2005 Tacoma TRD 4 x 4 automatic 6 cylinder won't shift into reverse

Hello,
After changing the oil & the oil filter & air filter in our 2005 Toyota Tacoma 4 x 4 automatic 6 cylinder dual cab. This 2005 Toyota Tacoma pick up truck only has 37,490 miles & is well maintained & cared for. I was barely able to get the truck to shift into reverse, which seemed very odd but after a couple attempts it did shift into reverse. It also was reluctant to shift into drive. But it did shift into drive. Then after moving up a slight grassy grade about 50 yards with the truck in 4 x 4 high setting it was acting as though the emergency brake was in the on position. Then after getting on level ground & stopping it shifted into the park position without any issues. But when I restarted the truck it would not shift into the reverse position no matter what I did. Once again it was acting as though the emergency brake is on. But that is not the problem. So my question is, what could be causing this problem? Is it possible a wire might have gotten disconnected & or broke or has got loosened somehow when the plastic cover (that is over the top of the motor) was unbolted & was lifted out of the way to give me better access to remove & replace the oil & air filters? If that is possible which wire / connection point or points should I be checking for possible breakage, being disconnected or being loose? Any suggestions that could be offered as to where I should start searching for the cause of the troubles I'm experiencing or where I might find solutions for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4 X 4, 6 cylinder automatic transmission, dual cab, short bed pick up truck that will not shift into reverse properly would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Joe

 

Are you 100% positive you drained the oil, and not the trans fluid?

It's a surprising common mistake people have made on here

 

Thank you for responding so quickly to my posting.
I did change the motor oil.
I can see how some folks could get confused when attempting to change the oil in a 2005 Toyota Tacoma.
It is odd the owners manual for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma does not explain very well how one should go about changing the oil or go about changing any of the other fluids.
Nor does the 2005 Tacoma owners manual provide any photos of the oil pan & or the drain plugs that are located in the bottom of the oil pan.
The oil pan on the 2005 Tacoma TRD we own actually has two drain plugs in the bottom side of the oil pan.
Thanks again for your assistance!!!!
We made arrangement with a machanic to make a house call tomorrow afternoon to check out our Tacoma using his digital diagnostic meter.
I'm hoping he will be able to determine what is causing our troubles & then be able to get out Tacoma running as it should be running.
Last year the entire frame & the leaf springs were replaced on our 2005 Tacoma, all parts & labor were fully covered by Toyota.
With less than 37,500 miles on our Tacoma pick up truck we did not expect to be having any issues at all, but it is outstanding & comforting to have Toyota stand behind & be responsible for the quality of their vehicles.
In peace,
Joe

 

If you say it has two plugs in the oil pan you did indeed drain the transmission fluid b/c there is not two plugs in the engine oil pan.

 

Boy do I feel foolish, yes indeed I did drain the transmission fluid instead of draining the engines oil.
Now I have to go through the hassle of refilling the transmission fluid, I say hassle because the design of the transmission on the 2005 Tacoma requires one to be a contortionist in order to be able to ever so slowly add fluid to the transmission. While I was double checking which pan I drained last night, I also double checked the level of the motor oil on the dip stick. Yep, I will also be removing the excess oil from the motor, after I refill the transmission with fluid. I am thinking I should have just paid the inspection garage its (what is now looking not so inflated) fee to change the oil. Big grin.
Thanks again for helpful correct observation!!!
In peace,
Joe

 

I just did this exact same thing on Tuesday, thankfully I caught it when I had only drained about 2 quarts but if you go to Autozone they sell a quart or gallon pump with rubber hose get that and about 2 feet of vaccum line the same diameter and you should have no problem pumping the oil back into the trans without killing yourself to do so....good luck

 

Why does this keep happening!

 

Soooo, I'm a genius . But seriously, if you've driven with very low trans fluid, I'd be concerned about damage.

 

These 2nd gen's are a snap to change the oil on as long as you drain the right pan. For $26 you can get premium oil and filter. No reason to pay $50-60 for someone to do it. Once you get everything back in order don't let this dis courage you. I would put 3 qts in the tranny and drive it to a dealership and have them drain and fill and check level.