I am a fellow Toyota fan! My 1990 Cressida has 240,000 miles. No OBD 1 codes. The A340E automatic transmission won't shift out of 1st gear when cold. If I drive it 1/4 to 1/2 mile in "D", it will eventually shift into the next gears. Once it shifts, it is fine for the rest of the day. However, the next morning, the same thing will happen. I see it shifts just as the Temperature Gauge starts to move. I have tried a different Coolant Temperature Switch, and a different Speed Sensor in the Transmission tailshaft, but neither change made a difference.
I have also tried manually shifting the Selector, but it still stays in 1st gear until that short warm up time, then it shifts fine. The fluid level is fine, and it doesn't look or smell burnt. Do you have any suggestions I might try?
Thank you so much for your educational, and entertaining (!) videos!
Sincerely,
Ron
1) Do you change your ATF Fluid Regularly? (How many miles at intervals?)
2) If so?, when was the last time that you changed it ?
3) Do you warm up your car in the cold before driving? (Warming up a car is not only for engines, but for the transmission as well because it prevents slipping)
4) Some people that live in cold climates use a "Block Heater" for the transmission as well as for the engine.
Hello! Thank you for your thoughtful questions. I have owned the car for 23 yrs, changed the transmission fluid about 3 yrs ago only because the transmission pan gasket was leaking. I refilled the transmission with a Valvoline equivalent fluid, and I have to think the problem began in a relatively short time after doing that. I don't know if the Valvoline fluid contributed to it or not, but I kind of think so. I live in Northern CA. No, I really haven't had a habit of warming up the car other than driving gently for the first mile or so. I'm just not sure if this is a fluid issue, or an electronic control sensor. Thank you for your help!
If you used a Dexron-III compatible fluid that should be OK, Toyota wasn't using their own special brew when those were designed. Wonder if your shift solenoids are sticking when cold? There's a lot of diagnostic info for the A340E here, don't know if any will help in your situation but may be worth a look:
http://shop.ukrtrans.biz/wp-content/uploads/catalogs/A340E.pdf
Hello Chuck! Thank you very much for your reply and thoughts about my transmission problem! I am grateful for your link to the A340E pdf file--I will go over it with great interest! Thank you!!