Lost 5th Gear

I've a 2005 Taco TRD 4WD Sport with around 130k miles on it. Today, while driving home, I lost 5th gear (D). It's an auto trans. I drove home in 4th gear the rest of the way home (all secondary roads - less than 40 mph). Every time I put it in D, the engine just roared and there was nothing there. I shifted into 4th and the transmission engaged. I've never had a minute's problem with this awesome truck. Any ideas?

 

God I hope this never happens to me. Hope you get it figured out, OP.

 

i would take it to the dealer or auto shop

 

Dealer will charge close to $1000 just to open up the damn thing. They needed $800 to open my brother's bell housing on his Scion.

AAMCO might be able to give you a better price on service.

 

That's alright, you have 4 more


Seriously though, sounds like you have a major transmission failure. Have a transmission shop take a look at it but brace yourself for a significant repair bill.

 

Doesn't sound like it to me.

You're not starting out in 4th by putting it to 4th so if 1 through 4 work in 4th and 1-5 don't work in D I think you've got a different problem.

 

It's actually going into the local shop tomorrow AM. Good guys, a mile from my house. He said, "it could be good, it could real bad." Like I said, in 7.5 years that truck has only been in the shop once: for an air bag sensor. Never had a mechanical issue.

 

damn!

take it to an alternative mechanic then and see what they have to say.

 

Never heard of that happening to anyone... I would take it to someone since auto trannies are so complex. Wonder if it's just a bad solenoid and the tranny is shifting out of 4th but not getting into 5th so basically giving you neutral (I don't know much about how autos shift so I may be off there...)

 

Hope it is good man

 

I think you're on the right track there with solenoid/valve body.

 

When was the last time you did a transmission fluid replacement? The fluid could be low or degraded. May want to get a fluid replacement done (but not a power flush) and see if it fixes the problem. Less than $100 at the dealer, or DIY following this guide: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/63851-how-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.html

 

If you do end up needing a transmission I might be able to help. Send me a PM if you want to.

 

Thanks, man. You live right next door to me. I'll post back when I hear back from the shop. I'll shoot you a PM.

 

Hope u find it good luck.

 

Not sure if this will help, but it's interesting and has been posted on here somewhere. http://www.gearsmagazine.com/magazine/view/7628e9ba-6ef1-44c5-8094-bbd9d68a5e7e#page6

I hope your transmission fluid is at the correct level. Generally if the trans is reaching for another gear and then revs up, there is internal slippage occuring. Low trans fluid can cause pressure loss and slippage, but so can worn out clutches. If a solenoid or wire harness is at fault, generally speaking, it may not even try to upshift, and you may get trouble codes to help lead you in the right direction. These pointers are not always the case. That being said, I wish you good luck on this one. Fingers crossed.

 

Last time this happened to me it was the tranny, got a rebult. You guessed it, it was a Dodge. I was towing my boat up a pretty good hill when it failed. Engine temp went really high and I had to stop for a while and let it cool down before I did anything else. Hopefully it's not the tranny.

 

Sounds like a Tranny issue. I had my tranny go out almost 2 years ago at 98k. It wouldn't go into 4th or 5th gear.

 

sounds like low fluid

 

That's why I prefer standard. the tranny in an auto is great, dont get me wrong but you wouldnt have that prbm with a 6 speed. I hope you get it fixed bro!