05 tacoma stiff automatic gear shifter

How'd it go? What'd they determine?

-- Tim --

 

Interested in this thread myself. My 2005 suffers the same problem...

 

Still suffering...

 

anyone have a fix for this yet?Mines doing the same thing ,Ill keep looking

 

Mine went through an odd respite this fall - didn't do it for a long time. Winter set in, and it started again. Winter got cold and I got sick and the truck sat for a while... and when I tried it again (after nearly a month), it wasn't too bad. I'll bet come spring it'll get really bad again, though - it seems to get worse in wet weather.

-- Tim --

 

Toyota replaced my frame a couple months ago, So I had them replace my shifter cable thinking it was that.I brought it home and it sat a few days and was stiff as hell again
So it took them few more days to figure out it was a prndl switch.works like new now and had since the switch replacement.

 

Should be easy to diagnose next time it happens . Take the shifter cable off the transmission and grab the transmission shift lever at the prndl switch and move it back and forth with your hand while you are under the truck . The shift lever should move with your hand fairly easy ,click , click , click is what you will hear while you are moving the shift lever through the detents ,if it doesnt move by hand , rust /ice moisture building up behind the seal . Take a small screwdriver and pry the seal open enough to blast some lube behind the transmission lever seal . At the same time , sit in the truck and try moving the gear shift from park to low to eliminate the shifter cable .The shifter should feel like there is nothing there because the cable is disconnected from the transmission
If you are under the truck , make sure the wheels are blocked

I am assuming not all of you are having the same issue . I have seen the shifter cable melt when people do not re-install ground straps on their vehicle . Check your ground straps

Also check cable alignment when body lift is installed . The cable can bind if its not re-adjusted when a lift is installed

 

EXCELLENT diagnostic steps, GearCruncher.

-- Tim --

 

Thanks Tim .
Ive done hundreds of shifter cable problems .
I will even take it one step further .
To properly adjust shifter cable , put transmission in park and "REMOVE THE Ignition KEY " Just throw it on the seat until youve made the adjustment
Go under truck with wheels blocked ofcourse and remove the cable from from the transmission lever .
Grab the shift lever by hand and move it to the park position .
Go to the back of the truck and verify you cant push the truck by hand so you know the cable is in park as well as the transmission .
Now that you know the transmission is in park and the shifter is in park , adjust the cable until it fits into the hole on the shift lever .
Verify the truck will only start in park and nuetral .
The Key to proper adjustment is removing the Key

 

Subd

 

GearCruncher... you can actually pry the prndl switch seal away enough to shoot lube into it? THAT'd help! What's a good lube? Would it be reasonable to squirt Marvel oil in with a squirt can? That might just be what it takes for these dang things.

 

Any lubricant should work to get the lever moving .
Here is another post with similar issues
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/254595-sticky-tranny-shifter-2006-auto-6-cyl.html

 

In response to this trouble I found on my Tacoma that the problem was a rusty neutral safety switch which is located on the passenger side on the vehicle. You can open your hood and see it on the transmission on the passenger side behind opposite the oxygen sensor. To fix get yourself a can of wd40 with the hose and spray it allot it should loosen up your shifter. Having lived in the northeast too much salt on the roads really rusts things out.

 

I have the same problem with my 07 with the addition of it rolling in Park a couple of times because it wasn't IN Park. Is this also part of the problem? Anyone know?

 

Sounds likely - when it gets stubborn about shifting, it doesn't like to move either way, so it may well not go quite all the way into P. Truthfully, I'd never thought about that aspect before - when mine gets stubborn, I work it fully out (shifting back & forth) until it frees up, every time... so I've never had mine do that.

It could certainly be a safety issue, if it fails to shift all the way into Park. At this point, since you know about it, the liability now falls to you. To... all of us who own these trucks & have this problem.

 

I think that I will start by replacing the PRNDL switch, but I can't find it. What is the actual name of this part or a part number? Anyone know?

 

it would be the park neutral switch, which is on the tranny. I've changed a couple of these for related symptoms but I'd also check the shifter cable to be sure it's not starting to seize.

 

Definitely... do NOT start by replacing ANYTHING - especially anything as expensive as these switches. START by INVESTIGATING. Discover what the problem really is, and deal with the problem. Otherwise, you'll just be throwing money at it in hopes that it'll go away.

 

Thanks guys.

 

I had this exact problem....Sticky shifter on automatic trans,... intermittent...it would come and go... not a grease or lube issue....Not a clod/warm issue.

I finally fixed the problem....

The problem was a rusted and corroded electrical connection on the left side of the auto tranny..... there is a bundle of wires that attach to the rear left on the tranny... the bracket that holds the "male" end was corroded real bad..... I drenched that bugger with brake cleaner then sprayed dilectric grease in both ends and reconnected them....

Have not had a problem since that fix.....

Check this out guys.....