Sherl

My car has been hesitant to shift after sitting for a while anytime of the day. The transmission fluid has been meticulously exchanged every 30-40k miles. No slip on highways or city driving.

The car as 259k miles. Usually I need to rev the engine above 3k rpm and hold for few seconds there (say 30 secs) before the car shifts to gear. I have the p325/p330 knock sensor code and p500 vehicle speed sensor code. I need to be very keen on not damage while engaging so I usually rev a little and drop and do that few times and I know when it's getting engaged, as it starts moving instead of rolling back - the car would rollback even when in gear before it shifts during this window.

Does this codes has to do with transmission? Where should I start?

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

what type of fluid was used during the ATF exchange? what level is the ATF on the dipstick (hot and cold)?

revving the engine pushes the fluid through the trans via the pump. it sounds like you have a low ATF level.

Sherl

Usually the Toyota red ATF. I'll recheck level tomorrow. I need to check when it's hot and when it's cold right? Any specific instructions for hot?

Sherl

​​​​​​Also no leaks on tranny.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

i would check when hot, on a level surface of course.

glad to hear you're using toyota t-IV red stuff!

Yamae

Congratulations on your fix of the battery terminal issue. Other than that, you have the slow engagement issue. Other than the ATF issue, judging from the mileage, it is sometimes caused by the insufficient signal amplitude from the speed sensor 2 which is located near the rear end of the AT. I'd observe the waveform using an oscilloscope but when it's not possible to observe, it may be an idea to replace the sensor unconditionally.

Sherl

Thanks for the response. Is the p500 code from the above said sensor?

Yamae

You are welcome. I'm not a mechanic and I don't know much about mechanical issues but I happen to know about electronics related affairs some. Local shop owners and dealer managers I know often call me and now I have some experience about electronics related troubles that they can't fix quickly. I just share what I have experienced here.

Regarding the P0500 issue, I hope attached document may help you some.

Sherl

The fluid is well within the levels. I think when hot it's tad above. I measured when the engine is off and right after driving few miles to get estimates on hot reading.

400fanboy

Unless it's 2MPH stop & go traffic, a few miles is not enough to get a hot reading. Transmissions take 10-15 minutes of normal driving to get up to normal operating temperature. In more modern cars I've driven which detailed electronic temp readouts, I can watch. Engine oil temp is at 225 degrees, coolant is at 200, transmission is at 107. You may have only gotten a "lukewarm" reading.

This is actually why many people don't wait long enough before driving their cars in a... spirited manner. "my car is warm so I can dog it" usually means their engine coolant is up to the correct temperature, but that has no relationship to the other oil systems within the car. The transmission could still be at 107 degrees and the differential could still be cold. Aggressive driving could cause accelerated wear as the lubricants aren't protecting them nearly as much as when they are at normal operating temperature. It's fine to poodle around at 2000 revs driving normally when the car is cold because that is a very low-load environment, but even mid throttle high load hard shifting environments you really should wait until things are properly warmed up. In sports cars I drive, its very common for me to wait 15 minutes before I approach anything near full throttle or a fast shift if it's a manual.

Sherl

This thread is now resolved. It just required a fluid flush. Here is the outcome
Take it to service shop or DIY for transmission fluid - Page 2 - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion