Transmission problem

I have a 2016 Toyota Tacoma off-road V6 automatic transmission sometime when I shift for parking to drive feels hard to shift and sometime is fine. Any suggestion?

 

Inspection of cable and linkage on transmission.

 

Are you using your parking brake and stopping in Neutral before hitting Park? Doing so unloads the torque converter and puts no load on the parking pawl. I keep trying to get my fam to do this, but they fail continuously.

 

Try using the parking brake.
1-Come to complete stop and hold brake pedal
2-Place gear selector in park
3-Set parking brake
4-Release brake pedal

5-Press brake pedal
6-Release parking brake
7-Place gear selector in drive
8-Release brake pedal.

This will put no tension on any internal parts in the transmission. If putting in drive still causes a clunk feel/sound, solenoids or pump may be going out.

 

No, I don’t use the parking brake I never use the parking brake for anything

 

I had the same issue over the weekend. Search for my thread it may help...

 

I use mine 100% of the time - is that ok to do?

 

There's the reason.

 

Of course. Good practice.

 

Wait… they want me to use the parking brake to PARK? Preposterous

 

If you use it every day they tend to keep working and be trouble free.
I set mine every time I park.

 

Nah! This ain’t your crappy old 1960s parking pawl. The gear lock is strong enough to rip every single tooth off your flex plate. I think Bishop had the right idea.

 

Possibly, but the state of the art ATs that our fam has right now do the same thing. 30min ago, I heard my daughter yanking our Forester out of Park and heard the AT pop doing so as well as feel it all to often when I need to shuffle the cars around.

 

I believe OP is stating it is physically difficult to shift the shifter; not, that the transmission has lag engaging drive.

 

use it or lose it. if you use it often, it helps prevent parts from seizing up

 

After reading this thread I am very happy I always use the parking brake.

 

I actually stop, shift into neutral, hit the parking brake, step off the brake, then shift into park. Zero load on the parking pawl. But I’m a weirdo.

 

it's a pet peeve, it makes me cringe (and not want to buy used) when I see Susie Soccer Mom throw her in park on a hill and let the vehicle rock off the parking pawl. Yeah, it'll probably alright, but damn.