2005 Auto Transmission Shifter very stiff

My Tacoma 2005 166,000 miles auto trans shifter handle is very stiff. Yesterday it was almost impossible to get from Park to D Drive. Trans would not go into Overdrive and Lights on dash indicating Drive did not light up. Took to Dealer, they sdaid it is not the plastic shifter cover but the Transmission control module and they ordered the part and said it will be perfect after install and new transmission fluid change and replacement will be only $1,000 to $1500 depending if the go ahead and do all the other fluid, oilss, lube change front and rear differentials transmission fluids. The truck will be 13 years old in August 10, 2018 so I figured Yeah do it Make it Like new! I am waiting for them to call me and say job is completed! I will Post results and final costs!

 

I had this same problem with my 2005; very stiff shifter (although transmission shifted ok) and dashboard indicator lights ("D", "N", etc.) not lighting up. Originally the dealer said it was corrosion and cleaned and lubricated the shifting mechanism, but the improvement was short-lived.
Recently it threw an engine code (not sure what) and my local mechanic replaced the Trans Range/Neutral Safety switch (part $335, labor $300 - he said the old part was very difficult to remove). The shifter is now moving smoothly and easily, and all the indicator lights work. Hopefully that's the end of the problem!

 

Change your NSS on your transmission! I bet this is your problem. A transmission fluid change is easy diy there is a excellent write up here on how to do it

 

Is the NSS really that difficult to change that a shop charges $300 labor?

 

No just one nut 17mm on the shaft and a bolt that holds it to the side of the transmission, and a electrical connection. The problem is when it it rusted to the shaft, I had to pry it off lots of penetration oil before

 

OK, thanks. I was just wondering what I would be in for if mine goes bad.

 

Do you remember if there was thread on the shaft? I have thread on the shaft (for the 21mm nut). But there is also a threaded piece on my new NSS. It won't let it go on because of this piece being on there.

 

There is no threaded part on the stub shaft that comes out of the transmission. the threaded part is part of the NSS. if you look at the picture you posted you can see the treaded part has re leaf cuts in it so when 21 is tightened it pull tight on the shaft

 

I sprayed penetrating oil on the transmission shaft with the old part of the NSS on it. Put vice grips on it and tapped the vice grips to work it free

 

Thanks Jon! So if I do have thread on the stub shaft, is this possibly left from the old NSS? I made a short video so you can see what the stub shaft looks like after I took NSS off:

https://youtu.be/pFt6n1FpJAg

 

Yep still on there they are a pain to get off !!!!

 

Thanks!

I guess I will spray the heck out of it and see what happens. Is it going to hurt it if bang on it with a hammer and a chisel or anything else I can find to pop it off?

Would it be easier just to replace the lever?

 

So what I did was take a small dental pick and tried to open up the space between the NSS and the shaft the coat it with penetrating oil. You could then put a bit of sandwich wrap over it to hold the oil around it.

I used a cole chisel
I thought about taking a dremel and making a cut lengthways then use a chisel

You could also put a SMALL amount of heat in the aluminum

DO ALL OF THIS AT YOU RISK

Do not bend the shaft
Do not heat any great amount as there is a rubber seal behind it

 

Shaft is in the transmission no easy way to replace it with major work

 

Very very good tips! Thank you much sir!

 

Take a flat chisel in the open parts of the thread and brake the off, try and remove all 4 starts this way.

This is what I did the soaked the rest over night

Next day it was loose on the shaft

Worked it back and forth with a set of vicegrips

Still ended up using chisel and hitting the side of the vg

 

I am about to start the tips you mentioned above. One last question..should all of the threaded and silver parts come off to where it's only the shaft showing and no "silver" part?

 

Yea just the shaft left