Question: I recently had my engine replaced in my 2003 Toyota HL and within 10 miles, the lower gears would start “jerking.” It is fine when engine is cold (which isn’t long). Tranny fluid replaced. Toyota service (not where I had work done) says that I should drive the car for awhile (months) to “reprogram the transmission to my driving patterns.” What kind of “driving patterns” have to be programmed for a car to “learn” how to go from 1st gear to 4th gear? Any thoughts?
Answer: I’ll cut right to the point. The transmission has two cooler lines. They go from the transmission to the radiator, one line delivering the fluid to the radiator to be cooled down and one line routing it back to the tranny, the cooled down fluid that is. My first thought is that in the act of replacing your engine, a dirty part was rubbed against the open cooler lines, thus scraping off some dirt into the open end of the lines. The dirt probably went right int the valve body of the transmission and stuck the 1-2 accumulator valve.
I have seen that so many times, it seems important to mention it. I always start with the simple possibilities. A dirty valve body is for a professional to fix only. That being said, I would take my vehicle to a competent transmission shop and pay the diagnostic fee to find out what the problem is. It is most likely related to engine swap-over.
You are playing with fire, these are the exact problems that people spend too much time asking people who don’t really know the answer. While you waste time asking unqualified people what is wrong, the transmission is definitely getting worse and at some point you will need a replacement transmission.
Ultimately, wasting time trying to save money will cost you a lot of extra money. Be smart about your transmission or you may need to call GotTransmissions.com @ 866-320-1182 for one of their quality rebuilt Toyota transmissions. Prevent your problem from turning into a multi-thousand dollar issue, seek professional help ASAP.
