Auto Transmission Stuck in 4th Gear

2016 OR DC gets stuck in 4th gear under load especially on an incline.

1/29/16 @2k miles Dealer serviced for low fluid in the transmission and added 1.5 qts.
After fluid was added the truck noticeably shifted nicer however it still would get stuck in 4th gear on an incline.

2/10/16 @3k miles Dealer serviced for "getting stuck in 4th" and opened a case with Toyota. Toyota tech support recommended re-flashing the ECU and performing a hard reset on the truck. Tech at the dealer believes the truck needs a software update for the transmission. They advised me to drive it and see if it made a difference. No difference was made except now it seems the transmission is "relearning"

Is anyone else having this problem? Truck only gets stuck in 4th on an incline, Warm or Cold it doesn't matter it happens. I was even able to catch it on video.

Hoping the truck just needs a software update and that it was not damaged from driving 2k miles on 1.5 qt low of tranny fluid....


Here's the video, Notice when I remove my foot from the gas pedal the truck stays pinged above 2k RPM's...

 

maybe a dumb question, but how do you definitively know what gear you are in? (I assume you have an auto tran)

 

When I accelerated from a stop assuming I was in first I felt the truck shift to 2nd then 3rd then 4th.

You're correct though I am assuming I am in 4th.

 

My 2gen does this type of thing sometimes. There's a certain section of road on my daily commute that I can make it happen every time.

It seems to happen the most for me when it downshifts up an incline and I never let off the gas even once the road transitions to a decline. I can also get it to not want to shift in another situation. if I tap the brake going downhill, it will downshift for engine braking. But once I get back on the gas, it refuses to upshift. It's always done it, so I never questioned it. This is also the first Auto I've driven in about 15 years.

Try bumping the shifter from 'D' to '4' and then back to 'D' again. That should make it upshift. I'm not sure the "problem". It seems Toyota transmissions just have weird shifting logic.

 

Hmmm... You could be correct... It wouldn't bother me at all if I didn't know the truck was 1.5qts low on tranny fluid.. Maybe it's all mental to me. But like you said this certain section of road I can make the truck do it EVERY time. Just seems odd it wont shift letting off the gas and even touching the brake pedal...

 

OP mine does the SAME thing. There are other threads on this, but here's the kicker ....

TAKE IT OFF CRUISE!

Yup, I was getting average 15 mpg.
I have a TRD OR AUTO

Someone told me DON'T use the cruise.

The Taco needs a software ECU or PCM update.
I very rarely use the cruise now ... unless completely flat and NO WIND.

I paid $45K for mine with all warranties.

You would think the cruise would work better.

The cruise keeps the speed constant, but the 3.5 engine doesn't have enough power to maintain that speed in high gear so it downshifts and won't shift up until you go down a hill.

Posted speeds on our interstates are 75, 80 & 85 mph.

You can see mine stuck in 4th gear too.

 

But I'm not on cruise control... That's the problem. The two green lights you see in the video are the headlights and fog light emblems.

 

If you are going 40mph on a dead flat road with no wind, it stays in 4th gear?

 

No, It only has an extended shift with a steady foot on the pedal under a load. Going up hill usually will cause this problem. Down hill or a flat road It will not occur.

 

If you watch the video posted above you'll see the truck stays in 4th even when the road levels out. It does not up shift until the road begins to decline.

 

Sounds like a TCC solenoid problem.

 

Thats what @gearcruncher Suggested in another thread I believe... Wouldn't this signal an error code? Dealer stated no codes were listed.

 

You didn't answer my question. Anyway, at the end of the video at 53mph it looks like it goes into 6th gear. So, the title of your thread is misleading. Your truck is not stuck in 4th gear. Your truck, for you, is reluctant to stay/shift into a higher gear.

 

The rubber o ring around the solenoid sticks in the bore and won't allow it to move (until it does) A person "could" remove the solenoid and lube it with some trans fluid to free it up but ya that should not be something you have to do.

 

I agree, I'll suggest this to the dealer when I return to have the hood fixed... Thanks for the heads up.

 

As mentioned earlier.... I was assuming I was stuck in 4th. Its an assumption. If it were a manual transmission I could provide you with an accurate title and accurate gear selection...

 

But your truck clearly goes into 5th or 6th gear (seems like 6 to me)at the end of the video so it isn't stuck in any gear.

 

It's clearly not supposed to hold whatever gear it is in at 3k RPM's... Even when the road flattens out I tap the gas and it still does not shift. The truck does not shift until the road begins to decline.

 

Provided your truck is totally stock, I agree. It's still not stuck in a gear. I would give some time after the reset the dealer did and hopefully it gets better.

 

think the green thingy left of the word SET is cruise control?