Some days ago, i had already retired home just to find out i didnt have some supplies. I thought, run to a closeby supermarket and grab sum stuff. Taking the 1st bend onto the main street, changed from gear 2 to 3, pressed the accelerator, then it happened!

The gear disengaged and the engine revved high. Hearing some serious sounds i depressed the clutch and stopped. I listened carefully turning off the stereo, the rattling sounds i was hearing was now too loud for even a novice to ignore. It downed on me that a serious breakdown just happened and possibly this car willnot move itself anymore.

I engaged gear 1, released the clutch, no movements whatsoever except more noise coming for the gear box. Tried 2 but nothing. I then tried R, this time it was moving slowly. I was backing up slowly back to the house but it eventually stopped too.

I called my friend in the house who help me push it back to the house.

My 1st thought was, since i changed the clutch plate and disc in December last year when the clutch plate got burnt, the new plate or disc had broken. Thinking that the plate and disc i used were substandard (i changed in d village) it could actually break and the springs of the plate can easily loose, flying over the flywheel making the noise i was hearing.
I call my mechanic, described what happened, he shared my point of view and set out to change the plate and disc. I took off to buy the disc, but when i came bck, woalaa, the disc and plate were discovered in perfect condition.

They were returned and the problem of the car still persist. My fear was confirmed that the gear box has crashed.

Being my company car, i inherited it from my boss. Two months after i started using the car, the clutch plate burnt. After fixing it, i decided to visit he lube bay to guage gear and axle oils. The gear box was found empty! Rear axle was almost empty! Front axle, very low! Auxillary gear box almost empty!

I guaged them with Total gear oil. Two months later i bought another 4litres of Total gear oil changed the aux gear oil and topped all others. 3months later gear box crashed.

Am at lost on how to get it and how expensive it would be. Gosh i should have checked the gear oil earlier. Some1 told me the gear box is 250k.

Pls friends, service your cars regularly and properly. Meanwhile, na keke things and i lost my breath walking in the hot friday sun, kai e no easy, no A/C.

When you checked it last and it was almost empty,I'm sure you saw ign of how the old fluid was leaking and the person who topped it didn't do anything to fix your leak either.

But the problem might have been you using the wrong fluid, you said gear oil, but sometimes transaxle and transfer cases use transmission fluids, but differentials use 80w90 or 75w140

see here

http://www.4wdaction.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=66027

TOYOTA
Land Cruiser Prado, 4.0 Litre 1GR-FE V6 Eng., 4x4 (2007-2008)
Crankcase
HAVOLINE PREMIUM PLUS
Service Refill Capacity: 5.2* Litres
Manual Transmission
EASYSHIFT SAE 75W-90
Service Refill Capacity: 2.2 Litres
Automatic Transmission
HAVOLINE ATF-J
Service Refill Capacity: 10.9 Litres (See Note 13)
Differential
GEAR OIL LSD 90
Service Refill Capacity: 3.0 Litres (See Note 597, 15)
Power Steering
TEXAMATIC 1888 or HAVOLINE ATF-J
4WD Transfer
SYNSTAR GL 75W-90
Service Refill Capacity: 1.4 Litres
4WD Differential
THUBAN GL5 EP 80W-90
Service Refill Capacity: 1.4 Litres

When i checked last, there was no leakage. I entered the lube bay myself. However, the transmission oil was a little short a month later which i topped again.

I am pretty sure that they never changed or guaged the transmission oils since the car was bought brand new in 2006. I know the kind of oyibo i work for. They know all but dont know anything, an irony.

See what i used.

don't feel like you should have checked earlier, because it suppose to be done every 2 years, I have not looked at my jeep in 5yrs and I don't know when the previous owner changed it yet not worried.

Something was wrong like you posted a while back, your mechanic just couldn't figure it out now you just learnt something about 4x4.

Your system was refilled and they confirmed is was full so there is no need to add more if there was no leak.

Like I said earlier your system does not use the same oil in everything you have to check your manual mechanic screwed you up in that part.One some system with limited/slip differentials you need an additional additive in your system.

So your pic showed you used wrong oil for all parts

Take a picture of the broken part and post it with a pert number.

The like shows how its done (when needed)

http://www.toyota120.com/html/driveline_service.html

Am also doubtfull that the gear box gave up so early at 130,000km. I wonder if a fault external of the gear box can lead to what am experiencing. The sound its making doesnt seem to come from inside the gear box itself but from between the engine and gear. I've had gear box failure b4 but not like this one. What i expect is for some gears to disengage while driving or to refuse to enter entirely.

In this case, it just stop driving. Its not like it disengages of refuse to enter, it just wont respond on clutch.

What if there is another fault causing the problem? From where i hear sounds, i was thinking, what if the fly wheel has a problem or any form of gear that transmits engine output to gear box. In that case there wil be no input to the gear box. If true, the even a new gear box will not solve the problem.

I will the be at lost. Even if the purchased gear box is accepted back by the spare part dealer, i would have lost in transportation and cost of labour.

Pls auto gurus, is there any gear or any other mechanism that can result to loss of engine output or gear box input? Is there diagnostics for manual gear?

Note that the clutch plate and disc were found in good condition. Also, while the car is in neutral gear, reviving the engine amplifies the noise in direct proportion. My guts tells me there is more to it than has been discovered.

adanny01: Am also doubtfull that the gear box gave up so early at 130,000km. I wonder if a fault external of the gear box can lead to what am experiencing. The sound its making doesnt seem to come from inside the gear box itself but from between the engine and gear. I've had gear box failure b4 but not like this one. What i expect is for some gears to disengage while driving or to refuse to enter entirely.

In this case, it just stop driving. Its not like it disengages of refuse to enter, it just wont respond on clutch.

What if there is another fault causing the problem? From where i hear sounds, i was thinking, what if the fly wheel has a problem or any form of gear that transmits engine output to gear box. In that case there wil be no input to the gear box. If true, the even a new gear box will not solve the problem.

I will the be at lost. Even if the purchased gear box is accepted back by the spare part dealer, i would have lost in transportation and cost of labour.

Pls auto gurus, is there any gear or any other mechanism that can result to loss of engine output or gear box input? Is there diagnostics for manual gear?

Note that the clutch plate and disc were found in good condition. Also, while the car is in neutral gear, reviving the engine amplifies the noise in direct proportion. My guts tells me there is more to it than has been discovered.

I believe your Prado is RWD.

Did you check gearbox rear output spline? What about the part of the propeller shaft that goes into the output spline of the gearbox? Most times, when propeller shaft shifts back and pull out of the gearbox, you will get experience such symptom. The issue with your car sounded like what i just explained. I bet you that is the culprit, i could still be wrong though.

As your mechanic to check where your propeller shaft enters the gearbox at the back of gearbox.

Ikenna.

This Prado is a full time four wheel drive.

So, if the problem were to be the spline of rear, the front should be able to drive.

Now, i believe since the noise increases with higher engine rev, while gear is disengaged, the problem is outside the gear box. The gear box should not be working with no gear.

I donot fully understand the clutching system, since its not my profession. I still want to believe that while an engine is idling with no gear engaged, the last moving part is the fly wheel or clutch plate or both. With clutch plate in good condition, gear box is isolated from the loud noise which is actually the problem.

What is that thing making the noise then?

Here is how it works.

Your engine turns ~2000rpm you engage clutch which turns the transmission then the driveline shaft(axle,driveshaft that goes into differential)i.e CV axle for front wheel, driveshaft for rear wheel cars.

You and your mechanic should try to turn each component manually.its possible to put your trans and transfer case in neutral, then turn your drive shaft to see where the noise is from.

Or start the car and mechanic gets under to isolate noise, you have to watch btw transmission and drive shaft if it works then you check your transfer case; basically at what point is your system not turning?


From the oil thread by AutoQuint we were talking of people using wrong oil, the gear oil weight is wrong and it GL4 instead of GL5 recommended by manufacturer

Thanks sultaan for you contributions so far.

I have taken note of the oil spec, i shall make neccesary changes when the car is back on the road.

My main concern now is getting the car moving again. As it is now, no gear including reverse. The day it broke down, all front moving gears didnt work, i was able to reverse a hundred meters while the was serious irregular chattering sounds coming from under the car. Though the reverse was slipping if i attempt to accelerate, it later stopped moving.

Now the sound is regular chattering at constant rpm. The slippage of the reverse made me to initialy conclude its the clutch plate which i later discovered in good condition.

I want to make all efforts to get it moving next week. But my location complicates it. I have to travel to a neighbouring state to purchase a new gear box. If i do that, and after installation the car still doesnt moving, then i am in deep trouble as my office is takin up the bill. I may not be able to defend some expences incured from buying the gear box and returning same assuming thr part seller recieves back the gear box.

I have to be 100% sure the gear box is damaged. I recorded the sound of the car but unfortunately is larger than 200kb which cannot be upload here.

Don't buy any gearbox yet, throwing money at it won't solve problem unless you actually see the broken part, your mech should have gotten under car and do proper diagnosis. Take pics of driveshaft to trans and transfer case.

Reason I said that is you might see something

I shall do tomorrow.

They actually went under, removed the clutch plate/disc and reinstalled after finding no fault. They inspected the fly wheel but no strange thing. Yet, no movement, just the chattering. Clutch was adjusted to the limit, yet no response or change in the situation.

The only notable thing is that, when gear is engaged and clutch released, additional chattering is heard. Though difference is not much.

Below are the pictures of the gear box.

The thing is too long to be taken close in a single picture.

I'm not sure what type of transfer case that is but some like the NV247 in my jeep are chain driven and when the chain breaks you get the same type of problem you have.

You will have to get all 4 wheels off the ground and run it through the gears listening for source of sound.

I got another mechanic, the other whom i didnt trust to know his onion. This guy works for a transport company and maintains a fleet of Toyota Hiace (Hummer) buses.

He started the car, went under and told me from the sounds, he's sure the gear box is not the problem. He mentioned release bearing and another bearing that he needs to check.

Tomorrow, he will work the car.

Throwout bearing, search for videos on youtube

I did a research on wikipedia when he told me which i confirmed the name throw out bearing.

I quickly recollected that before i refill the gear box, there used to be a sound at the same location this one occured. The sound can only be heard when the car is idling. If i so much as touch the clutch the sound will fade and resume if i take off foot from the clutch.

When he told me, i knew the part producing that sound finally gave up.

On the transmission oils, i just check Total's website and have seen they have GL 5 of both 75-90w and 80-90w. I shall go out today in search for it locally. If i get i will require 4litres of 75-90w and 3 litres of 80-90w.

Will use 75-90w for gear box and trasfer case which u said takes 2.2 and 1.4 litres making 3.6litres. Then the axles will both get 80-90w 2.8litres.

I didnt see transmission oils on mobil's site but i will search for it too.

Also, i saw something about LSD axles. I went to check on the car's axle. I saw the sticker but so dirty to comprehend. In an attempt to clean off with water, the paper rubbed off into shreds.

adanny01: I did a research on wikipedia when he told me which i confirmed the name throw out bearing.

I quickly recollected that before i refill the gear box, there used to be a sound at the same location this one occured. The sound can only be heard when the car is idling. If i so much as touch the clutch the sound will fade and resume if i take off foot from the clutch.

When he told me, i knew the part producing that sound finally gave up.

On the transmission oils, i just check Total's website and have seen they have GL 5 of both 75-90w and 80-90w. I shall go out today in search for it locally. If i get i will require 4litres of 75-90w and 3 litres of 80-90w.

Will use 75-90w for gear box and trasfer case which u said takes 2.2 and 1.4 litres making 3.6litres. Then the axles will both get 80-90w 2.8litres.

I didnt see transmission oils on mobil's site but i will search for it too.

If the issue was throwout bearing, the mechanic should would have seen it when he separated the transmission from the engine; if the throwout bearing was the culprit, the gears wouldnt have engaged in the first place; if throwout bearing was the culprit it would have damaged your pressure plate, which you said looked ok when your mechanic pulled out the pressure plate and clutch disc/plate.

You said you were hearing a noise when engine would be idling, but the noise would stop as soon as you depressed the clutch pedal. The cause of that noise was the input spline, the one that enters into the clutch pressure plate & clutch plate, from the gearbox. It could possibly be the culprit of the present gearbox issue. Its changeable, but the gearbox has to be opened to do so. In Nigeria, its called "High Gear".

I dont see why its difficult for your mechanic to isolate where the noise is coming from. You can do it yourself. Jack up one of the rear wheels (without removing the tyre). Engage the gear, either 1st or 2nd gear). Have someone rotate the jacked up wheel (with pressure). Go under the car. While the wheel is been rotated, you should be hearing cranking sound from the component that is the culprit is hiding. If its from the rear differential you will know. If its the gearbox, you will know as well.

Note that on normal circumstances, the wheel shouldnt rotate when the gear is engaged and all other wheels (AWD,4WD & RWD)are on ground. But because the transmission is no longer driving the wheels, you should hear the noise of what is preventing the wheels to move.

All I stated above is how to troubleshoot Peugeot manual transmission.

Ikenna

Eureka!!!

At last, the problem has been discovered. Pheeew!

What a relief!

I was the cheap good for nothing clutch plate! It was looking ok. It took a careful mechanic to realise it.

Thank God i didnt buy another gear box. Thank God i dumped the initial mechanic. It would have been a disaster.

Something in my gut told me there was a problem somewhere. Now am just left to think, what if i bought the gear box to later discover this. My office will pass a vote of no confidence on me.

There are so many lessons to be learnt here. I realised that a person cannot be a driver and not be his own mechanic. A mechanic is just a technical hand with historical experience.

Dont know hw to discribe the problem so i did a short video. I hope it will upload. The pic below will not show the problem.

I guess I was very wrong with everything but the good thing is that you kept looking now you understand what you are spending money on .You getting under to see what you are dealing with has given you the experience to diagnose next issue.Check for owners manual online for LSD information.

A couple of years with this drama would turn you into expert in Prado

Am typing from inside the car. Am guaging its tyre pressure now.

The car is even better. 25k did all, clutch plate/disc, throw out bearing and labour. Am so relieved of the thought of buying gear box 200k.

adanny01: Am typing from inside the car. Am guaging its tyre pressure now.

The car is even better. 25k did all, clutch plate/disc, throw out bearing and labour. Am so relieved of the thought of buying gear box 200k.

Heads up 4wd are a little more expensive to own compared to 2wd

Great thread. Even though I had nothing to contribute towards solving the problem, I'm happy it's been sorted.

OP, I must really commend you o, you tried. Many other people would have simply dumped the car in the hands of the first mechanic to fix the problem especially since the office will be paying. But you took your time to seek advice & conduct research yourself which is what I tell car owners. How can you be driving a car, & when it develops a fault, you leave it fully in the hands of the 'mechanic' without taking time to look into the problem personally, in this digital age? The result is many clean otherwise sound vehicles abandoned at mechanic workshops after one little problem was worsened by the mechanic who now turns round to blame the car manufacturers for his incompetence.

You try bros. Sultaan, Ikenna, more power to una elbow.

sultaan: I guess I was very wrong with everything but the good thing is that you kept looking now you understand what you are spending money on .You getting under to see what you are dealing with has given you the experience to diagnose next issue.Check for owners manual online for LSD information.

A couple of years with this drama would turn you into expert in Prado

I have looked back on your posts but cant find were u were wrong. All i see is information which should make the next reader of this thread conscious of a cars maintenance. Believe me, at the beginning of this thread, all i knew was gear oil. As long as i saw gear oil written on the can, it was going to be ok with me.

Yesterday i had the audacity to go to a Total service station and request for a specific grade of transmission oil. They all looked at me interestingly while i lectured them on the type of oil my car requires.

While the mechanic was using the name 'release bearing' i was using throwout bearing, thanks to you Sultaan. I knew only of clutch disc, but i now know pressure plate, thanks to Ikenna. I am not the same person i was before this thread, i am more educated now.