[Ethan Carr]

Okay so I have a 99 corolla of course automatic (only 140k miles) and everytime I shift into reverse or into 2nd, the whole engine jolts. And specifically going from 1st into 2nd theres a noticeable delay followed by a strong jolt, and it has nothing to do with temperature. Im not sure if its the engie or transmission specifically, but its the whole assembly. Ive alreadt replaced all engine mounts though and the transmission mount, because Ive read thats a likely problem. Right now Im replacing the timing and pistons. The pistons are for another issue, but I read somewhere that if your car is having shifting issues then its good to look at the timing. The engine burns oil like hell and thats why Im replacing the pistons, Ive read that my generation has terrible pistons.

I dont know if the pistons issue somehow links to the rough shifting but Im out of ideas at this point. Ive read it could be any issue from the O2 sensors going bad, to the damn torque converter being ruined. Theres just so many things it could be. I was hoping maybe someone could help pinpoint the issue. Im pretty sure the ATF is correct, everytime I check it its a a little below whats considered too much on the dipstick.

Some people seem to think the MAF could be causing the issue, or even a vapor solenoid, or even a shift solenoid in the tranny. Im in the middle of the job I mentioned above, so Im not sure if the problem will persist after reassembly. But if it does I was hoping to get some feedback in case it does. Does anyone know what the hell could be causing this? Any and all help is appreciated.

- Some dude whos trying to learn about cars

 

[75aces]

Did you use oem mounts?

You will need to have a helper to put the transmission into reverse and watch the rear transmission mount. Also inspect the shifter mechanism on the transmission. It could be binding and causing the jerk motion. Inspect the shift cable for play in the cup also.

 

[Ethan Carr]

Did you use oem mounts?

You will need to have a helper to put the transmission into reverse and watch the rear transmission mount. Also inspect the shifter mechanism on the transmission. It could be binding and causing the jerk motion. Inspect the shift cable for play in the cup also.

Where can I get OEM mounts? I will look into that though, about what you said with the shifter cable.

 

[75aces]

Dealership or online Toyota retailer.

 

[jjabrahams]

That jolt you speak of is usually associated with mounts. OEM mounts cost about $400 for 4 pack (4 on a 4 speed).

Aftermarket mounts will usually be stiffer then even a worn out OEM mount, and transmit equal or increased vibrations to the cabin. That being said, they should be able to still dampen the "jolt" on gear change to an acceptable level (you shouldnt see the engine trying to hurdle itself out of the engine bay every gear change), so I'd double check if everything was fastened correctly if you recently had the mounts replaced.

If everything looks fine, then if i remember correctly its $400 in parts alone for the OEM.

 

[Ethan Carr]

But when the transmission is switching from 1st into 2nd it delays and drags for an extra second (as if its hesitant to switch to 2nd or doesnt want to) and then it jolts into 2nd, and this happens regardless of temperature. And the engine also looks like it wants to jump out of the engine bay, Ive checked, even after replacing them with offbrand mounts.

 

[Ethan Carr]

Dealership or online Toyota retailer.

Where and how can I check the shifter cable for play? Also theres a delay when the car is switching from 1st to 2nd gear, is that a symptom of bad shifter cable?

 

[Ethan Carr]

That jolt you speak of is usually associated with mounts. OEM mounts cost about $400 for 4 pack (4 on a 4 speed).

Aftermarket mounts will usually be stiffer then even a worn out OEM mount, and transmit equal or increased vibrations to the cabin. That being said, they should be able to still dampen the "jolt" on gear change to an acceptable level (you shouldnt see the engine trying to hurdle itself out of the engine bay every gear change), so I'd double check if everything was fastened correctly if you recently had the mounts replaced.

If everything looks fine, then if i remember correctly its $400 in parts alone for the OEM.

But when the transmission is switching from 1st into 2nd it delays and drags for an extra second (as if its hesitant to switch to 2nd or doesnt want to) and then it jolts into 2nd, and this happens regardless of temperature. And the engine also looks like it wants to jump out of the engine bay, Ive checked, even after replacing them with offbrand mounts.

 

[75aces]

On the front of the transmission, the shifter cable is attached to a ball for the gear selector inside the transmission. Check the end for damage and play by wiggling it back and forth.

When was the most recent time your did a fill and drain on your transmission? The delay can be either the fluid viscosity or a shift solenoid. Scan the ecu to see if you have a code for the shift solenoid.

 

[Ethan Carr]

On the front of the transmission, the shifter cable is attached to a ball for the gear selector inside the transmission. Check the end for damage and play by wiggling it back and forth.

When was the most recent time your did a fill and drain on your transmission? The delay can be either the fluid viscosity or a shift solenoid. Scan the ecu to see if you have a code for the shift solenoid.

The last time I changed the ATF was about 4 months ago at around 130k ish miles. Ive read that with Toyotas around these years theyre really sesitive to the amount of ATF even if theyre a tiny bit off, cpuls that be a possibility?

 

[75aces]

Change the fluid and see if it improves.

 

[Ethan Carr]

Change the fluid and see if it improves.

How do you know if its the solenoid if its not the shifter cable, and not something else like clutch friction plates or the torque converter?

 

[Ethan Carr]

On the front of the transmission, the shifter cable is attached to a ball for the gear selector inside the transmission. Check the end for damage and play by wiggling it back and forth.

When was the most recent time your did a fill and drain on your transmission? The delay can be either the fluid viscosity or a shift solenoid. Scan the ecu to see if you have a code for the shift solenoid.

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I found the shifter cable, am I seeing if the cable has play or the ball you mentioned? Which image refers to what you were saying?

 

[75aces]

when you get to the end of the cable, it’s attached to the transmission. The boot isn’t the part to ensure it’s attached

 

[jjabrahams]

But when the transmission is switching from 1st into 2nd it delays and drags for an extra second (as if its hesitant to switch to 2nd or doesnt want to) and then it jolts into 2nd, and this happens regardless of temperature. And the engine also looks like it wants to jump out of the engine bay, Ive checked, even after replacing them with offbrand mounts.

Ok thats a bit different. Just to confirm when you say switching, do you mean manually moving the gear selector between PRND2L or do you mean when you driving down the road, the 1st to 2nd shift?

The Mounts would be more of an issue when you move the gear shifter between the PRND2L.

A hard 1st gear to 2nd gear is more of a AT issue. Do you have an idea on the service history of the ATF?

 

[jjabrahams]

Change the fluid and see if it improves.

Would that wise at this point in time? Is the current fluid allowing enough friction for the AT to operate without slipping?

 

[75aces]

Op could be looking at a tC issue or a clutch problem. If the delay is constant, it could be the valve body plugging or not sending enough fluid to operate properly. Shift linkage could be bent too. That’s what the shifter cable is connected to. To me, it can be a shift solenoid issue, but I’m not sure if the 3 speed or 4 speed had this setup in 99.

When did the issue first start occurring op?

 

[Ethan Carr]

Op could be looking at a tC issue or a clutch problem. If the delay is constant, it could be the valve body plugging or not sending enough fluid to operate properly. Shift linkage could be bent too. That’s what the shifter cable is connected to. To me, it can be a shift solenoid issue, but I’m not sure if the 3 speed or 4 speed had this setup in 99.

When did the issue first start occurring op?

Actually it started happening right after I did the last fluid change. Also its worth saying that I did do a fluid change when the car was about 110k miles, and I did a "half batch" idk but my brother told me to. Then I did a fresh batch at 130k, and thats when it started getting rough shifting into 2nd and delaying as well. But the reverse shifting was there before. That issue happened in between those two fluid changes.

 

[Ethan Carr]

Op could be looking at a tC issue or a clutch problem. If the delay is constant, it could be the valve body plugging or not sending enough fluid to operate properly. Shift linkage could be bent too. That’s what the shifter cable is connected to. To me, it can be a shift solenoid issue, but I’m not sure if the 3 speed or 4 speed had this setup in 99.

When did the issue first start occurring op?

Also I did some reading earlier, and ummm Im an idiot. So I used Dex 4 for my ATF, because Im a new driver and didnt know that ATF has different levels of thickness. And I think you saying the valve body plugging up is right on the money. Im an idiot lol.

The rough shifting was probably originally due to the engine mounts, and then I used dex 4 and than didnt make it any better, so then I replaced the engine mounts, but the reason that didnt help is because they werent OEM mounts and also I was using dex 4 with my transmission.

Thats probably whats causing the issue isnt it?

 

[Bitter]

There's no such fluid as Dexron 4, there's 3 and there's 6.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEXRON

What exactly did you put in it and have you correctly checked the level?