4wheel drive shifting hard when in 4wheel drive

1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
170,000 MILES • 6 CYL • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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FOLEY560
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I have a 1996 toyota 4runner and when i put it in 4wheel drive it shifts very hard a revs high i just had the transmission fluid and filter replaced.
Jan 5, 2011 at 11:57 AM
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DRCRANKNWRENCH
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If it did not do this before you had the fluid and filter replaced, they may have put the filter in wrong.
Automatic transmissions depend very much on fluid pressure to make shift smooth and positive.
The fact that it is, "revving high" means the clutch packs, just like the clutch for a manual transmission, are slipping and probably being damaged.
It is hard to say without being there as to what could have been changed other than the filter being installed wrong, There could be a cable stay that needs to be removed in order to drain the pan that could have been re-installed wrong, etc.
Also, make sure the level is correct with the truck warm from driving and the motor running, your owners' manual should have a walk through.
At any rate, if something changed after the service, I would look at things that were removed and re-installed as a shift cable out of adjustment will cause a lot of problems as will an incorrectly installed filter.
Feb 19, 2011 at 9:12 AM