Transmission/Driveline problem.

[JackG23]

Hello, long time listener first time poster!! I picked up my TRD Off Road non-hybrid in March and just crossed 7k miles. I have always felt that the transmission feels very choppy in low gears. In city driving I get lots of jerking and bucking movement when coming on and off the gas. One thing I have noticed that when I’m cruising at a steady speed, when I take my foot off and back on the gas I feel a slight thud/thump. Feels like there is some slack in the driveline that’s being taken out when I get back on the gas. I notice it more when I’m cruising under 1500rpms but it happens pretty consistently at various speeds. Sometimes I feel the jerk when coming off the gas but more so when getting back on.

Another thing I’m experiencing is when I’m slowing down and approaching a stop, the last downshift is always very firm and sometimes quite harsh. I mentioned it to my dealer during my 5k service but as usual they were no help.

Are you experiencing the same thing? I’m not sure if I have a transmission issue or something in my driveline.

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[Fishing]

what mode are you driving in?

 

[JackG23]

what mode are you driving in?

I'm driving in Normal mode.

 

[ah4rsr5]

Yup! me too... i noticed the same thing and been told its not normal... but im beginning to think it's normal because i found other instances with other trucks. You have a two piece driveshaft, the clunk you hear is normal play in the driveline being taken up quickly and being amplified by the large hollow tubes of the driveshaft

 

[JackG23]

Yup! me too... i noticed the same thing and been told its not normal... but im beginning to think it's normal because i found other instances with other trucks. You have a two piece driveshaft, the clunk you hear is normal play in the driveline being taken up quickly and being amplified by the large hollow tubes of the driveshaft

Yea makes sense but should there really be that much slack on a brand new vehicle? Maybe I’ll try greasing the driveshaft and see if that helps. I really want to check the transmission oil condition and level but not sure if it’s a good idea with warranty.

 

[ah4rsr5]

Yea makes sense but should there really be that much slack on a brand new vehicle? Maybe I’ll try greasing the driveshaft and see if that helps. I really want to check the transmission oil condition and level but not sure if it’s a good idea with warranty.

let me know how it goes after you grease it.... I'm curious if that would resolve anything

 

[JackG23]

let me know how it goes after you grease it.... I'm curious if that would resolve anything

will do. I'm going to take it back to the dealer tomorrow to have them look at it again before I do anything.

 

[Burgi]

Yup! me too... i noticed the same thing and been told its not normal... but im beginning to think it's normal because i found other instances with other trucks. You have a two piece driveshaft, the clunk you hear is normal play in the driveline being taken up quickly and being amplified by the large hollow tubes of the driveshaft

My sr5 has a one piece driveshaft.

 

[ah4rsr5]

My sr5 has a one piece driveshaft.

Oh I may be mistaken w the Tacoma driveline? This was what I was told by a Tacoma owner

 

[FoozGrind]

Mine does it to. Was annoying in school zones or when I am dropping the kid off in line going slow. It’s better eco but I feel like it should be good in normal mode not just eco. I think even sport it’s better.

 

[OnePunchPan]

Mine does it to. Was annoying in school zones or when I am dropping the kid off in line going slow. It’s better eco but I feel like it should be good in normal mode not just eco. I think even sport it’s better.

Can confirm that this happens less in sports mode. I've kinda started using sport by default because of how it feels. I'll shift over to comfort if needed for shittier roads, but generally I like to stick with Sport.

I thought the sweet spot would be a custom drive mode with comfort suspension and sport steering + drivetrain, but that came with its own set of issues.

For some reason, the shifting in my custom drive mode is not as smooth as the sport drive mode. Very odd.

 

[JackG23]

I went back to the dealer and they told me they couldn’t recreate any of my problems. I’m very disappointed in the whole experience. When I went to pick up my truck I asked to go on a drive with the tech and they told me NO there is no time. I got a pair of crush washers and a quart of transmission fluid and will check the level and oil this weekend. I’m also going to drop the driveshaft and grease the slip joint. Absolute bullshit that I’m having to do this on a brand new $55k vehicle.

 

[balong48]

Sadly a clunky shift from 2-1 while coming to a stop seems normal on all Toyota 8-speeds(AL80 in BOF vehicles, UA80 in others). I’ve seen reports of it on the Tacoma (AL80) forums for it and my wife’s RAV4 does it (UA80).

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