Toyota 91 pickup auto, won't go into 5th gear until the transmission gets hot

Question

I just bought it with 270k miles. the last owner didn't do anything to it besides change the oil. I know there's a lot to do to get this car back to being healthy. The shifting issue is the first problem I noticed.

Answer 1

Pretty sure that's a 4 speed if it's auto.

Either way Toyota's, at least most from late 90s up, don't let the transmission shift until it's fully warmed up... It's a feature to protect it.

Answer 2

Drain and fill, three times (drive it a bit in between the three times).

Only use the factory recommended ATF (probably genuine OEM Toyota fluid).

Answer 3

Next time this happens turn on your heat and see if hot air blows out.

Locking out top gear when coolant temps are low is used to help warm up the engine to help with emissions. If your coolant temp is low because of a bad thermostat, or if the sensor is reading low the computer may have it locked out.

Answer 4

You can’t go into overdrive unless the engine is at operating temp.

If the engine is cold then all gear shifts will occur at slightly higher rpm.