- Thread starter
- #61
Don't need it though and can't use it on-road
Sponsored
Sponsored
2025 4Runner Transmission Overheating on Climbs Off-Road
- Thread starter
- #62
Clay doesn't appear to be driving up a mountain.
I have the SR5 4x4 non-hybrid. I haven’t had any issues with overheating. I’m curious, does the TRD and Trailhunter have transmission fluid temp gauges, or how are you guys noticing the temp increase? Mine doesn’t have a transmission gauge so unless I install one I wouldn’t notice the temp increase until it overheats I’m assuming. Probably need to glance over the manual for this one.
- First Name
- John
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2025
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Land Cruiser
I am not familiar with your cluster. But most Toyotas clusters have a digital cluster that you can set up to view diferent things. It should be within the options when you navigate through it or you can set it up using the setup menu
yeah I’ll have to spend some time in the manual. I didn’t see it when I just quickly went through the options.
- First Name
- John
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2025
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Land Cruiser
I am susre it is in there somewhere. I know on the Land Cruiser I had to selected from a menu under the settings for the cluster. Basically you have to select from a list of things what you want the cluster to show through the diffrent pages.
By the way, without the gauge, you would never find out that the tranny is warming up, until you get the warning message to pull over, which it takes a bit to get there and it will only be under certain conditions such as slow climbs that you are slowing and going between 15-45 for more than 10 miles, and for dirt roads that you gor 5-25mph will be after 2 or theree miles depending on the incline.
ok thanks for the heads up. Quite a frustrating issue for a vehicle made for off-roading. Hopefully Toyota figures it out or offers a free transmission cooler.
Multi-Information Display - p95 in my hybrid manual (should be somewhere close to that in yours).
"Engine oil temperature gauge and Transmission oil temperature gauge (ď‚®P.102)"
Based on some comparing of lists between Hybrid and Non-hybrid in this thread (placard-for-12-3-mid-settings) I think you should have this. If you don't it would be helpful to post in that thread what your " Content display area (left/right)" list looks like in that thread. (And we will also know that no thermostat also means no trans oil tem guage - but I don't believe that is the case.)
I did end up finding it. Wasn’t hard at all I just hadn’t scrolled through enough of the options in that particular menu. Thanks.
I’ve been in Colorado for the last 2 weeks and finally got to test my 6g on some bigger climbs. Just as others have experienced, if you try to slowly go up a 3,000’ vertical climb in rwd or 4hi, the auto trans will heat up very quickly. I never let mine overheat, but within a few hundred vertical feet of steep terrain, the temps would jump to about 75% of the gauge (where as 50% is normal). 4lo or manually staying in 1st or 2nd gear with high revs was the only way to climb thousands of feet at a time without the temp increasing too high. On paved passes, I didn’t notice any issues due to higher speeds.
Annoying for sure, but easy enough to work around. It’s just silly to have to think about this on smoother gravel climbs where a cross over suv is flying up without any issues.
Annoying for sure, but easy enough to work around. It’s just silly to have to think about this on smoother gravel climbs where a cross over suv is flying up without any issues.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2025
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 34
- Location
- SF Bay Area
- Vehicle(s)
- 25 TRD ORP
I was exploring the FS roads behind Pinecrest Lake yesterday on a relatively easy 3/10 ascent. Not particularly steep, but a sustained graded climb over loose rutted soil. It was hot outside, around 90F, and I was moving at a decent clip where the trail would allow.
About 15 minutes in, while driving in 4Hi I checked my gauges and noticed the transmission temp was climbing well past the halfway mark.
I stopped the vehicle for a bit to let it cool down, but as soon as I started climbing again, the temps began to rise as well.
A few weeks ago, I watched a video about some common mistakes beginners make off road, and one that resonated with me was being "afraid" to engage 4Lo. The takeaway was you don't need to be doing crazy rock crawling to benefit from 4Lo, and how 4Hi can overheat on climbs.
So, I kicked the transmission into 4Lo, started climbing again, and lo and behold, the truck breezed uphill while the transmission temps slowly dropped back to the halfway mark. It also made the descent more controlled with the extra engine braking.
I can't say if this is the reason for everyone's problems, and of course you can't use 4Lo at higher speeds, but if you are slowly crawling below 15mph, you might want to give 4Lo a shot instead.
About 15 minutes in, while driving in 4Hi I checked my gauges and noticed the transmission temp was climbing well past the halfway mark.
I stopped the vehicle for a bit to let it cool down, but as soon as I started climbing again, the temps began to rise as well.
A few weeks ago, I watched a video about some common mistakes beginners make off road, and one that resonated with me was being "afraid" to engage 4Lo. The takeaway was you don't need to be doing crazy rock crawling to benefit from 4Lo, and how 4Hi can overheat on climbs.
So, I kicked the transmission into 4Lo, started climbing again, and lo and behold, the truck breezed uphill while the transmission temps slowly dropped back to the halfway mark. It also made the descent more controlled with the extra engine braking.
I can't say if this is the reason for everyone's problems, and of course you can't use 4Lo at higher speeds, but if you are slowly crawling below 15mph, you might want to give 4Lo a shot instead.
Last edited:
Does anyone know if the Trailhunter/TRD Pro trims have a different cooling setup? I just got back from a California to Moab and back trip, had no issues at all. I was all over Moab in 2H and 4L, not to mention the elevation changes to and from on the freeway. Just had my first service at 5500k.
Skip to 7min mark
Here a 3rd gen tundra, granted its over GVWR as well as modified
- First Name
- John
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2025
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Land Cruiser
Did u use “drive” most of the time? Or did u use the Manual mode?
I was in drive the whole time. I've always had the temp gauges on the dash display (set it that way when I bought it in June), but didn't even know this was an issue until I saw the TFL video that came out today.
Sponsored
