2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

I bought my 2006 2WD 2.7 5 speed manual Tacoma new in June of 2006.

For the past 3 winters I have had difficulties shifting while the truck was cold for the first 10 km of my trips. In North Western Ontario in winter that is about as far as I usually travel. At the beginning of the ride the truck would not allow a shift into 2nd at all while moving. Then a few blocks later, 2nd could be achieved with great difficulty, grinding and protests until the truck was good and warm. The truck went into service at the local dealer about 15 times for this problem as well as a heavy clutch pedal that would stick down. They had the truck overnight about 6 times to reproduce the trouble. Many fixes were tried until last month when the entire transmission was replaced which made a profound difference. That is the good news.

The bad news is this new transmission still requires a warm up period to shift easily and smoothly. My fear is that it too will fail to the point the other transmission got to over the next few years.

I have always owned manual shift vehicles and have had no issues in 33 years. I appreciate a reliable vehicle and have always heard, read and believed that Toyotas and Tacomas were solid. My faith in my truck is shaken.

Am I the only owner to have troubles like this?

Should my transmission fail again will Toyota cover it due to my protracted problems?

What is the correct tranny oil for Canada? Should it be synthetic?

I read that Timmins is the Toyotas world cold weather testing site. Sounds promising as they get colder weather than us, but was a version of my truck fully tested there?

Please advise?

Reply 1 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Looks like you have the same truck as me. How do we manage in Canada or Colorado with just 2wd.



But no, I have not had anything like what you describe. We had -18F here last month and except for requiring a firm shift (no grinding) all gears engage no problem, I wouldn't call it difficult.



I did switch to amsoil Long Life Synthetic 75W-90 at 20K but didn't notice significant change in shift difficulty in the cold. I also didn't see any measurable mpg improvement which was the primary reason for switching to synthetic in the gear box and rear end. Any improvement was minimal.

Reply 2 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

I switched to Redline MT90 in my 5 speed and noticed a definite improvement in cold weather shifting. Redline claims to have friction modifiers to help things spin at the right speed to engage. Now I'm not saying my cold is the same as your cold. We did get below 0 F lately and the clutch was hanging down for a second when cold, the engine rattled when first started, but the trans was shifting ok. It used to be troublesome when cold from 1st to 2nd.

Reply 3 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Thanks all....just to clarify. My transmission starts shifting poorly at anything under 23 Fahrenheit or -5 Celsius.

Reply 4 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

I'll hazard to guess that everyone's manual shifts harder at below freezing. To what extent?, mine isn't difficult enough to give it any thought. Today it was 28F and I noticed it took a little more pressure to shift, wouldn't consider it a problem.

Reply 5 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

If the new tranny is under some warranty, I'd take it back. Otherwise, I'd try changing the fluid to a good synthetic and see if that helps. I put Royal Purple in mine after it was off warranty and have had no problems, even down to zero a couple weeks last Fall.

Since this has happened in two different transmissions, it sounds like you have a fluid in it that is thickening in cold weather. Did whoever changed transmissions re-use the old fluid from the first tranny, by chance? Stranger things have happened.

Reply 6 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Quote:

Originally Posted by worthywads I'll hazard to guess that everyone's manual shifts harder at below freezing. To what extent?, mine isn't difficult enough to give it any thought. Today it was 28F and I noticed it took a little more pressure to shift, wouldn't consider it a problem.

Pressure I wouldn't mind. Feeling the gears struggle to mesh is what I get.

Reply 7 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulletbutt If the new tranny is under some warranty, I'd take it back. Otherwise, I'd try changing the fluid to a good synthetic and see if that helps. I put Royal Purple in mine after it was off warranty and have had no problems, even down to zero a couple weeks last Fall. Since this has happened in two different transmissions, it sounds like you have a fluid in it that is thickening in cold weather. Did whoever changed transmissions re-use the old fluid from the first tranny, by chance? Stranger things have happened.

Warranty? Hmmmm

My powertrain warranty is up in June. I sent basically the same message to Toyota Canada Monday and haven't heard back from them. I will ask about the warranty on this transmission if/when they reply.

As for synthetic, the dealer says to leave the oil that is in there until summer and they will switch to synthetic for me. They had me pay for synthetic a month before they swapped the tranny so they owe me. Thanks!

Reply 8 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Reply from Toyota Canada...



We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience while we retrieved the information you had requested.



Please be assured that we certainly do not like to see our customers experience the frustration and inconvenience that is associated with unexpected repairs. It is the desire of Toyota Canada Inc. to provide sound, durable and reliable vehicles which will require a minimum of service and not only meet, but exceed our customers' expectations. Unfortunately, there remain instances, such as you have encountered, where difficulties will arise.



Toyota Canada Inc. has a very comprehensive warranty that will cover the costs of repairing your vehicle when a difficulty arises as the result of a manufacturing defect experienced within the parameters of the warranty. Our commitment to you is to repair your vehicle according to the terms of the Toyota's new vehicle warranty.





With regard to the transmission oil used for your 2006 Tacoma, we recommend using API GL-4 or GL-F SAE 75W-90. We have also confirmed that these are not of a synthetic base.



Concerning the cold testing procedures, various models are tested; that being said, we cannot comment which models were tested, nor can we comment on how or exactly what testing has been performed.





We thank you again for taking the time to contact us and for allowing us the opportunity to comment. Although we can neither confirm nor deny you are the first to experience these issues with the transmission installed in your specific model, a copy of your correspondence has been forwarded to the appropriate departments within Toyota Canada for their information.



So then, my reply to them is....

I have another bad transmission, I fully expect it to fail over the next few winters. You knew it there was a problem while the warranty was in effect and did not fix it, so you need to make good when it fails going forward.



Folks, I still feel the gears engaging as if the synchro's aren't working when the tranny is cold. Not good.

Reply 9 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacoma2.7 Reply from Toyota Canada... We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience while we retrieved the information you had requested. Please be assured that we certainly do not like to see our customers experience the frustration and inconvenience that is associated with unexpected repairs. It is the desire of Toyota Canada Inc. to provide sound, durable and reliable vehicles which will require a minimum of service and not only meet, but exceed our customers' expectations. Unfortunately, there remain instances, such as you have encountered, where difficulties will arise. Toyota Canada Inc. has a very comprehensive warranty that will cover the costs of repairing your vehicle when a difficulty arises as the result of a manufacturing defect experienced within the parameters of the warranty. Our commitment to you is to repair your vehicle according to the terms of the Toyota's new vehicle warranty. With regard to the transmission oil used for your 2006 Tacoma, we recommend using API GL-4 or GL-F SAE 75W-90. We have also confirmed that these are not of a synthetic base. Concerning the cold testing procedures, various models are tested; that being said, we cannot comment which models were tested, nor can we comment on how or exactly what testing has been performed. We thank you again for taking the time to contact us and for allowing us the opportunity to comment. Although we can neither confirm nor deny you are the first to experience these issues with the transmission installed in your specific model, a copy of your correspondence has been forwarded to the appropriate departments within Toyota Canada for their information. So then, my reply to them is.... I have another bad transmission, I fully expect it to fail over the next few winters. You knew it there was a problem while the warranty was in effect and did not fix it, so you need to make good when it fails going forward. Folks, I still feel the gears engaging as if the synchro's aren't working when the tranny is cold. Not good.

KEEP THE LETTERS. That way you'll be able to show them you have it ON RECORD that your tranny was having problems years ago and they chose not to acknowledge it.

Reply 10 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

KEEP THE LETTERS. That way you'll be able to show them you have it ON RECORD that your tranny was having problems years ago and they chose not to acknowledge it.

__________________

2006 super white Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport AC (19.81 MPG average)





Done! Thanks.

Reply 11 : 2.7 tacoma won't shift when cold

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacoma2.7 KEEP THE LETTERS. That way you'll be able to show them you have it ON RECORD that your tranny was having problems years ago and they chose not to acknowledge it. __________________ 2006 super white Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport AC (19.81 MPG average) Done! Thanks.

I changed the rearend fluid in my 07 before the warranty was up and we found silver fluid and a 1/4" piece of metal from something in there. I called Toyota and they said they would cover the rearend until the warranty was up, but they wouldn't authorize a dealer to open it up and inspect it because it was still under warranty and was operating fine, and they had no proof that the silver fluid and chunk of metal came from my truck...

They, like other manufacturers, put out alot of trucks, hope they will make it without problems until beyond warrantry, and then you pay for whatever goes wrong. Pretty simple, but frustrating when you know there's an impending problem and they won't look into it.



On my truck, after I'd been "abandoned" (I felt) by Toyota, I had the rearend taken out and installed a limited slip, thereby inspecting everything and once again changing to new fluid. Problem solved. But if I had just let it go, I feel it would have gone bad....sometime after the warranty expired.

One lesson learned is that it's better to take it to a dealer to have ANY work done on it while under warranty, so they can see any impending problem firsthand.

Good luck, and cover your tail with records.