Dereksd Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 So I have a 2004 Toyota Carrola automatic and lately I have been having some transmisson problems. It started with it just being kinda jerky going into drive when i would stop and go to the point where when first starting the car it would take forever to kick into drive after shifting. So friday my gf took the car to work and said she was having some trouble getting between work sites and that the car was revving but not going anywhere.She pulled over and let the car sit for awhile and was able to get it going. So she comes out of work and the car wont shift into reverse so she has AAA tow it home and I figure ok the car is finally done for. Yesterday I didnt even fuck with the car and just took mass trans since I figured it was toast and I thought ill just have to take it to the shop when I can. But since sunday is our grocery day I said fuck it im not walking a mile and a half each way to get groceries and shit so i decide we are gonna try to take the car. So I get in the car and start it up and BAM........the fucker takes off perfectly......ok this is weird so i figure lucky first shot. So I get around the block and to the first stop sign so I figure ok im gonna stop then accelerate and its gonna stall and sputter like it usually does.....nope. It switches into drive like its a brand new car. Drives amazingly. So i get to the grocery store and i park far away so I can try to throw it into reverse and see what happens......no reverse.Just revs and revs but no reverse. Throw it into drive and it works fine. So my question is this. I dont need to know WHY my car is fucked because obviously I know i need a new transmission but how the fuck can it go from sputtering and stalling between stop and go and being able to reverse to driving amazingly and having no reverse? Please dont troll or respond if you dont have something productive to say. Im broke as fuck and need some serious help on and advice on how the fuck that is possible. Im gonna drive it until it gives me a problem with standard driving since I can manage without reverse(reverse is for morons that make mistakes). Im obviously gonna get it fixed so i dont need that response but im just wondering if anyone has a reason or explanation as to why/how the hell this could happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 have you checked the Transmission fluid level? Automatic transmissions engage and disengage by using the pressure of the transmission fluid. If it is really low, it won't engage properly. It being intermittent is not uncommon for transmissions that are low on fluid either. ALSO.. It being low can cause damage to the transmission as well. Check the fluid when the car is level, after it has warmed up and while it is running. If you are adding, make sure the fluid you add to it is the correct type for the car. I think 2004 Toyotas requires mercon/dextron 3. Add the fluid in slow bits.. 1/2 a pint at a time. then let it run.. switch through the gears slowly for a while, then check the level again. repeat as necessary. Once you've filled it up to the 'hot' mark, let it run a while longer, and shift through the gears again. Take it for a spin. If it still has issues, or if the level is full already, Then the shift solenoids are probably out/going out. Some cars have electric solenoids and this could be causing the intermittent problem. Either way, if the level is ok and it's still having issues, take it to a mechanic. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dereksd Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Yea the fluid levels should be good. I had a leak and had it fixed a few weeks ago and had the fluids replaced but at the same time they could have said that it was fixed and it could have not as I don't have the means of checking. I'm a noob with cars but is there a way to check tranny fluid levels like there is to check oil? Also thank you joe for the help. You are my dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dereksd Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Also just a side note and what of question. Let's say the fluid is the problem and the leak is still there. Do you know what would cause it to go from driving in drive shitty and being able to reverse to driving AMAZINGLY and not being able to reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 There is a dipstick just like the oil to check the transmission fluid. On toyota's i believe it is a dark brownish red kind of color. it will be in the front, next to the battery (just left of the battery) it is usually 5-6 in. lower than the oil stick, but is noticeably red. They also have a little metal bar spring thing that keeps it from popping out. You just push the spring thing (it's black) out of the way and pull out the stick. There will be two sections on the dipstick rod (towards the bottom a few inches up for the tip) one section should say cold (lower) the other should say hot (higher) checking while it is hot is ideal. so as before, let it warm up, then check it (make sure to wipe the stick every time before you dip it in again to check the level) Once the car's temperature gauge reads in the normal (wherever it usually is for you, generally this is about right in between hot and cold) Then check the level and add following the steps i gave you before (if it is low) low will be anywhere NOT inside the "hot" marks on the stick. What would cause it to have issues sometimes but not always would be a pressure symptom from having the fluid low, or damaged solenoids. They can both allow it to have problems on and off like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Oh. and I'm not joe I'm nate! lol. No problem man. I'm always willing to help people if i can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dereksd Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Dude you rule!!!! Also please excuse my drunken ignorance with the name confusion! You are my hero Nate. Ill check it tomorrow and report back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Sounds like Nate probably fixed ya up. All I can add is to make sure you check all your fluid levels (engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, etc.) and tire pressure every couple, few weeks. This should catch problems before you even get them. I started neglecting to do this and was having a crunching noise when steering. Figured okay, gotta be the power steering fluid. Yep, sure enough, that bitch was low. Replenished it and was good to go. I have now since gotten back in the habit and checking it regularly. I hate cars and the maintenance they require... But am thankful to have one! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScotsman Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 it MUST be checked warm, on the level, and most of all, it MUST be running, and in park. Any reading with the pumps not turning is going to be wrong. Trans not closing the bands is usually a low fluid problem... unless you run it when it's low too long, then change that to burned bands. Intermittant problems are a pain to find. You don't say if it shifted smooth and fast once it did engage. That could be a big hint. Recent repair makes me think, in this order: 1 fluid level Toyota in 2004 recommends type "T-IV" (T4)... basically just a high-grade dexron-III Mixing some fluids is a bad idea. What's in it? Did they flush it, or just do a pan dump? 2 wrong fluid put in after repair 3 strainer/filter plugged, or obstructed by foreign material. 4 seal failing on one of the pistons - especially if you notice slipping once it finally does go. 5 failing bands 6 any of about 75 parts taking a piss, needs a rebuild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Since this is a car thread and I don't know much beyond being able to change my tire/battry/oil I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me how much a new tie rod, new rotors, and new break pads would cost for an 07 ford edge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dereksd Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Haha get out of here Tyler this is my turf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Lol your question was answered wasnt it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Definitely listen to Scottsman, It sounds like he's got a lot more experience than I do. Definitely let us know how the level was, and how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 [quote name='Tyler' timestamp='1336423995' post='546859'] Since this is a car thread and I don't know much beyond being able to change my tire/battry/oil I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me how much a new tie rod, new rotors, and new break pads would cost for an 07 ford edge? [/quote] Maybe PM me, Tyler.. But Tie rods are relatively cheap parts wise, as are pads. Rotors can be a bit pricey Tie rod = about 20 bucks. pads.. about 20 bucks (depends on the "grade" you buy) rotors are usually 60 a piece (ya need four) labor wise.. the tie rod replacement means you also need an alignment. most brake shops charge about 80 bucks for the labor on replacing brakes around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcane Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I really don't have anything to contribute, but I hope your car gets back up and running, Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dereksd Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 [quote name='Arcane' timestamp='1336498781' post='546925'] I really don't have anything to contribute, but I hope your car gets back up and running, Derek. [/quote] thanks stud Ok so just checked the fluid. Had the car running and all that. Fluid was above halfway and almost too hot. It was purplish/brown with no flecks of metal or anything in it if this info help anyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 You had it running, but was the car warmed up? If the car was not up to operating temperatures, you will get a false reading. Being that the fluid is discolored though (should be a bright pink) I would suggest taking it to a full service mechanic (not just a corner lube shop where they'll just sell you on a flush and send you on your way without fixing anything) but to an actual mechanics shop. Preferably somewhere you trust, or have heard good things about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavo21 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Derek it could also be another thing, us lucky people that drive autos we have clutches in our transmission and that could be going out if its having issues or your gears could be done for but the clutch is a big issue with transmissions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScotsman Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Should be fine. The low/full hashes are only about a pint apart. Midway would be 8oz short, not significant. Between add and full is much better than overfull, by a long way. Does the fluid smell funky, don't really know how to describe it, other than smelling like a burned up computer power supply. acrid, and nasty. would be indicative of a smoked band.Normally an auto doesn't go from working to jacked up without some intervention of some sort - either abuse, or improper service. Wondering if the repair job on the leak hosed something. When it does from neutral to drive, is it a good firm shift, or just sorta mushes into drive? Holding brake, at idle, normal temp, go from N to R, back to N then D, allowing about a second in each gear before going to the next, does the transmission engage each gear without pop/bang? Any "whining", or squealing noise? Being absolutely sure to hold brake, turn off, and put it in drive, will it start in gear? turn the key to start, and gently jiggle the shift handle while in "D" (indicates position sensor failed/failing) None of the above, time to find someone with an OBD-II code reader, and plug in. Some auto parts stores will scan the codes for no charge. The error code will be the best place to continue. Write down each err code they return, may be more than one. PCM controlled transmissions... what a pain in the ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicagoRSX Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Worth mentioning that you may want to call your local Toyota dealer with codes you may get. Certain models of Cororlla had a trans/computer issue. A SGT. of mine had similar issues, and his PCM was covered under either a "service bulletin" or a warranty extension, I do not remember which. His was a 2005 Corolla. Just throwing this out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotsi95 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Also if your trans has burnt up clutches a tranny flush can make the tranny stop working completely. The old fluid has partcles suspended in it that if the clutches are worn actually help them grip. If you flush that fluid it can make the clutches slip completely. It's a 50/50 shot on if it will fix or kill the trans. Tranny rebuilds are usually in the neighborhood of 1,000-2,000$ from a good shop with a decent warranty. My advice is take it to a good trans shop and see what they say. From experience (4 trannys on my jeep) your clutches in the trans are shot. Usually when this happens it will only work sometimes and when the trans gets hot and the fluid thins out the clutches slip. As for the tie rod/ brake question look on autozone.com and just buy them locally. A tie rod is simple to do with basic tools. Just make sure you count how many turns the old one takes to take off and put the new one on the same amount. Brakes are also extremely easy to do. You can save some money and just have them turned if they are not warn down to bad or warped. Usually costs 10$ a rotor. A little trick on disk brakes is to push the piston back inside the caliper with some clamps. This way you wont need to rebleed the system afterwards. Any other questions? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScotsman Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 [quote name='cotsi95' timestamp='1336674964' post='547071'] Also if your trans has burnt up clutches a tranny flush can make the tranny stop working completely. The old fluid has partcles suspended in it that if the clutches are worn actually help them grip. If you flush that fluid it can make the clutches slip completely. It's a 50/50 shot on if it will fix or kill the trans. Tranny rebuilds are usually in the neighborhood of 1,000-2,000$ from a good shop with a decent warranty. My advice is take it to a good trans shop and see what they say. From experience (4 trannys on my jeep) your clutches in the trans are shot. Usually when this happens it will only work sometimes and when the trans gets hot and the fluid thins out the clutches slip. As for the tie rod/ brake question look on autozone.com and just buy them locally. A tie rod is simple to do with basic tools. Just make sure you count how many turns the old one takes to take off and put the new one on the same amount. Brakes are also extremely easy to do. You can save some money and just have them turned if they are not warn down to bad or warped. Usually costs 10$ a rotor. A little trick on disk brakes is to push the piston back inside the caliper with some clamps. This way you wont need to rebleed the system afterwards. Any other questions? [/quote] Spot on, The new fluid will have a lower friction coefficient, un-noticed slip will turn to crazy-slip. I just thought of a possibility, pretty unlikely, but since someone has been digging around under the hood - be sure they didn't cock-up the shift cable, especially the little nylon & EDPM composite one that holds the cable as it enters the transmission. A miss-adjusted/damaged cable would result in the valve not opening completely, slow shifts/partial shifts would occur. The PCM would not return an err on a linkage problem. Remote possibility: Do the brakes feel mushy? At idle does the heater take an unusually longer time to switch from air coming out demister to coming out the floor outlet? Don't dump any miracle-in-a-can into the gearbox, I know it's tempting, Some of them will actually make the trans shift clean - only for a while - but they will compound repair cost. Disc brakes, yes, compress the pistons before removal, if you are servicing the rear, where is the handbrake actuator system located? Some close the caliper, and you need to manually return the piston to home (new pad) position. The task can be simple, or simply a pain in the plums. Don't be afraid of brake work, it's easy, or maybe more accurately, simple; heavy, filthy, nasty, but mechanically simple to do. As for tie rod ends on a ford edge, it's really hard to replace them - mainly because a Ford Edge doesn't have any!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packersfan23 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I work at a Valvoline, so I know a bit about fluids...the fluid we use is a bright red, it looks almost blood-red. If it smells like a burnt piece of toast or a burnt computer part, that's bad. Trans fluid has a strong chemical smell to it (other than that, it's hard for me to describe. It never smells good to my nose). The metal shavings might not show up, as most transmission drain plugs have magnets in them, which catch all the shavings from the gears and save your gears from further harm. Most transmission services at quick lubes cost about $150. I hope you get this worked out man, car problems suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bye bye Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Your transmission is fried. No matter weather you have brand new transmission fluid or not. As long as It jerked you know your gears are worn off. The fact that it doesn't reverse only revs you blow the gear. Since it is a toyota camry 04, automatic transmissions are not too costy. Your looking at a 4-600$ transmission. My suggestion is you buy a brand-new transmission or even a transmission with about 40--80k miles. Having a mechanic shop order a transmission for you and install it you will be paying more. Your best off buying a transmission yourself and having them install it for about 250-300$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyatt90111 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Ahh check you transmission fluid. Your reverse is probly done for but there is an easy fix. This may sound smart ass-ish but neutral and man power haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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