First time post, really hoping y'all can help me!

My teenage son's 2003 Camry recently developed a transmission leak that went undetected. He was driving the other day and it began to lose drive power and eventually just stopped moving at all. We ended up dragging it home on a dolly, which is when I found that his transmission pan was empty. The gear shifter moves freely, and the linkage is in tact. It will hold in park, but every other gear just acts like neutral. On the advice of a friend, I added a good bit of fresh fluid and tried to run it. The idea was that the leak had pumped out all the fluid from the TC, and getting some new fluid in there might get it back up and running. Well, that didn't work. I overfilled the pan a bit, ran the car, and shifted gears for a while. It doesn't appear as if the fluid is circulating at all, as the level in the pan didn't move, and the color on the fluid still looks brand new. I certainly could be wrong, but my theory right now is that the TC is empty but that the transmission isn't pumping fluid in there to fill it. Does this sound plausible? If so, what steps would you take to confirm it and locate the source? My hope is that one of the solenoids is bad, or something is clogged, and it's not something more sinister like a failed pump or bad transmission. This car has 300k miles on it, so I'm not interested in dumping a lot of $$ into it. Thanks in advance.

Josh

 

Inquirer to your son if the trans exhibited symptoms days or weeks prior to the finally issue.

With the slow leak the fluid level gets low over time and the trans might start to act up prior to totally running out of fluid. Issues like low fluid or air getting into the system due to the low fluid level causing harsh or delayed shifts, revving of engine RPM between shifts.

The issue is low fluid over time can damage the trans. This as opposed to a trans fluid line blowing and the trans running out of fluid say within 5 minutes.

If the trans was damaged it may appear to be now in neutral when it should be in gear.

You can use a ODBII scanner to check for trouble codes related to the electric solenoids. Manually shifting the trans mechanically causes the shift body valving to move.

Might drop the pan and check for a plugged intake oil screen and transmission debris from damage.

The trans is no different from any other hydraulic system. Assume the converter still has fluid as it does not self prime, the trans pump just stopped pumping. If no damage then refilling with oil should have the trans oil pump and trans working again.

You can remove a trans fluid oil line that goes to the oil cooler to directly check for oil moving and flowing out which would be a sing the trans pump is working.

Guessing the trans pump might be bad (you can check for fluid being pump) or the trans is damaged.

 

Son said it went from no problems, to slipping, to nothing within 10 minutes or so. No check engine light, but my code reader shows a pending P0741. Looks like TC clutch solenoid might fix it, if the TC isn’t ruined. Guess I’ll be ordering one and dropping the pan this weekend. I’ll look for gunk in the filter as well. I still need to do the oil line check mentioned above. Anyone have anything else within the valve body I should look at while I’m in there?

Josh

 

See private message.

 

I have same issue 2004 Camry 2.4L, P0741, Please help me out.

 

Any trans symptoms such as shuttering, hesitation, hard shifts, etc.

When was the last time the trans fluid was changed?

 

very resently Fluid and Filter change. Over 50mph Full car shake,Check Engine light comes ON P0741.If I turn OFF O/D and keep driving all the time o/d off Check engine light doesn’t come ON.

 

Were you having transmission issues before the the fluid and filter change or only after that work was done?

 

I had this issue before changed fluid and filter and didnt make any diffrence after change.

 

Some trans years/models had issues of converter lockup. Check your cars VIN for Toyota technical service bulletins on this issue.