Cold start downshift clunk

In the morning, when I come to a stop I hear a clunk around the differential/tranny area, but goes away once the engine warms up. Anyone else on here experience this ?

 

Some call it Axle wrap. I have that on my truck. I took it to Toyota and drove with the tech and it did happen. He looked at it and said all looked good so he would call tech line and get back to me. Of course he never did. When I go in I'll make another report with them. I know there is alot of people on here that was talking about it. Not sure if they got it repaired. But if you take it in make sure to drive with the tech.or it just old be something totally different than what I'm experiencing.

 

It's most likely not axle wrap, but your slip yoke binding and realeasing. I went through this extensively, and they drilled a small hole in my driveshaft. This idea came from a field rep and it worked. Idea was to let pressure equalize. Not one noise after that for a couple thousand miles, but I traded it in after that so it's someone else's problem now.

 

I would certainly ask for a check of the trans fluid level as a simple starting point.

Axle wrap has nothing to do with warm vs cold engine. It either happens most all the time or not.

If the trans is good (and it will take them a good while to check it) then I'd go with questioning about the slip yoke as @mello03 suggests.

 

This might be the most common issue with the taco. I had it up until 10k and then it just went away on it’s own...for now! If its not one thing, it’s another!

 

Yes, mine does this from cold to luke-warm. Once everything is at operating temperature the down shift clunk goes away.

 

Mine did it often when it was new.. since I hit 5k odo it's gone away... who knows. Ain't broke don't fix it

 

Mine has a pretty noticeably harsh down shift when the transmission is cold. After things warm up and the coolant temp gauge gets to where it should it be, it doesn't do it anymore. When the weather temp is already warm, it doesn't do it at all. This has happened since I got it and it's going in for it's 15k mile service the end of next week. I wish it didn't do it, but it's not a show stopper for me.

 

I have a 2000 Tahoe Limited (99 body style) with the same issue when I bought it. A friend of mine who was a GM mechanic for years said that people would bring in trucks and SUVs for this problem all the time thinking it was the transmission. He said to pull the drive shaft and put white lithium grease in the slip yoke and the clunking goes away. This worked perfectly and I add grease to it every couple of years now and have not have the problem since.

 

I have the issue and have yet to read one post with a definitive answer on what it is. Gotta be something with the way the transmission downshifts when the vehicle is cold or something.

Almost certain it's not mechanically related to the suspension but in the transmission shifting behavior

 

With the lube and fluid levels being questionable elsewhere on these vechicles, I wouldn't doubt this might have a part to play in this scenario as well. I'll look into this suggestion.

 

It’s cold.

 

There are at least 10 different reasons for a downshift clunk and the Tacoma is plauged with all 10 .
With this said , some members will try a fix without a proper diagnosis and end up with the same clunk after they attempted to fix it
Listed below is 4 of the most common .
Most common is Axle Wrap
Second is the slip yoke on the driveshaft . inadequate lubricant from factory
Third .. Low transmission fluid . Inadequate lubricant from factory
Fourth ... Transmission programming

 

Yep when cold and slowing down at an average rate, at about 12mph when it drops into first.It clunks and you can feel it

 

Slip yoke. Having them grease the hell out of it helps.

The only way it will go away is to have a hole drilled into it. Most dealerships won't do it.

 

It's not slip yoke, axle wrap, fluid levels or anything of the kind. It's tune related and both temperature/rpm dependent.

If you utilize ECT and S Mode, the shift points and torque converter changes eliminate it entirely.

 

It’s still happens when using s mode or etc mode

 

Mine does it too

 

I sometimes put my truck in neutral when coming to a stop if I get a feeling it’s about to clunk. If I start to stop a certain way it almost always does it to some extent so I use neutral to make sure it doesn’t happen ha

 

OVtuned this never ever happens (to me) anymore. It's a delayed downshift / unlock of the torque converter that causes it and is NOT a mechanical problem/defect based on my experience.