Hey folks,

I've been searching high and low for a clutch tsb for an 09 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 2.7l/4x4

I've had it a little over a year and have 66500 highway kilometers on it. (about 39900k miles)

The clutch is shot and it's at the dealership now until they're able to look at it.

I was told there's a TSB for it, I asked for the number and got TSB3311 and was told I couldn't look at the TSB.

One question and one warning

the question is does anyone know what TSB they were referring to - it's a canadian vehicle.

the warning is for the folks out there with an 09 like mine - keep an eye on the clutch and where it releases - mine was releasing high but it was gradual so I didn't notice how bad it was getting.

And yes, I know how to drive standard, been driving standard for over 23 years now, cars, trucks, tractors and dump trucks.

-a

 

Oh man, hopefully they don't shaft you. I was having issues with my 6 speed in my 06 tacoma. It wanted to grind no matter how you shifted and it shifted really hard. Plus the throwout bearing was chattering. They told me they don't warrant any clutch parts as it is 99.9% of the time the owner's own neglect that wears it out prematurely. I told them point blank that if they didn't warrant their own faulty product that I would without a doubt get a lawyer and sue them for the damages. They instantly fixed the problem and now they even warrant my truck even though it's lifted with bigger tires. I guess it just depends on the dealership. But Montrose Toyota in Akron, Ohio is where I go.

 

We'll see - I'm trying to get it looked at right now. The dealer could only give me an appointment for the 22nd of Dec which too late for me so I've let it with them.

As far as I can tell from trolling the net there is a TSB but I can't locate the number of it. It seems that Toyota has a couple of suppliers for the clutches LUK and Aisin - the LUK clutches have been giving users a bunch of troubles mostly showing up as bent fingers on the pressure plate causing chattering.

I'll do my best to get pictures of the old clutch and the TSB number once this truck is back on the road.

Funny - I replaced the clutch in my old 89 2wd and it was the original clutch at 200k miles.

 

Evidently, according to the dealership, 66500km (40,000miles) of highway driving is normal life for a clutch. No warranty, no acceptance that this is outside of what one might consider normal wear and tear.

So I get to pay full pin for something toyota put in that didn't last.

Thanks Toyota!

 

40k huh? Thats pathetic. I'de say fight it, but that can be a HUGE hassle. Good luck.

 

so I got the truck back - paid the bill and am mobile again.

the clutch wasn't in bad shape and the pressure plate was fine with the exception of some uneven fingers on the pressure plate.

I took it to one shop who said it was starting to fail, another said that the fingers would likely line up once the PP was bolted down to a flywheel and the third shop did a pressure test on the pressure plate and it held 2000lbs which they said is fine.

There was only light glazing on the disc.

My question now is what in tarnation could have caused it. It was clutch slippage no doubt about it.

Here's exactly what happened.

Driving on the freeway at 60 miles per hour in a strong headwind. Winter temps - below freezing. Dry road. Headwind is about 40 miles per hour.

The truck won't hold 5th gear, it's the 2.7l engine so not enough poop to push the truck at airspeeds of 100mph (60mph ground speed plus 40mph headwind).

I down shift to 4th and drive in 4th at 60 miles per hour.

I notice some slippage as I accelerate from time to time. At this point I'm not even thinking clutch as the truck is so new.

But it's repeatable - slow down to 55mph and hit the gas and the revs pick up to about 3200/3400 rpm and back down when I let off the gas and there's a jerk in the truck when the clutch grabs and stops spinning.

Cold and dry the next day and I can reproduce the issue on the highway.

Cold and dry the following day and I Can reproduce the issue.

I drop it off to the dealer and it sits for 2.5 days and the problem goes away.

I'm able to make it slip but only at higher speeds and higher revs.

The weather at this point was milder but still freezing or below - roads were bare and dry so it's not tire spin and for each case of slippage, the rpms went up but not the speedo..


Any ideas?

The clutch shop I took it to that pressure tested the pressure plate said to take a close look at the hydraulics for the clutch.

 

I have never worked on anything newer than an 07 taco but below is my 2 cents:

all of those are signs of a normal bad clutch.

I have replaced 20+ toy clutches and three times that many master and slaves and something sounds fishy about that shop that suggested the hydraulics. I have no doubt that stock toy clutches can fail prematurely. the fact that you tried to leave it in 5th with such a load(wind) on it makes it easier to see why it could have failed early. Same with trying to pull hills in 5th, its a big load on the clutch. Your drivetrain works less at 3500rpm than 2200rpm when fitting headwinds or hills.

why would the hydraulics(master/slave) have anything to do with a slipping clutch? Now if you were having trouble getting it into gear or something with disengaging the clutch then you could guess that they could be involved. Also how did they test the pressure plate holding pressure? I have never seen a shop actually test the holding pressure, sounds suspect especially when a stock toyota clutch is only 1200lb not 2000lb.

when you step on the clutch pedal the master pushes fluid to the slave which then pushes the clutch fork. the clutch fork then pivots and pushes the throw out bearing down the shaft and against the pressure plate. you take your foot off the clutch and the everything retracts. How could dodgy hydraulics effect your clutch while you are driving with your foot off the clutch pedal? I think they feed you a big pile of poop.

 

Just for clarification, the shop that suggested hydraulics wasn't the repairing shop - the suggestion was if I was getting slippage when shifting - say from 5th to 4th..

but immediate slippage if the fluid wasn't heading back into the master fast enough - but I don't think that was it.

Once the new clutch gives up the ghost, I'll replace it with something heavy duty and I'll do it myself.

The other clarification was that I didn't try to leave it in 5th for very long, less than 30 seconds of a 4 hr drive.. so I wasn't leaving it where it wouldn't run.