I had my transmission fluid changed recently by an honest and knowledgeable guy with an excellent reputation. Before the fluid change, I had experienced no problems whatsoever with my 4WD transmission, despite the 200+ K miles on it. After the change, I was unable to shift into second gear in cold weather. I took it back and he changed the fluid out for synthetic transmission fluid (the brand/weight I don?t know). It?s now just as bad if not worse.
In less than two weeks, I had planned to move 4000 miles away and start school. If I (suddenly and unexpectedly) need a new transmission, that could well ruin those life plans. My mechanic has lots of Toyota experience and I have no reason to believe he would do something wrong, but the transmission worked fine for the last 10 years until this fluid change.
The other gears are not a problem, and when the truck is motionless, the gearshift moves easily into all gears, including second gear. I can literally move the gearshift using two fingers. If the truck is moving (even rolling in neutral), the gearshift becomes difficult to shift into second gear, requiring muscle to force it into second gear. This is worst in the cold (40 F and below) and improves as the truck warms. But it was never been an issue before, even in temps such as -20F.
I?m simultaneously freaking and hoping that something relatively simple might be happening here.
I take it your truck has a manual transmission. Perhaps this is a coincidence that your trans just conked out at the same time it was serviced. I would would go to a Toyota dealer and get the Toyota brand manual trans fluid and have the fluid changed yet again. This way you have the known proper fluid. If your problem persist then you need to have a trans shop check out your transmission. It seems the 2nd gear synchro is not working.
I have a Honda Civic with a 5 spd manual. Honda says you can use 10W-30 motor oil as a substitute for the Honda brand manual trans fluid. It further states the 10W-30 should be drained out as soon as possible and the Honda brand trans fluid be used to refill the trans. If your Toyota trans is as picky about fluid as my Honda perhaps whatever your mechanic is putting in there isn’t what you truck likes.
There’s no plausible relationship with a mere fluid change and an INOPERATIVE manual transmission over such a short span.
Is this an Asin Warner trans? It sounds like my AX15 AW in my Jeep Wrangler. It spec’s GL3 synthetic fluid. Even with the OEM (which is the GL3 synthetic from Mopar) 2nd gear is notchy and reluctant in colder weather. MOPAR was the only source for a bona fide GL3 fluid in North American …synthetic or otherwise. There are plenty of alternatives, but they tend to be of higher viscosity and therefore react even worse as temps drop.
Anything with the MT rating is suitable for the soft metals in the trans.
This sounds like more of a clutch problem to me due to failing hydraulics such as a clutch master and/or slave cylinder.
I was thinking the same as ok4450 - have the clutch checked out.