06 Tacoma with auto transmission won't shift

Hi guys, I bought a new 4Runner and my truck sat for a month or so without running. I started it up and took it around the block and the transmission was very difficult to shift out of park. I figured it was low on fluid, it just sat for another month until I had time to do a drain/refill, but I just drained it and it had just over 3 quarts. I refilled it with fresh fluid and it still will not shift out of park. Please help! I did a drain and refill at 60k miles and I'm at 95k right now.

 

X2

Another thing to try is the brake overide button next to the shifter. Open the little flap cover and stick in something like a flat blade screwdriver. See if the shifter moves out of park freely.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...-even-override-park-lock-solenoid-failed.html



http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/86096-p0705-park-neutral-switch.html

STICKY SHIFTER / SHIFTER IS HARD TO MOVE
Most of us would disconnect the shifter cable from the transmission lever and then verify the cable is free by hopping in the truck and moving the shifter from park to low . We should feel nothing because the shifter cable is no longer connected to the transmission . If the shifter is still tight to move , we know that the issue resides in the cable or the plastic shifter cover . A quick lube job is going to fix that up .

Next , with the shifter cable removed from the transmission lever , try and manually move that transmission lever by hand . You should feel click , click , click and it should be fairly easy to move with your hands . If you cant move it by hand , remove the PRNDL switch shown on page 16 at this link , it shows the switch in question . Spray the heck out of it . Some guys actually have to replace the PRNDL switch becuase of corrosion .The PRNDL switch gets very tight when it corrodes http://www.toyotatundraforum.com/pdf/A750E.pdf

When the switch is removed , you can spray the seal on the transmission that sits behind the switch to see if there are additional problems with the lever shaft since the lever shaft is also known to corrode .
, then take a small screwdriver and pry the lever seal away from the shifter selector shaft enough to blast some lubricant between the seal until you get the lever to move by hand .Might have to work it back and forth a little but its going to free up . You should have the wheels blocked when you do this .Both of these issues are very common

Next , place the transmission gear shifter in park and " REMOVE THE KEY "
Throw the key on the drivers seat until your done .
Go to rear of truck and manually push it by hand to verify the truck is actually in park . Go back under the truck and check to see if the shifter cable lines up perfectly with the hole in the transmission lever . If it doesnt line up , adjust the shifter cable until it fits perfectly into the transmission lever . The adjustment is under the shift counsole .
Once the cable is aligned with the transmission shift lever , verify the truck will only start in park and nuetral .

P0705
This covers any normal shifter cable and alignment issues and all diagnostics start on page 53 of this pdf http://fjcruiser-club.com/docs/RM/A7...0Transaxle.pdf
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Now you know the shifter is free with the truck in the off position .
Now , start the truck and verify you can smoothly shift through all the gears . Has the shifter freed up or is it still really tight ?

If its still tight with the engine running , remove all ground straps and clean them spotless . Add additional ground straps if you please .
I have seen vehicles catch on fire for this very reason .
When the ground wires on circuits get old and corroded , they no longer function properly and loose contact with ground . Guess what your shifter cable just became ? The ground wire from your transmission to the vehicle body .
I have replaced many melted shifter cables . The shifter cable becomes the vehicles ground and the plastic outer shield will actually melt to the inner cable . This is more noticeable on todays vehichles with all the fancy control motors and electronics as they draw much more amperage in comparison to older cars and trucks . With the non metal box on our trucks all we have is the frame and truck cab to rely on for our grounding needs .
A little sand paper used to clean those ground straps usually fixes the problem but you can always add a couple more straps to be safe . Some guys are too late and the cable is fried . Some guys replace the cable without replacing or cleaning the grounds only to have the same issue again .
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Thanks guys. I already tried the brake override button and it has no effect. I will disconnect the linkage and go from there, thank you gearcruncher. I won't be able to work on it until the weekend. I really hope it's just the cable. I'm a little relieved that it, hopefully, isn't the transmission.

 

My first guess would be the Prndl switch as they are well known to seize up .Might want to spray it now before you work on it this weekend

 

Could also be a faulty brake light switch. Press the brake and if the lights don't come on, that is your problem. There is a safety interlock between the shifter and the brake light switch so you don't shift out of park without your foot on the brake.

If the brake lights come on, then go to the linkage. The switch is an easy replacement if it is the problem.

 

Thanks again gearcruncher. You just mean to spray it down from the outside of the tranny to make it easier to remove, right? I'm not looking forward to doing this without being able to see some step by step directions! I've done a lot of work on my cars but have never touched a transmission other than to change fluids.

 

Yes ,give the switch a quick lube from the outside just in case .
You still have to diagnose the problem mind you. Could be a brake switch issue as mentioned above , could be the park lock shifter soleniod as well .

 

I had this exact same problem, found it was some linkage on the side of the transmission. I think it was the passenger side, but done remember 100%. I sprayed some wd-40 on all the linkage that was on the tranny and it completely fixed my problem. I was gonna go back and take it apart and grease it, but that was months ago and it's still shifting fine, so im not touching it.

Dont take anything apart until you try this 5 minute fix, i can almost guarantee this is your problem.

 

Thanks Ranger, I sprayed everything down yesterday with some PB Blaster. I'm going to see if it's any better when I get home. My fingers are crossed!

 

Ugh, I took the linkage off the transmission after letting everything soak and snap, broke the stud that holds the linkage into the tranny. Now what? I assume that I need to drop the pan to reach the inside of this stud. Any help is greatly appreciated. My shifter moves freely without it attached, so I know it's not a cable issue.

 

That's tough. If the Stud itself (i.e., shifting 'rod" from the tranny) is broke... I hope others have fixed /worked on this and can advise. If you broke a screw off that is in the rod , you may be able to remove the broken screw ... let us know.

 

Yes, it's the shifting rod from the tranny. I turned the bolt and the end of the stud snapped off. I'm searching for anything that might help be see what all is involved in this fix and coming up emptyhanded. I can't even find anything that shows a breakdown of parts inside the transmission.

 

Well, Lets see if others have advice.

In the meantime, What you could do is take some pics and any parts you have loose and stop at a local junk yard and / or transmission shop and see what you can find out. Post the pics here too in case someone knows as well. A few salvage yards in my state are "pick your own". Bring in your tools and take what you like. If you have access to one bring your tools and poke around to see if you can find an upside down taco or a taco tranny that has been pull but is considered bad. Take the tools and take it apart and see if you can learn or find the right part ? Also, Check your local Toyota dealer /parts manager - this may be something that they know about and have the parts/fix info you need.

Good luck and let us know how your fair .

 

I did receive an answer from gearcruncher, I sent a PM asking for help, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me posting his response:
The pin is called the Lever shaft . Fairly easy to replace once the pan is off.
You can buy a new one here http://www.toyotapartsdirect.ca/p/SH...556160030.html

or you can call your local transmission shop as they may have a good second hand one is stock.

Now, is there a PRNDL switch on the other side of the transmission connected to where I broke the bolt off? If so, looking at posts from gearcruncher, it looks like I can spray the crap out of that with lube to free the transmission. Anyone else have any advice?

 

Here is a pic showing the lever shaft going through the trans . You are correct that the PRNDL switch connects to the shaft on the opposite side .Its not a bad job for someone who has changed out a lot of them but may be a little challenging for a newcomer.Is there enough shaft sticking out to possibly weld another nut into position ?
http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/mm5/graphics/Catalog-pdf/A750E.pdf

Edit ,if you are trying to loosen up your shifter , make sure the Prndl switch is not seized

 

Awesome, thank you! I was thinking about just welding that nut back on since it won't have any effect on anything and it did break off right at the nut. I'm going to work on getting this thing freed up now so I can shift gears. I'll get to work on that PRNDL switch now. Thanks again for your help!

 

Just got back to seeing this... let us know how it goes. Also, i dont think PB blaster is the right "lube" to use on this. its meant to break free tough bolts, but not to be used as a lube. It may do the trick for a little bit, but it all may seize back up again... just a thought.

 

Thanks ranger, the PB plaster was used on the linkage. I'm not sure what I will attack it with at this point. Maybe some PB to try to break it free and then some graphite lube. I can't get to it today and the temps here are going to be below freezing for some time, not looking forward to this! I'm tempted to remove the driveshaft and pull it to the local Mr. Tire

 

Replacing the brake light switch worked for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU2Q9gO3UfE