Help Needed: Cold Shift Trouble & Steering Rack Vibration on My ‘99 PreRunner

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a couple of issues I’ve been dealing with on my 1999 Tacoma PreRunner 3.4 V6 and see if anyone here has experienced something similar or has any advice.

Problem #1:
When starting the truck cold, it won’t shift past 2nd gear. There’s no unusual noise or hard shifting — it just stays in 2nd until the truck warms up a bit. The transmission fluid level is fine. I did notice a small leak around the edges of the transmission pan, but I keep an eye on the fluid and top it off when needed. Still, this issue happens every cold start.

Problem #2:
I’m also getting a vibrating or buzzing sound when I turn the steering wheel. I tracked the vibration to one of the lines attached to the steering rack, but I’m not sure what’s causing it or the best way to fix it.

Any tips, advice, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance!

 

YO
Ayush
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(Tranny)

your #2
Sounds like p/s system starving for fluid that results in tht vibration of steering wheel
Check condition/color of fluid

then
Search “cleaning P/S reservoir screen”

there is a screen incorporated into the reservoir. This screen gets clogged with debris….not letting appropriate amount of ATF fluid to get to pump/steering rack
Easy fix!
Drain reservoir
Take off reservoir and clean screen with brake cleaner
Use a flashlight on one end of reservoir to monitor your progress
2 tips
-buy MORE than one can of BClean
-replace the reservoir O-ring to prevent future leaks

this was my 1st project when I got my Taco
The fluid was jet black
Screen 70% clogged
No issues since!

 

Thanks a lot for the detailed advice! I’ll definitely check all of this out tomorrow. I had a feeling it might be something in the power steering system starving for fluid, but didn’t know about that screen in the reservoir.

Appreciate the tips about cleaning it and replacing the O-ring too — I’ll grab a couple cans of brake cleaner before I start.

I’ll update here once it’s done!

 

Also, just a quick update on the transmission issue — the gearbox fluid is completely full. Last night I was reading through a few posts here on the forum, and someone mentioned letting the truck idle for 4 to 5 minutes before driving. So this morning, I let it run for about 5 minutes before heading out, and the transmission shifted perfectly fine. Same thing this afternoon after work — I waited 5 minutes, and it shifted with no problem at all.

It’s kind of strange though, because I’ve never experienced this before. I’m starting to wonder if maybe the thickness of the fluid is playing a role when it’s cold, or if it could be something like the transmission filter.

I actually replaced both the fluid and the filter last December, so I might have to check them again just to be sure.

Appreciate all the help here — I’ll post an update once I’ve checked