Transmission issue

Hello everyone!
I've got an unusual issue with putting my 4R into Drive.

Using my shifter, I can easily and normally go into R, and N but over the past few weeks, it feels like it doesn't fully go into Drive- the shifter feels 'soft' going into D. It doesn't have the normal and satisfying click/feeling that the shifter is in D. The last time I drove it, the display flickered the D and stopped showing D. I was able to turn around and drive it home and it allowed manually shifting just fine with the display of 1&2. I've been afraid to drive it since, so it's just sitting there waiting for me to do something. Transmission shops locally are booked way out.

One friend mentioned Neutral Safety switch but the truck starts just fine. Also, I saw no transmission fluid leaks....

Any discussion on troubleshooting this?

Thank you tons!!!

 

Year and miles on vehicle? Any major mods to the driveline?

When the display stopped showing "D" did it show anything else or just blank?

 

Yea, I probably should have said 2010, Trail, 120,000. There is a Maintenance Reqd light on and also KDSS but I'm sure both are unrelated.

 

Have you changed the trans fluid in it?

If so, what mileage and what oil did you use?

 

The fluid was drained and refilled around 100k with what I assume was Toyota ATF for this vehicle. I'm at 120k now

 

Dealership probably screwed something up. I wouldn't let them touch my transmission

 

Something is definitely not right! I'm not taking this to the dealership shop- they only want to replace things with new, they don't diagnose or fix. At least what my local one is notorious for doing.

 

Sounds like the neutral safety switch from similar reports I have read on the forums. From what I’ve read the neutral safety switch wouldn’t affect the starting.

symptoms seem to be the shifter feeling hard or different, D light out or not illuminating and I think there are sometimes dash lights, like traction control, that show up.

 

Kind was thinking that as an option. From the general vehicle forums I've read, its obviously a neutral safety if it fails to start in park or neutral. I don't have that symptom (yet). There's a wide price range for trying this, which adds another layer of worry- 250 for the OEM or 45 for one from Amazon.....

 

It was the Neutral Safety switch. Got OEM for $175.

 

Nice!!