Toyota RAV4 Automatic 2003 120000 miles - Erratic problem pulling in low gears

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Tue 20 Dec 2011 10:17
Toyota RAV4 Automatic 2003 120000 miles - Erratic problem pulling in low gears - Jake63

Erratic problem pulling in low gears

The symptoms are:

1. Every now and again the car will really not like to gain speed form low speed. Other days it runs OK

2. On a few occasions the engine has raced when 1. above happens

My local garage had recently serviced the car and agreed to check it out again as the problem started after the service. They could not replicate the problem while they had it.

I have seen on mainly USA forums that

1. there was a problem sounding like this with the ECU/ECM with the RAV4 2002-04 model - excpet that they often mentioned a judder which I do not have

2. that the problem is the ECM/ECU

3. That running the car can be damaging the gearbox (though I am not sure how, or how one would know that the box has been damaged.

4. that Toyota did not want to know about the problem

My local garage suggests that this would cost £1500 to fix. But I see that a Toyota main dealer has a new unopened ECU for sale at £350 and say the normal price is £750. Forums also indicate it is not a big job to replace it. SO £1500 seems a lot?

Do I just accept that it is the ECU and get it done at main dealer prices - and what should they be?

What other cause could there be?

I have just this week been given a company car so actually I no longer need the RAV. How do I sell it? Is it worth paying for the repair and then sell it? Or can I sell it as it is? It is a runner but needs some attention.

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Tue 20 Dec 2011 12:04
Toyota RAV4 Automatic 2003 120000 miles - Erratic problem pulling in low gears - gordonbennet

We'll assume it's got enough transmission fluid, first check.

I'd get it diagnosed properly and if the price is OK fix it, if you try to sell it and disclose this fault you'll get peanuts for it, any buyer will assume the gearbox is shot and price accordingly, i would and would tend to think the car has not been looked after at all even if this isn't the case, so would only pay worse case scenario.

First place you should be going is to a preferably family owned smaller town Toyota dealer and get them to diagnose the thing properly, it might only need a transmission fluid change or it might be more involved.

What does your local garage diagnose and how do they know it will cost £1500, are they going to sub it out to an auto transmission workshop...they vary greatly.

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Wed 21 Dec 2011 12:05
Toyota RAV4 Automatic 2003 120000 miles - Erratic problem pulling in low gears - Jake63

The codes reported by the garage were

P0755 (Solenoid shaft value B)

P0750 (Solenoid shaft value A)

They said they had reset the codes. It has nor been driven since more than 100 metres (except that the garage reported driving it and not finding any sign of the problem.

The car has been thoroughly maintained at all the correct intervals

(Separately there are the error codes P0420 and P0755 which relate to the CAT warning light but the CAT is actually OK))

Edited by Jake63 on 21/12/2011 at 12:07

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