The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[josephinehobanmcmahon]

Hi All,

I'm new to this site and using these forums so apologies in advance if this is inappropriately long. I'm looking for a bit of advice. My 1999 Landcruiser Prado was imported from Japan into Ireland by it's previous owner. I've had it for 7 years and it's become part of the family. It's in great condition, and only has 250,000 Km on the clock. It has been fully serviced and had everything done that needed doing in a Toyota main dealer - the plan being to keep it for years as we live half way up a mountain and I need a 4X4. In an effort to be a bit greener when I got it I had it converted to run on rape seed oil, but currently don't run it on oil as supply became a bit of a problem. The advantage of the particular engine being that it can run on 100% diesel, 100% rape seed oil or any combination of both all in the one tank. Now I just can't contemplate having to give up on it - it feels like abandoning it and it's been such a great war horse.

It's VIN starts with KZJ950 if that information helps.

A bit of history: in January of this year the cooling system for the gearbox failed and it over heated resulting in gearbox fluid and radiator water mixing and leaking out of it (never a good mix!!). The gearbox was flushed out, all the coolant system replaced and all seemed hunky dory. In June it couldn't take off when in "Drive" so I used it as a "semi" automatic and manually selected "2" to start and once it was rolling changed to Drive and all was well. The problem was an external solenoid which was then replaced.

Currently there is a problem with the automatic gearbox. Basically when it has been driving for a long time (more than 1 hr ) or driving hard over a short period it feels like there is no power in it. For all the world it's like a manual gearbox when the clutch is slipping. It's as if it is not switching down to the lower gears - pardon my ignorance here if that concept is incorrect with an automatic gearbox. If I pull over and open the bonnet and let it cool down it will then have enough traction to move up gradients. On a test trip home a few weeks ago I was luck to do 30km per hour on the off ramp of the motorway!!!

The plan had been to get a second hand gearbox fitted and I had sourced one and had it delivered to my mechanic. Unfortunately since it's a Japanese import I'm told there is a slight difference in the box. In Europe the low gears are controlled by a cable while in the Japanese models they are controlled electronically - again pardon my ignorance. This meant that the only option was to get the current gearbox repaired.

So far the automatic gearbox specialist has taken it and driven it. Left it run in his yard so that it's warm and then driven it and it hasn't showed any signs of the problem. He doesn't want to take the gearbox out until he knows what's happening so he has an idea where to start troubleshooting.

What I'm looking for is inspiration on what to do next. Any ideas as to what is wrong with the gearbox? Does anybody know of a reliable 4X4 breakers where I'd be likely to get a Japanese Prado model gearbox if the simplest thing would be to just replace the box? I feel I just can't abandon it yet without putting in some effort to save it.

All advice welcome and thanks in advance.

Josephine    

[Google]

[marlot]

The issue of the radiator going, and letting the AT oil and engine water mix is well known, alas.

I hope you're able to find a way to get it operational again.

[DaveN]

Any decent trans repairer should be able to take it apart and rebuild it. I can't see as it matters what the symptoms are, he should just rebuild it, and not try to repair what was broken, as it will automatically be repaired in the rebuild.

[joinerman]

My opinion for what it's worth is your problem lies in the torque converter

[Roger Fairclough]

This could be a problem with the oil cooling.

If the box works from cold and continues to work with the box moderately warm but malfunctions when hot, I would be suspicious of the quality of the oil and the cooling of it.

I would start with a check of the oil, colour and smell, and go from there. Has your mechanic mentioned these points?

Roger

[OG.]

Had the same thing happen to mine and it resulted in a fully rebuild gearbox. Once the water gets in it will form pockets of corrosion which can't be easily flushed.
In my case one of the clutch packs failed and when they pulled the box apart it was pretty gruesome and filled with rusty gunge as well as having rust on some of the internal metal parts. This in spite of having the box flushed three or four times, the sump off the box and cleaned out and every other thing you can think of that could be done to avoid pulling the box.
I think you'll be looking at a gearbox overhaul no matter what.