Acceleration issues in 2nd Gear - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Musicman555 · 04-20-2011, 10:44 AM

I just starting feeling my Avalon pull or drag when it shifts to 2nd gear the past few days. It kind of feels like the spark plugs but I am not certain. The engine seems a bit louder in second and I only get about 2/3 acceleration for a little bit then when it shifts to 3rd if feels normal again. It seems to be worse after a cold start and after the engine warms up it gets better but never completely goes away. I only notice it in 2nd gear. It is a 2000 with 134,000 miles on it and has been great so far. I've done all regular maintenance on it myself (fluids, filters etc...) and have cleaned out the IAC valve. I am leaning towards replacing the spark plugs but wanted to know if there way anything else I could check out before taking on that frustrating job. Thanks!

***HATEnFATE*** · 04-22-2011, 12:46 PM

When was the last time the plugs were replaced in the car?

Musicman555 · 04-26-2011, 09:40 AM

They were done about 35,000 miles ago... It's not that long ago so that is why I am hesitant to change them without exploring other options first. At times it really feels like spark plugs and other days it just feels sluggish in a couple gears (mainly first and second) like something is clogged or holding it back. Fluids have been changed regularly with top notch stuff and every bit of regular maintenance has been done on time (except my fuel filter which I'm changing today, the previous owner had not changed it in over 100,000 miles and it has been a bear to get that sucker off).

***HATEnFATE*** · 04-26-2011, 02:50 PM

I know the feeling of changing the jammed fuel filter. I have a 96 with 150k on it. I recently had to change all my fuel lines and brake lines going to the rear due to rust on them and I couldn't split the line on the lower side of the filter. I ended up having to cut the line out with the filter on top. Anyways............

I know you said the plugs were just replaced, how about the wires? They get hot and after awhile, they get weak too. MAF dirty? Vacuum leaks? Dirty throttle body? lots of little things...check the easy stuff first.

Pull a front plug and see how they look first. It'll give you an indication of what the other 5 look like.

Musicman555 · 04-26-2011, 03:50 PM

I just finished changing the fuel filter and I'll tell you it was a pain! I ended up having to use vice grips to get a hold of the bolt on the bottom because it was going to strip if I kept at it with the wrench. I got that sucker off but I will not be changing that filter again because if I do I will have to do the whole brake line because I mangled the bolt a little bit getting the new filter on. If the old filter lasted over 134k I think I will be ok with this one for a while. Anyways, I digress...

I have cleaned the throttle body recently (I am a bit OCD when it comes to cleanliness in the engine compartment and any part I can get my hands on safely) but will try to get some electrical spray/cleaner for the MAF sensor this weekend. I'm not sure if the wires were done when the plugs were replaced. I will have to check the records the previous owner gave me. The guy was an airline mechanic and did all the work on it himself and kept good records so I have to think that he would have replaced the wires while doing that job. Good idea also on pulling a front plug for inspection before committing to the whole job. I am a gung ho kind of DIY guy and I dive in head first on my jobs when I could take a step back and do it an easier way if I put more thought into it. That's why I love coming to these forums. It gives me great ideas and the people have been very helpful.

Musicman555 · 05-02-2011, 11:09 AM

Well my problem has seemingly gone away. After replacing the fuel filter and giving the MAF a cleaning the car accelerates as smoothly as before.

While I was on a role this weekend I decided to drop the transmission pan and check out the filter/screen under there since the tranny has never been serviced except for my drain and fills a couple months ago, and let me tell you I was shocked. 134k and the filter was as clean as could be (it had a little bit of dirt/grime on the outside but nothing built up in the screen), the pan was relatively clean, and no metal shavings or anything built up on the magnets in the pan. I scrubbed the pan since I did all the work to remove it but man, this has been a great car.