Automatic shifter is stiff/ sticky ?

Anyone out there with a ‘16 or other 3rd gen taco have an automatic shift stick that has some issue fluidly moving between gears ? What is the reason for this ?

 

Someone with the opposite problem https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/automatic-trans-question.759164/
Have you taken the console out and looked at the linkage? Did you buy the truck brand new?

 

Mine is squishy going into drive sometimes, but I blame it on the shift boot getting in the way.

 

I wouldn't say mine is sticky but it's not a smooth shot from P or R to D. If you notice the pattern it's not made to go straight. Each gear is in a slightly different horizontal position.

 

I haven’t checked the linkage or the boot actually. Good insight . I’ll see what others have to say and then perhaps have a look into that. Didn’t buy brand new.

 

There could be a piece of celery or a salmon in there!

 

I recently had a problem with the neutral safety switch. the shifter was not smooth/hard to shift from P to D /vice versa. Was noticing it for a couple weeks and finally backing out of a parking deck I could not get it to engage in D from R. At this point i'm blocking traffic in the parking deck....and just slamming my shifter from P to D just hoping it would get in gear. Finally got into D and manage to get out of parking deck. Managed to stop by a friends house, he WD40 the neutral safety switch by the trans passenger side while I went through the gears. Its smooth now so hopefully stays that way. So i noticed that the D and N were not illuminating for me sometimes when you put it in gear when this happened to me...check to see if that is your case as well.

 

I suspect it’s the salmon to blame .

 

If you’re talking about how it “clunks” than it’s normal.

 

I had the neutral safety switch on one of my second gens get so sticky it wouldn't go into drive. Once I lubed it the truck was fine. This was after letting it sit probably six weeks on my dirt driveway without being moved. I had the FJ40 and a Mustang to drive and it was summer!