Hey Scotty! I have a 1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited Automatic w/ 160K miles. It makes a grinding noise when I get up to speed and let off the gas… do you know what this is? The video link is below! I checked the transmission fluid and it’s full. But it does look a bit dirty… I know it’s coming from the transmission because when I put it on neutral it stops making the noise… I think it may be the torque converter? I was wondering if I should change the transmission fluid, and put some heavy oil Lucas stabilizer but if you think it’s something different let me know.
Video Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/da1m0t5nFss?feature=share
I would have a transmission specialist diagnose it.
Someone said it could be the ujoints
@scottykilmer could you tell me what to do in this situation please? I’m curious if I’ll need a new transmission.
I’m curious if I’ll need a new transmission.
do your u-joints have grease points? if so, have you been greasing them?
Have you been servicing your driveline regularly (front/rear axles and transfer case)
It's 24yo now. Could be worn out. Remove the cover plate off the rear axle and inspect the condition of the ring gear.
Looks like he has the 2wd model, so those don't have zerk fittings.
It would be very rare for it to be the transmission, but it is scary that it quits making the noise when put in neutral.
I would check the radiator just to be sure it doesn't look like a pink milkshake.
I checked the radiator is good. No strawberry milkshake. Do you think it could be torque converter?
it could be a lot of things. There's no point jumping to any conclusions until you've jacked up the vehicle and looked at it.
It’s a 2WD model, and the transmission does clunk when it shifts at high rpm. I don’t know if that helps at all. But it’s a strange grinding noise when I let off the gas? I’ve took it to a few shops and they have no idea, cause they said the transmission shifts smoothly when it’s not given a heavy load of gas and when it’s not shifting at 5K RPM, and it has 0 slippage according to scan tools from mechanics with 160K miles on it. So I hope it’s not the transmission, cause it doesn’t slip, and it shifts smooth at lower rpm.
My bet it is the tranny, due to changing loads on its internals.
It’s a 2WD model, and the transmission does clunk when it shifts at high rpm. I don’t know if that helps at all. But it’s a strange grinding noise when I let off the gas? I’ve took it to a few shops and they have no idea?
You are shifting at 5k RPMs?
That is nearly red lining your engine, if you want it to last you should probably lighten up on it. The third gen is not a race car, it is a slow beast of a suv, and a tough one at that. Shifting while revved that high is probably not making it happy.
What kind of shops did you take it to, to have it checked? Were they chain stores, or good local mechanics?
I’m not gassing it all the time, I only have done it once or twice in heavy traffic emergencies and I noticed rough shifting when I did it. Local mechanics and Local Transmission shops: they can’t find any transmission issue or deep codes. They say the transmission seems in great shape. So I don’t know? It’s super strange?
I would try and get a mechanic to figure out the issue where you are letting off the gas, groaning. Have you had a mechanic try to figure that out, or just the random hard shift?