I have the exact same model and had the same whine. My transmission was replaced under that TSB. You absolutely need to engage the Toyota District Manager for your dealership. He needs to authorize the replacement anyway. Take him for a test drive and show him the problems. Print the TSB and take it to the dealership.

 

Thanks for your encouraging response. I will take your advice and schedule an appointment with the Toyota district manager.

 

Does anyone have a copy or link to TSB 0097-13? I can only find bits and pieces online.

 

Yep, here you go:
http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/DownloadPdf?id=180887

 

BTW, they always quote you a price for diagnostics once outside the 3yr/36K mile warranty because if the issue turns out to not be covered, they can then collect their diagnostics time from you. If the issue is covered, then you don't pay anything. I too don't like this, but I can see their perspective. I've had to pay a diagnostics before because of their typical "cannot reproduce problem" which was one reason we got rid of our '05 HL. Of course, we have transmission problems with our '10 HL too and I'm just living with it since it seems to me that all the HL transmissions just don't work well (ours can't seem to shift properly at very high elevations).

 

Yeah, I'm not totally sure about this being a customer service issue. Like Moose said, the "$600 to diagnose" is the first thing they always say. Although adding "repairs are a normal part of ownership" is a REALLY odd thing to tack on to that statement. If they reproduce and diagnose it to the TSB, you won't pay for the diagnosis.

I got the same thing with my air-bag spiral cable when the light first went off. Luckily for me they decided to take my cable and send it to Toyota labs to be one of the ones they tested, so the diagnosis fee was waived. They obviously knew it was a problem, and didn't want to charge me $600 to diagnose a bad cable that was just going to be a recall issue a few months later. The service guys know the TSB is likely the problem. Still though, "600 to diagnose" was the first thing out of the guy's mouth.

Maybe it was just a bad conversation between you and the service tech or phone/counter person? I'd play dumb a little when they call back, bring in the TSB, and ask them to confirm that you'll pay nothing if it is found to be the problem.

 

Cool beans, thanks.

Does anyone know what all the "protective tape" is for? Just prying up the panels? They show all the clips like you're supposed to add it to them. Like they are a part of the whine.

I wonder if I could just give my wheel shop to give me a weight...

 

I want to know why they are putting wheel weights right there? What is that even on and what could the weights possibly have to do with a transmission whine?

Crazy

 

The whine must transmit through a harmonic frequency in the frame. This must stop it... or at least the frame component of it.

 

The weights add mass to the panel and change its resonant frequency. Metal panels can act like speakers if vibrated particular ways, this obviously shifts it farther out of that "danger" zone.

I ordered a cheap set of wheel weights last night, I'm going to see what effect adding the weights do to a car that definitely whines. At $5, its too cheap not to try, but I doubt it will do anything substantial. End of the day, the gears are improperly honed.

 

That makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is if they are replacing the transmission with a new one that doesn't have the problem, why put the wheel weights on? It almost seems like they should first try the wheel weights to see if it fixes the noise and if not, then replace the tranny. You and others say that you have had the whine for a very long time with no ill effects. I'm surprised that Toyota wouldn't want to first see if they can just eliminate the noise if there isn't any actual "problem" with the tranny itself.

Weird.

 

My 2011 transmission was replaced at 80,000 miles. Glad I purchased a certified pre-owned Toyota that extended the warranty from 60,000 to 100,000 miles. The dealer was aware of the TSB. To rule out tire noise, they mounted temporary (new) tires. Mine were cupped and made noise. Then they attached a scope to the frame and road tested (listening through headphones). The diagnosis was full replacement under the TSB. Thank for Arries 289 for the advice and copy of the TSB.

 

Insurance, for sure. Even if the new transaxle is still a little whiney, the fact that the body isn't vibrating along with it is going to convince most owners that the problem is gone... or at least enough better enough not to bring it back. It's a great little add on considering it only costs a few bucks/minutes to install.

 

so forgot to post this.

I put the weights in this weekend. It may have made it a little quieter, but the whine is definitely there. I think it simply prevents that part of the chassis from amplifying the noise.

 

Thanks for the update. What was all that tape in the TSB for? Just to protect where you are prying up the console?

 

On my '15 RAV4 XLE there's a removable metal rod added to the exhaust system by the muffler - it serves no purpose other than to detune/eliminate vibrations from under the vehicle.

If there are weights on the tranny too, no one has ever mentioned anything about them.


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im having a slightly different problem just today i noticed that when shifting into 5th gear the tranny has 2 step jerk to it its not violent but its noticeable and if i manually downshift from 4 to 3 it has a delay even if im at a red light and put it into neutral then into drive there is a delay same for park to drive but no whine any ideas i want to change the fluid but idk yet any suggestion 2012 v6 2wd 55,000 miles please excuse the grammer

 

I have noticed this morning that if I have to slow down kinda fast about half pedal the tranny jerks into lower gear
And if I'm on the highway and accelerate moderately to down shit into 3rd ( in D ) it seems perfect
And it runs smooth and pulls strong
After it's on the highway at normal speeds
Any help would be great thx
Pls excuse the grammar


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as an update took it to my dealer and it turned out to be a bad tranny and when i took it the car had at best 20 hp and jurked the car so bad back wheels came off the ground for a split second
unnder warrenty

 

Any more details besides you blew the trans? Ie what failed (gears, pneumatics, clutches)?


They give you one of those "its because you installed the cold air intake"? :lol:

 

i had talk to them specifically about the modifications i had done and if any cost had came up give me a call before even touching my car and they had the car for 6 hours and determined it was the tranny and im not scientist but i had figured that out in 10 minutes but so far i asked over thee phone if there where any cost associated with the HL or will there be any they assured me that there would be no charge
as for what it is , i have no idea yet i will ask for details tomorrow repair will be done Friday
for all i know they will blame the subwoofer who knows

 

i had talk to them specifically about the modifications i had done and if any cost had came up give me a call before even touching my car and they had the car for 6 hours and determined it was the tranny and im not scientist but i had figured that out in 10 minutes but so far i asked over thee phone if there where any cost associated with the HL or will there be any they assured me that there would be no charge
as for what it is , i have no idea yet i will ask for details tomorrow repair will be done Friday
for all i know they will blame the subwoofer who knows

 

I also have the noise at 40MPH which I thought was coming from the transmission. It is much less noticeable since I changed the transfer case and differential oil.

At 77K miles I decided it was time. Put in 75W-90 Valvoline full synthetic.

Was a very heavy coating of metal fuzz on the differential case magnet. Transfer case magnet was clean.

 

Toyota recently replaced a transmission (TSB fix) on a 2009 AWD HL with ~50K under Platinum extended warranty. The original transmission suffered from a minor whine between 35-70 mph under very light throttle load.

The new transmission sounds as if the vehicle is driven on washboard roads. I first noticed the issue while driving on the interstate after driving home from the dealer (after tranny was replaced). The issue is exasperated by cold weather and more importantly, a cold vehicle. When the vehicle warms up and weather reaches more moderate temperatures, the "washboard rumble" seems to gradually disappear. Since the weather has been warmer (above 30 degrees F), the dealer has been unable to reproduce the issue.

Has anyone else experienced this issue after a new re-manufactured transmission was installed? I believe this "new" transmission to be worse then the original low mileage unit. Perhaps the dealer forgot to add the weights underneath the shifter?

 

I know this is not the same drive train but had the same issue when letting of the throttle in the 40 mph range on a used 94 Grand Cherokee.
Ended up being the transfer case: was able to rotate the front almost 1/4 turn if held rear stationary.
Lucky I had the extended warranty because they did all this troubleshooting it before I eventually said what it was: rebuilt multiple times transmission, axles, and transfer case twice (1st replacement made too much metal shavings).
With this being the transaxle, not sure the best way to check it

 

:lol: that sounds familiar. I had a '94 4WD 5.2L V8 Grand Cherokee. Had that same whine plus a vibration (through most of speed range). That thing was a heap of junk by the time it died @ 110k miles, wasn't even worth $900. I don't thing a single system/component worked correctly by the time I junk'd it (edit: I take it back alternator still worked...rest of the electrics....not really :lol).

 

I had the 4.0, loved it, except for all the parts under the warrenty. After it was fixed, lasted me over 225k until I traded it in for a Wrangler because of large hole above the muffler from beach driving.
If I get a chance over the next few days, I'll try and see if I can figure out someway to test the transfer case.

 

I had this trans whine. Had the dealer replace the trans under warranty. Now the noise is gone.