Not finding gear

[Bens101x]

I've recently bought a 2009 Toyota Aurion Touring model it's great car no problems only thing I've noticed is when I'm doing about 55 60kms it seems to have trouble getting into gear 

Has anyone else experienced this 

[Tony Prodigy]

4 hours ago, bens1x said:

only thing I've noticed is when I'm doing about 55 60kms it seems to have trouble getting into gear 

Hi Ben, I'm assuming you mean it struggles to shift at the speed you indicated. 

Well, my first thought would be your service history. Does the car have a service history and more to the point, something to tell you the transmission has been serviced too ?
Not knowing how many kays are on it, one can assume it's most likely never had a transmission service if it's acting up the way you describe and that would be the first thing I'd attend to. If you are handy and don't mind a bit of DIY, we can assist you on how to service it yourself. If not, then you'll need to find a suitably qualified transmission service centre who knows what to do. These transmissions require a certain procedure be followed for optimal results.

[AurionX2]

Sounds like it's 4 to 5th gear? Can you replicate it reliably once the engine has warmed up? Does it feel like it flares up, do you see the rpms going up swiftly by 200-300 before it engages the next gear? These POS transmissions can be very temperamental when cold and the lack of service (sealed for life, NOT) won't do any good. Ks done and service history are important here, as Tony said.

Edited May 26, 2021 by AurionX2

[Mase TRD]

Tony and X2 are both correct these gearboxes need attendance to and you will notice that if it is a vehicle that has not had attention paid to its transmission services. Then unfortunately once opened up you will instantly see two magnets in there and you want to pray really hard it hasn’t got to the stage where those two magnets have collected a ****load of micro tiny metal shavings due to negligence. Because then u might be up for a overhaul 

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, Mase TRD said:

those two magnets have collected a ****load of micro tiny metal shavings due to negligence. Because then u might be up for a overhaul 

The magnets are primarily there to collect any metal shavings left over from the manufacturing process. to stop these from moving around the various parts of the working parts. During machining and assembly there is no time to meticulously clean the casings so they pop those magnets in to do the potential clean up. The added bonus of the magnets is that they will also mop up the material being shed by transmission as it ages especially when it has had a lack of servicing and potentially some abuse too. 

When I did my transmission service, my magnets had collected some fine material even though my fluid was still reddish and never abused. It's quite normal.

[Tony Prodigy]

7 hours ago, AurionX2 said:

These POS transmissions can be very temperamental when cold and the lack of service (sealed for life, NOT) won't do any good. Ks done and service history are important

They are actually a decent transmission. The important thing to remember is to have it serviced periodically and don't abuse it. It's not a performance car even though the 2GR-FE is very powerful. It needs to be driven sensibly to get the best out of it.

[AurionX2]

17 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

They are actually a decent transmission. The important thing to remember is to have it serviced periodically and don't abuse it. It's not a performance car even though the 2GR-FE is very powerful. It needs to be driven sensibly to get the best out of it.

Yeah look, they're not exactly complete rubbish these U660E, but they have some design faults which may cause issues in normal use if not serviced. For example the fact that they used weak casing material that is known to cause excessive wear around a bearing due to not being able to withstand the engine torque is notorious. They're not exactly built to be thrashed, you know, floored from the lights 🙂

https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/2007-v6-camry-transmission-slipping.809650/#post-7252186

https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/toyotas-aging-front-wheel-drive-six-speeds-common-issues-with-the-u660e-and-u760e-transmissions/

If serviced properly and not abused they surely can outlast the rest of the car. If -:)

[AurionX2]

19 hours ago, Mase TRD said:

Tony and X2 are both correct these gearboxes need attendance to and you will notice that if it is a vehicle that has not had attention paid to its transmission services. Then unfortunately once opened up you will instantly see two magnets in there and you want to pray really hard it hasn’t got to the stage where those two magnets have collected a ****load of micro tiny metal shavings due to negligence. Because then u might be up for a overhaul 

As Tony said, the 2 magnets are there to collect the shavings. When I've first dropped the pan on each of my 2 Aurions (2008 and 2013) the mags were completely covered in that very fine powder. No big deal, both are still shifting very well, the 2008 one has recently passed the 200000kms milestone and doesn't show any signs it needs a break. You're spot on, they need some TLC and I know if I take care of them they'll take care of us as well.

Edited May 27, 2021 by AurionX2