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2007 FJ transmission "shudder"

164K views 123 replies 61 participants last post by  dgodesky 
#1 ·
I've read the thread on this and something is not quite adding up
I have a 2007 that I have owned since it was new. Now I'm at 77K miles and a "shudder" that felt like torque convert lock up starts happening. I had recently changed the battery and the Technician at our local Toyota dealer said that the power interruption might have had something to do with it. So the Tech reset the Computer and the shudder stopped. Now 4 weeks later it has returned.
This only happens in 4D at around 20 to 40 mph with RPM around 1200-1500.
if I switch it to 4 it goes away. If this was mechanical failure wouldn't it still shudder? I think it must be the computer. I wanted to change to synthetic fluid at around 30K miles but dealership recommended not. "fluid is good to 100K miles" they said.
My FJ is equipt with Diff Lock and Atrac. but of course I dont drive this way unless needed.

Thanks in advance.
Ray
 
#75 ·
My cousin's 2007 FJ had this shutter as well. He did a transmission flush at the dealer and it went away. I had a 2007 (now have a 2014 TTUE), and it never had that issue. I had a friend who had the shutter on his 2007 FJ. He drove it for 238,000 miles before trading it and lived with it. Never gave up the ghost.
 
#78 ·
Just a flush. An ECU flash or re-flash is only needed is there is a TSB which says the flash is required. This reprograms the ECU with the latest software.

A complete flush is when you add ATF until the fluid runs clear and red. This requires from 15 to 20 quarts of oil depending on the condition of the old fluid.
 
#79 ·
There is really no reason to drop the pan unless you suspect there is internal damage. If you are just doing maintenance leave the pan alone. The filter inside is just a screen which never needs replacing.
 
#81 ·
I've been having this problem for about 1 month now and have spoken to a bunch of people about this. 07 FJ with 122k miles and hoping to keep it for years to come.

I've heard doing a flush is sometimes the worst possible thing you can do because you could actually make things worse, which is why I've done nothing so far to fix the problem. A bunch of people are telling me to replace Torque converter but that alone is about a $700 job from someone I know locally thats a Toyota Certified Tech.

I just don't know what to do at this point... If I let it go and not do anything about it I know it's going to get worse over time, but if I mess around with it now (complete flush, TC replaced, draining ATF) a new transmission might have to be bought...

Sorry if the above was confusing but any suggestions?
 
#84 ·
Mike,

Have you taken the time to read this whole thread? You will hear all kinds of BS from 'Expurts' on the internet and whole 'Bunches" of people around town. The simple truth is this is a wives tale that flushing your transmission will make it worse. This wives tale originated back in the 60's when ATF would turn to varnish. This simply doesn't happen these days. ATF is totally different now and does not turn to varnish. 40 years ago you could make a transmission worse by flushing the system. The varnish would melt from the detergents in the new fluid. This would clog the filter and the trans would fail. That's how the urban myth started and it has been kept alive by people who don't understand how transmissions work.

So with that out of the way go get your transmission flushed. Do not buy a torque converter as your's is probably just fine. :cheers:
 
#82 ·
Cross-posting from the 'DIY Transmission Flush" thread.

So, I just wanted to share my weekend success with you all.

I had just started to experience the "Transmission Shudder" problem.

Anyway, before going out at starting to shop around for a new transmission, as per Toyota's suggestion, I read up on doing the flush myself.

Toyota REFUSED to do a flush, by the way. They told me a drain and fill would replace every last ounce of oil in the tranny. (but that I didn't have to do that because the fluid is lifetime)I asked them what the total dry capacity was for the transmission. Then I asked them how much fluid is needed to drain and fill. Then i asked them why the numbers were different........idiots.

So, I bought 16 litres (quarts) of fluid, and followed all of the directions in the DIY thread. Seriously, the hardest part of the whole job was angling my pliers correctly to loosen the lower fluid hose clamp on the radiator.

Anyway, I chose to drain my pan first, so the dirty fluid in it wouldn't immediately dilute the new fluid. Approx 3 litres came out, so I first put 3 litres back in, then went through 4 or 5 rounds of engine starts, draining and replacing 2 litres of fluid at a time.

My old fluid really wasn't that bad. It was still definitely red, but certainly a lot darker than the new stuff. After about 12 litres, the fluid coming out was as good as the new stuff going in.

So at that point, we put everything back together, took the truck for a quick spin to warm up the transmission, and topped it up. It took almost another litre to get it full.

So, in the end, I've got one litre left over, a successfully flushed transmission, which, after about 50 miles of driving, hasn't shuddered once.

Thanks all for the great info!
 
#85 ·
I have been having a shudder problem for some time now, so I took it to the dealer. I just got off the phone with the Toyota technician at the local dealership. He said that the fluid level in the transmission was low but even after a refill, there was still a shudder. The solution to fixing the problem would be to replace the transmission. In his five years of working for Toyota he has never seen a FJ transmission problem. He implied that it was only my vehicle. So my 2007 FJ with 139,000 miles, (that has been spoiled and never abused), now needs a new transmission at the tune of $5,000.00.
 
#86 ·
Blasphemy! Have you read this whole thread? I suggest you do and take it from there. Dealerships are in business to make money. They do not want to repair an out of warranty truck when they can fix it by selling a $5000 transmission.
 
#88 ·
Just bought a 08 FJC and it has the dreaded shudder at around 1500 RPMs from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th gear, although not too bad yet, its just a slight shudder and it'll shift. When it gets warmed up, it's fine and only does it occasionally. I will be doing a full on flush as recommended and will come back with results. I hope the flush does the job as I just bought this rig.

My first FJC had the shudder and the trans was replaced under warranty at 40k miles, never had any other problems after that all the way to 160k miles when I traded her in.
 
#89 ·
Hello. I just researched this shuttering condition for the A650F trans. Don't know if anyone found this site, but check it out. Appears to describe the symptoms, the reason, and how to fix it.

Oversized Lockup Relay Valve Kit - 147741-07K - Sonnax

Check it out. Sonnax is the manufacturer, check out their local distributors and see what they have to say about this fix.
 
#92 ·
This valve will fix a worn out valve body where the relay valve wears out the bore. This fix requires a reamer and a valve body holding fixture. This is not a do it yourself project. Trying to ream the bore without the fixture usually results in a damaged bore which renders the valve body useless. These bores normally don't wear out until very high mileage. over 200K usually.
 
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#93 ·
I am experiencing this issue with my FJ Cruiser, make sure you call the number on the owner's manual to report this issue and maybe get some assistance or reimbursed for any financial money to this problem. We need to make them aware of this situation and document it because it was a defect that they knew about but hasn't received that many complaints from the customers experiencing this issue. Phone number to call is 1800-331-4331.
 
#98 ·
My 2007 just hit 120,000 miles and I’ve towed heavy trailers since about 27,000 miles when I bought it. When I mean heavy I mean 2000-5000 lbs and probably more. So heavy for the fj. I had my trans flushed at 59k at Toyota, and had the pan dropped and did the filter and fluid change at 112k. The atf looked very good last time. The transmission shop that changed my filter said they’ve come to the conclusion that the a750f (and other Toyota transmissions that use world standard) need to have the fluid changed every 50k because it starts to loose its properties around that time. I hope they’re right, so far my transmission has been flawless but all this shudder talk makes me nervous. I do have a large trans cooler too though.


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#99 ·
I realize this isn't the drain/flush all the trans fluid out thread, but I too had the slight shudder and trans kinda hang up not shifting once out on the freeway at times (merge onto the freeway rolling about 65-70 mph ) let off the gas to set CC and the trans would hang in 4th then finally shift into 5th/OD.

O8 with 90K on the OD and needing to do fluid changes, I started reading all the post here about the drain refill to remove the trans cooler line and do the 12-16 qrt flush.

Got 12 qrts of Toy WS read and re-read the posts , The clear hoses attached, 3 5qrt jugs marked out at 2 qrt spots proceeded do do the flush.
Worked great by cycling eng on/off for about 30 second or so . Two qrts out two qrts in.
At the draining 4 -6-8 qrts did the cycle through each gear pausing at each gear.
At ten qrts , was looking pretty good , two qrts to go. .

Now this is where I did the bonehead move.

Since the trans fluid was registering 149 on my IR gun I thought ok let it cool down.
Bad mistake, should of let it completely cool down then warm back up to 115.

Since its been 100 plus here lately figured it cooling down to 115 I'd be ok.
When it registered 112-115 on the IR gun pointed at the front, middle and rear of the trans pan figured it was good to go , I fired up the FJ , removed the check plug and trans fluid came shooting out !!
Aimed the IF at the pan right by the plug hole 145 S O B !!! I put the plug back in real quick , but lost about 3/4 qrt...

Bonehead mistake #2 NO the eng wasn't running when I was checking the temps on the trans pan cooling down...

Since I didn't have anymore Toy WS and it being a Sunday late afternoon, I cleaned up for the night.
Next morning went down and got another qrt.
This time let it warm up to 115 , removed the plug and nothing came out .
Had the Mrs pour the fluid in while I kept pointing the IF at the pan in different areas. Yep it took 3/4 qrt before it started to dribble out of the hole.

Reinstalled the plug, trq to spec, removed the clear hose, installed the fill plug and trq it to specs.
Cleaned up and took the FJ out for a road test , could instantly tell a difference the shifts felt better, I couldn't get it to hang up once out on the freeway.
The shudder wouldn't do it every time so was hoping it would take care of that.

Its now been a couple weeks since we did the trans flush and not once has it shuddered, taking off from a stop feels stronger and quicker , trans shifts so much better.

A big thanks for every bodies right ups and comments.

This was the first trans fluid change/flush out, the fluid was a little dark ,but not like alot described theirs looked like.

Same with the coolant fluid, I read posts here and did the coolant /distilled water flush and put in new coolant , the plugs on each side of the block was a little hard to get at, but got it done.
Once again thanks to the right ups and comments here .
 
#100 ·
I have an 07 with 86k miles. So far mine does not shudder. Im am however very interested in doing some preventative maintenance. Im wondering if in the case of these transmissions its a good option to have a transmission shop do an actual FLUSH. I know, on every other car forum a trans flush is a big nono. Possibility of lodging particulates in tight places because of a flush.

It seems the life time trans fluid in our 5 spd units is universally known to not be good for the life of the vehicle. It also seems many folks are having good results by changing out the old fluid for new, several times so as to get a majority of good fresh fluid in there 2 or 3 quarts at a time. Seems like a waste of time and an incomplete way to get fresh fluid in there.

On another note, there is some opinion that these transmissions will work with dexIV which is thicker than the toyota fluid. Any proof positive or negative on this?

Im just wanting to address the shuddering issue before it rears its ugly head on my vehicle. I think changing all the fluid to fresh, and or improved fluid will be the key to a happy long life transmission.
 
#101 ·
The reason the Flush is a nono in most transmission shops is that customers bring a vehicle in for a flush and say there is no transmission problem when in fact there is a problem. When there is a problem like this the trans shop ends up in litigation.

There is no lifetime fluid in ANY transmission in any car line. Even if there were an overheat situation would kill the lifetime fluid anyway. So always service your automatic transmission on any and all your vehicles. This is cheap insurance.

The best way is always a complete flush all at once. Doing the individual 3-quart drops is a waste of time and is messy.

Have fun!
 
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#102 ·
New fj owner here. I recently got one w 115k miles and I’ve noticed the shudder... happens around 15-15 mph. A subtle feel, but happens every time. I called my transmission guy and he said it sounded like u joints and maybe some other rear end issues. Anyone have any thoughts on that ?
 
#103 ·
I had the same problem earlier this year on my '08 with just over 100k miles on it. I took it to the dealership just to see if they would say anything when I asked to have the transmission fluid changed. They didn't. But, it appears to have solved the problem. The cost was $341.77. I had to sign a statement saying "customer understands fully that this may help or hurt the transmission".
 
#104 ·
Hi all I have a 2007 fj cruiser and experienced some shuddering at 160000. Took it to a transmission shop and they advised it was not a transmission problem and told me to have the mass airflow sensor and throttle body cleane. It cost me $20 for both cleaners and about 45 min of my time. Problem is now gone. It has been 6 months since I cleaned what was recommended. I haven’t had a problem since.
 
#106 · (Edited)
jimmiee: The reason the Flush is a nono in most transmission shops is that customers bring a vehicle in for a flush and say there is no transmission problem when in fact there is a problem. When there is a problem like this the trans shop ends up in litigation.

There is no lifetime fluid in ANY transmission in any car line. Even if there were an overheat situation would kill the lifetime fluid anyway. So always service your automatic transmission on any and all your vehicles. This is cheap insurance.

The best way is always a complete flush all at once. Doing the individual 3-quart drops is a waste of time and is messy.



Do you know what I should do about this shudder problem? Is it the torque converter, valve body etc.?
 
#109 ·
First things first, 'THANK-YOU TO JIMMIEE' for mentionning the flush or 'drain-refill' because that solved my problems completely!
THANK_YOU!!
My story:
I have a 2007 automatic FJ with 100k miles and at 70k miles, it started to shudder when sitting at a light in D and no shudder in neutral. Also, from 40k miles, the torque converter would give a 'kick', thunk, once in a while when sitting at a light, for no reason. I followed 'Jimmies' suggestion but I drained and refilled the entire transmission (did 12 quarts) via the return line from the radiator with instructions somewhere here and it's easy, take your time and follow the instructions....but you do have to quick once start the engine to drain cause 2 quarts gets emptied in 20 seconds.

Result:
After first 2 weeks, shudder almost gone
After 2 months, shudder totally gone.
Torque kickback at idle, never came back.
It's been over 1.5 years and no shudder at all, smooth like brand new.

From now forward, I will keep doing drain and refill 3 quarts every 15k.

As-to the dealer, the tranny fluid was pitch black and I had nothing to loose except $100 of Toyota oil as the dealer also mentioned new tranny (out of warranty) and no point to drain and flush since he advised sealed transmission for life, no service required. I did mention, 'I guess nothing wears down in this tranny, do I have a LIEFTIME warranty on the transmission?? He looked at me like I was an 'ID 10 T' !! LOL
 
#110 ·
Too any of the 07' owners with the shudder.. I dropped the pan and all fluid I could get out, replaced with Toyo Fluid. Then ran truck hard for about 150 miles and then changed just the fluid again, note it did have some grey color streaks in the fluid coming out for the 2nd time, note I have also added some Shudder Fix and have been driving without recurrence of the shudder after approx 3000 miles. Its been a year and 8000 more miles and I have just had the trans fluid changed again with adding the Shudder Fix stuff and all is well. Good Luck to all FJC'ers.
 
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