2002 Camry V6 Auto. Dies when put in drive

[tashier]

Hi,

I have a 02 Camry that I just towed to my house. It seems to run fine but once it's put in drive it almost instantly dies. You can put it in reverse just fine. The trans fluid looks pretty brown/old. I do not have a lot of experience with auto transmissions but I am an experienced mechanic on cars, motorcycles and Ferraris.

If anybody could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it.

Sean

[Eye8Pussies]

does it sputter and then die? or it just dies?

if you give it gas, will it still die?


and if the tranny fluid looks bad, I'd change that first and then see what happens

[tashier]

It just dies like it's under too much load. Giving gas doesnt help. It dies almost instantly. However, as I mentioned in Reverse it doesn't do it. I am planning on changing the fluid and the strainer but wanted to see if anyone knew anything that may cause that before potentially wasting time changing the fluid on a possibly dead tranny.

[msrdude]

Yeah, I would try to replace the tranny fluid first to see what happens. that is the cheapest n easiest solution to try out right now.

So you say when it goes on "D" it dies. But what about the other gears below "D" like "3, 2, 1/L" Does the car die too?

[tashier]

OK, first of all I was way off. It's a 92, not an 02. LOL. Not sure what I was thinking, wrong decade.

When I got the car home I then tried it again. This time it went into drive and stayed running. However, when I accelerate it lurches terribly. If I accelerate very slowly and gradually it doesn't do it, anything aggressive and it starts to lurch and won't stop until I let off the gas.

I found a bad engine mount, the dogbone up on top of the engine near the shock tower and replaced that. Seems to be slighly better but will still lurch. I am thinking maybe another bad engine mount somewhere else?

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by tashier

OK, first of all I was way off. It's a 92, not an 02. LOL. Not sure what I was thinking, wrong decade.

When I got the car home I then tried it again. This time it went into drive and stayed running. However, when I accelerate it lurches terribly. If I accelerate very slowly and gradually it doesn't do it, anything aggressive and it starts to lurch and won't stop until I let off the gas.

I found a bad engine mount, the dogbone up on top of the engine near the shock tower and replaced that. Seems to be slighly better but will still lurch. I am thinking maybe another bad engine mount somewhere else?

If the dogbone is shot, it's a sure bet the front mount is toast (almost always the front mount starts allowing too much movement, which kills the dogbone). I don't think I've ever seen a bad engine mount cause the symptoms you're seeing, 'tho.

As a diagnostic, have someone put the car into D with the foot on the brake, pop the throttle and see how much engine movement you see. Same for R. For the mounts to be causing the problem you're seeing, I'd expect to see insane amounts of engine movement (like a foot or more, instead of the expected few inches).

[tashier]

Originally Posted by hill8570

If the dogbone is shot, it's a sure bet the front mount is toast (almost always the front mount starts allowing too much movement, which kills the dogbone). I don't think I've ever seen a bad engine mount cause the symptoms you're seeing, 'tho.

As a diagnostic, have someone put the car into D with the foot on the brake, pop the throttle and see how much engine movement you see. Same for R. For the mounts to be causing the problem you're seeing, I'd expect to see insane amounts of engine movement (like a foot or more, instead of the expected few inches).

Engine move a foot? LOL. It would be jumping out of the engine compartment if that were the case. It does move around a couple inches during that test but certainly not a foot. I am planning on replacing the front engine mount at this point. We'll see what happens.

[JohnGD]

Jack the front up. Start the engine and put in in gear. Does it do that now? If no I'd suspect the torque converter.

Just be careful the car doesn't knock itself off the stands.

Originally Posted by tashier

OK, first of all I was way off. It's a 92, not an 02. LOL. Not sure what I was thinking, wrong decade.

When I got the car home I then tried it again. This time it went into drive and stayed running. However, when I accelerate it lurches terribly. If I accelerate very slowly and gradually it doesn't do it, anything aggressive and it starts to lurch and won't stop until I let off the gas.

I found a bad engine mount, the dogbone up on top of the engine near the shock tower and replaced that. Seems to be slighly better but will still lurch. I am thinking maybe another bad engine mount somewhere else?

[tashier]

I figured out all my problems. Both the front engine mount and the dogbone mount were toast. Also the boot from the MAP sensor was cracked. When the engine was moving around in the engine compartment this would open and close the crack on the boot causing the engine to run/stall/run/stall as the engine lurched and moved. Problem solved.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by tashier

I figured out all my problems. Both the front engine mount and the dogbone mount were toast. Also the boot from the MAP sensor was cracked. When the engine was moving around in the engine compartment this would open and close the crack on the boot causing the engine to run/stall/run/stall as the engine lurched and moved. Problem solved.

Sweet! Awesome troubleshooting! How'd you narrow down to the MAP? Just happen to see the wire pulling loose as you revved the engine?

[tashier]

Originally Posted by hill8570

Sweet! Awesome troubleshooting! How'd you narrow down to the MAP? Just happen to see the wire pulling loose as you revved the engine?

It wasn't the wire to the MAP, it was the boot that leads from the MAP to the throttle body. I had read that these things cracked so I checked it.