Automatic gearbox selection 120 series

[tony rodaway]

Hello guys.
Don't no why I need to no this information as its automatic gearbox.
My question is how do you select the d4 and L gear in my 120 series.
I understand that the gears
D2
D3 are for towing or starting of in snow or down hill but I can't select
D4 or L and why is this and what are there purpose and when would they be used..
I could Google it but wording my question in the correct manner could still pull up some answers and leave me no better off.
I decided to ask the guys who know there stuff.

 

[Tractionman]

Hi Tony, been watching your post with interest as same vehicle is new to me, and I was hoping someone would post an answer. I was wondering if the d4 was an overdrive, as fitted to other vehicles with a switch.
When mine is idling with my foot on the brake, I can select d4, which lights on the console and dash, but when I let go of the gear lever it goes back over to D, so unless there is a fault, there is no obvious way of holding it there unless it relates to speed.
On my lj78 there is a switch on gear lever which will hold o/d on until I switch back, so I am still none the wiser like you, for what its purpose is and how it is operated. User manual not much help.
Some 120 owners must know where we are going wrong,
So could we share the secret please ? Thanks, John.

 

[Juddian]

It sounds like that annoying spring and plunger under the gearlever are either sticking, or missing, on your vehicles.

D4 and D are in one place, just shift left or right to swap between the two, you should feel the plunger lock the lever gently in the position you have selected.
Same with 2 and L, you shift the lever to the left to select L and it will stay there, back to 2 and it will stay there.

Lots of us, me included have bought the modified plunger pin and spring from the chap in Aus, its the work of half an hour to remover the old and refit the new, all from inside the car and all with simple tools, there are details of this on this very forum, grease it all up well when you do the job, the shift is lovely with the modified pin.

If the lever spring/pin is missing then the lever will move sideways into L and D4 easily, but won't stay there and drops back to either D or 2 depending on where you are, then the pin has either dropped out or its been forced over which can break the holder those items fit into, if that happens not sure how much you have to buy of the linkage to fix it.
So if its reluctant to shift over it probably means the pin is still in place but sticking, do not force it or it will break the holder.

D4 is handy if you want to stop the car going up into 5th (not sure if 5th is overdriven or direct), i sometimes use D4 if in town to stop the car hunting up and down the gears.

L would be used for serious off road crawling locking the box in lowest gear, or if you were descending a slippery hill and wanted to use engine braking only, and presumably you could also engage hill descent control if your car has that, which does make use of the brakes with the ecu controlling each brake individually, not sure of HDC is on all models, i've used it on an ice covered hill, it's a most uncomfortable feeling, a bit like ABS working continually, which i suppose it is.

Not sure if locking the box in L also automatically locks the centre diff, or whether you need to select low range and L for that.
Happy to be put right if i'm off the mark with any of that.

 

[tony rodaway]

Hi Tony, been watching your post with interest as same vehicle is new to me, and I was hoping someone would post an answer. I was wondering if the d4 was an overdrive, as fitted to other vehicles with a switch.
When mine is idling with my foot on the brake, I can select d4, which lights on the console and dash, but when I let go of the gear lever it goes back over to D, so unless there is a fault, there is no obvious way of holding it there unless it relates to speed.
On my lj78 there is a switch on gear lever which will hold o/d on until I switch back, so I am still none the wiser like you, for what its purpose is and how it is operated. User manual not much help.
Some 120 owners must know where we are going wrong,
So could we share the secret please ? Thanks, John.

Well thanks for your reply and as you said the manual is useless.
I have tried a few tests and the
2,3,4,L are just for engine breaking for downhill or towing.
I have tried to find away of selecting 4,l but I can't get into gear even when moving at slow speed.
I can select 2,3 no problem but no 4,or L
Both cars can't be broke but I'm still stumped and youtube no help.
Unless your going down hill the gears are irrelevant but if I have them I want to use if I need to.

 

[tony rodaway]

It sounds like that annoying spring and plunger under the gearlever are either sticking, or missing, on your vehicles.

D4 and D are in one place, just shift left or right to swap between the two, you should feel the plunger lock the lever gently in the position you have selected.
Same with 2 and L, you shift the lever to the left to select L and it will stay there, back to 2 and it will stay there.

Lots of us, me included have bought the modified plunger pin and spring from the chap in Aus, its the work of half an hour to remover the old and refit the new, all from inside the car and all with simple tools, there are details of this on this very forum, grease it all up well when you do the job, the shift is lovely with the modified pin.

If the lever spring/pin is missing then the lever will move sideways into L and D4 easily, but won't stay there and drops back to either D or 2 depending on where you are, then the pin has either dropped out or its been forced over which can break the holder those items fit into, if that happens not sure how much you have to buy of the linkage to fix it.
So if its reluctant to shift over it probably means the pin is still in place but sticking, do not force it or it will break the holder.

D4 is handy if you want to stop the car going up into 5th (not sure if 5th is overdriven or direct), i sometimes use D4 if in town to stop the car hunting up and down the gears.

L would be used for serious off road crawling locking the box in lowest gear, or if you were descending a slippery hill and wanted to use engine braking only, and presumably you could also engage hill descent control if your car has that, which does make use of the brakes with the ecu controlling each brake individually, not sure of HDC is on all models, i've used it on an ice covered hill, it's a most uncomfortable feeling, a bit like ABS working continually, which i suppose it is.

Not sure if locking the box in L also automatically locks the centre diff, or whether you need to select low range and L for that.
Happy to be put right if i'm off the mark with any of that.

Well Juddian that was an interesting read and explains a lot and explains why I can't select
4, or L gear.
Do you no what the part is called for when I contact toyota.
Is it a DIY job or professional.
Many thanks for your reply.

 

[GeekOKent]

I don't have any problems in moving the lever to the right to d4 and then down through the gears to d2 etc.

All that this does is locks the gearbox to not changing out from the max gear selector. Do in d3 you won't get the 4th or 5th gear selection.

 

[Juddian]

Well Juddian that was an interesting read and explains a lot and explains why I can't select
4, or L gear.
Do you no what the part is called for when I contact toyota.
Is it a DIY job or professional.
Many thanks for your reply.

Toyota part dept NBG for this.

Hope the mods don't mind but this is a link to the chap on Pradopoint, chap on that forum makes this new pin and spring and will post them to you, cost me about £16 all the way from Aus, took about a week to get here.

https://www.pradopoint.com.au/forum...ir-kit?25297-120-Prado-shift-lever-repair-kit

Photos in the link showing you how to do it, it's an easy DIY really, so long its the pin sticking and someone hasn't forced it before and broken the collar.
If you follow the photos and have a butchers at yours, you might be able to make it better for the time being by greasing it all up, and able to carry on whilst waiting for the kit to arrive.

 

[tony rodaway]

I don't have any problems in moving the lever to the right to d4 and then down through the gears to d2 etc.

All that this does is locks the gearbox to not changing out from the max gear selector. Do in d3 you won't get the 4th or 5th gear selection.

So if your gearbox works perfectly you can select 4th and L in your automatic gearbox.
If you can then this answers so many questions and proves that the spring being mentioned in this post is correct.

Thank you for your input.

 

[tony rodaway]

Toyota part dept NBG for this.

Hope the mods don't mind but this is a link to the chap on Pradopoint, chap on that forum makes this new pin and spring and will post them to you, cost me about £16 all the way from Aus, took about a week to get here.

https://www.pradopoint.com.au/forum...ir-kit?25297-120-Prado-shift-lever-repair-kit

Photos in the link showing you how to do it, it's an easy DIY really, so long its the pin sticking and someone hasn't forced it before and broken the collar.
If you follow the photos and have a butchers at yours, you might be able to make it better for the time being by greasing it all up, and able to carry on whilst waiting for the kit to arrive.

Thanks very much Juddian as that was the perfect post to answer a lot of questions.
Spring missing is the problem and the photos are perfect.

 

[Juddian]

Excellent, i know a chap on the other LC forum made his own version of the kit i linked to, at first it didn't work, it appears the spring length and tension is critical, his revised version is fine.

Cor didn't take you long to find out the spring is missing, and yes those pics are the business.

 

[Tractionman]

Been off grid for a couple of weeks, but very helpful discussion and info on this gearbox.
Juddian thanks for link to the guy in Oz for repair kit, your explanation of floppy shift stick is mine to a t.
Ordered the kit yesterday. Thanks.

 

[Tractionman]

Hi guys, got my modified plunger and spring kit about a month ago, as recommended on here.
Just got around to doing it and fell at the first hurdle. I can't get the silver side trims off !
The guys pictures show him just pulling them off, I don't know if they come up or sideways, and there is nothing to get hold of anyway. They are completely smooth with no protruding edges to get hold of.
In the list of tools required there is a small thin bladed screwdriver, and I assume this is what is used in absence of instructions. (It just shows hands on trim in process of removal)
I managed to insert the screwdriver in one of the tight side seams, but it was so tight, I was reluctant to apply leverage. Please advise where I am going wrong, on such a simple job ?

 

[Deleted member 13129]

Hi guys, got my modified plunger and spring kit about a month ago, as recommended on here.
Just got around to doing it and fell at the first hurdle. I can't get the silver side trims off !
The guys pictures show him just pulling them off, I don't know if they come up or sideways, and there is nothing to get hold of anyway. They are completely smooth with no protruding edges to get hold of.
In the list of tools required there is a small thin bladed screwdriver, and I assume this is what is used in absence of instructions. (It just shows hands on trim in process of removal)
I managed to insert the screwdriver in one of the tight side seams, but it was so tight, I was reluctant to apply leverage. Please advise where I am going wrong, on such a simple job ?

I would not use the thin blade screwdriver to lever the trim as its narrow it could mark the trim , use something wide like thin plastic that you can buy on ebay for £2 for set of trim removers and lever the edge at the handbrake end and lever the edge upward and it just comes away , you could use anything thats flexible and about 20mm wide like a thin knife with thin cloth on it if you dont have any thing else .

 

[Tractionman]

Thanks TONYCY11, that sounds more sensible than the thin screwdriver, which I assumed was intended in the tools required list, with no explanation what for. Having an idea which direction the trim goes helps too, as the pictures are non too explicit. Must just be me, as I seem to be the only one on here who says they have done it, and not run into trouble straight away with a silly item ! Thanks for all your information on here with 120s.

 

[Juddian]

No good asking me where to lever the trims off, got the memory span of a goldfish these days, but i don't recall having any issues getting them off, some twerp hasn't glued the things in place i hope.

 

[Tractionman]

Went out shortly after TONY posted, with thin butter knife, (don't tell er indoors). It wouldn't go in joint with thin cloth on for protection, so I carefully went in anyway, with a little carefully applied leverage they came off!
Juddian, you were not too far off, some silly Bastard in the past had spilled coffee all over the shop and this in effect had 'glued' both sides down. Someones been in there before as there is only one retaining screw on one side at the front behind his trim. Got called away by phone call, so hoping to do the job tomorrow, and clean all that sticky coffee out !!

 

[Tractionman]

Well, been out again this a.m, followed the picture/instructions, and the cover won't come off.
I have undone various screws/bolts that I can find holding the whole centre console down, and although the whole lot is loose, cannot get any further. The instructions show only the top removed anyway and not the whole lot. Mine differs from the pictures, as mine is 2006 with cloth upholstery and not so many switches, and that cover is slightly different at the cubby end . No bolts/ screws are shown being removed to get access to the gate, even though I have removed anyway, to no effect. I have taken into account the sticky coffee in there with my approach to pulling/ levering, to no avail. This 'simple' job is getting on my thrupenny bits now !!
HELP !!!!

 

[Deleted member 13129]

Well, been out again this a.m, followed the picture/instructions, and the cover won't come off.
I have undone various screws/bolts that I can find holding the whole centre console down, and although the whole lot is loose, cannot get any further. The instructions show only the top removed anyway and not the whole lot. Mine differs from the pictures, as mine is 2006 with cloth upholstery and not so many switches, and that cover is slightly different at the cubby end . No bolts/ screws are shown being removed to get access to the gate, even though I have removed anyway, to no effect. I have taken into account the sticky coffee in there with my approach to pulling/ levering, to no avail. This 'simple' job is getting on my thrupenny bits now !!
HELP !!!!

I dont know what yours is like but it carnt be much different or Ants would of shown two ways of removal , looking at Ants pics in removing the console lid he pulls it up at the sides in-front of the cubby box by gripping near the cup holders , looking at the next pic it shows it was held down by about 10 diamond shaped white/yellow pegs so it will need a good tug to get it past the widest part of the diamond pegs (but dont break it) put back any bolts that you have removed that hold the side frame of the console so you have something to pull against , hope that helps , good luck .

 

[Tractionman]

TONY, your help and patience with me is very much appreciated. I have put all the fixings back in and walked away fom it since my last post. I will try again later or tomorrow, bearing your thoughts in mind.
Funny, when I was working on clients jobs, I had infinite patience, - with my own 'silly' jobs that I can't see a logical with, I just lose all reason. Must be my age !

 

[Deleted member 13129]

TONY, your help and patience with me is very much appreciated. I have put all the fixings back in and walked away fom it since my last post. I will try again later or tomorrow, bearing your thoughts in mind.
Funny, when I was working on clients jobs, I had infinite patience, - with my own 'silly' jobs that I can't see a logical with, I just lose all reason. Must be my age !

Ha Ha I know the feeling .