be tempted to find a BG preferred shop and have them do a full drain and fill with BG’s transmission treatment. It’s higher grade than the WS fluids, and BG guarantees your transmission in the event anything happens to it with X months of treatment.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I was unfamiliar with BG preferred shops. Just happened to be one just a few miles from my house and I'm sitting here now waiting on them to open. it is also a platinum shop, which I believe means it does more of the services and meets the appropriate rating.

that gives me much more confidence. I'll probably make them my go to shop when I do have to use one in the future

i've had enough of the good ol boys, and half assed work. I plan to do as much as I can myself but I want someone that knows what they're doing when I do have to do something important and specialty work, such as transmission, power steering, etc.

 

Thanks. Some great info there and much appreciated

 

Thanks for bringing that up. Hopefully not the issue since it's been a year since the transmission fluid was changed but you never know. And I can certainly raise that as a possibility with the shop this morning

 

Wow. @shifty` @FirstGenVol The BG shop simply said it needs a new transmission. No explanation


Thats all the tech wrote on the ticket. I am having to request detail on what all he checked and tested

edit: spoke to tech. Don't really have a lot of confidence in what he said

I believe his exact words were "when those get stuck off, there's no point in even bothering with it you just need a new transmission". I believe he added that no there's no point in checking the fluid levels when it is stuck off

actual write up: code P0751 shift solenoid A stuck off. Between shifting issues on test drive and code it needs a new transmission

 

He’s either:
A - lazy and wants to sell a transmission
B - this is a pattern of failure he’s dealt with numerous times and is spitting wisdom

 

I immediately felt with his nonchalant attitude that it was A. However, he did say when that happens, you always need a new transmission. I guess that could possibly be B. But the fact he never checked the level and said that never fixes it really made me question it

he may have great experience I don't know. But he looked to be at best in his late 20s or early 30s.

I'm definitely not buying new transmission based on this one report

 

He maybe referring to the valves inside your transmission. If those are stuck. You're gonna have to pay to get your entire transmission taken apart and rebuilt. Hence, you might as well just buy a new transmission.

 

That's essentially what he said. However, he specifically said the shift solenoid A was stuck off.

 

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought the solenoids can be replaced by dropping the pan? Did he even check the fluid level?

 

That's what I just read firstgen. About 250 for the part and two hours labor

and no he did not check the fluid level. when I asked him about the fluid, he said that Wouldn't cause the solenoid to get stuck

 

I’ve had a lot of solenoid issues with the transmission in my truck. I realize that they are different transmissions, but every time the issues have been resolved with a new solenoid or a new wiring harness.

I am not as familiar with the A750 (that’s what the 05/06s have, right?) like I’m familiar with the A340, but I would make absolutely certain that your issue isn’t a solenoid issue that could be fixed.

Because code P0750 is “shift solenoid A malfunction” we know that the wiring that goes to the transmission and to the solenoid is good. If not, you’d get a code like “shift solenoid A circuit open” or “shift solenoid A circuit malfunction”.

A brief google shows that shift solenoid A is the “three way solenoid”. I’m not totally sure what it specifically controls, but it’s good news that it isn’t the solenoid that controls converter lockup or the solenoid that controls line pressure. That means that it’s likely a shifting issue, not an issue that’s due to low line pressure.

Now, I am not a trans technician. I’m not a technician at all- but I’ve been around lots of trans techs and I have somewhat of an idea what’s going on inside a transmission. I think that a tech should be able to manually trigger the solenoids, whether that’s with a computer or with jumper wires. Worst case scenario for diagnosing a solenoid is dropping the pan and removing the solenoid to bench test it. I don’t think the valve body needs to be removed to remove that solenoid.

As Shifty says- take everything I just said with a huge grain of salt. But the one thing I am certain about- you need a second opinion.