The Toyota A242E 4-speed automatic transmission was built at the Japanese plant from 1989 to 1999 and was installed on compact front-wheel drive models such as the Starlet, Tercel and Corsa. This gearbox was fitted both with the naturally aspirated 4E-FE and 5E-FE engines and with the turbocharged 4E-FTE.
Specifications
| Type | automatic transmission |
| Number of gears | 4 |
| Type of drive | front |
| Engine volume, l | up to 1.5 |
| Torque output, Nm | up to 155 |
| Recommended oil | Dexron III / Toyota T-IV |
| Oil capacity, liter | 7.2 |
| Partial replacement, liter | 3.0 |
| Maintenance | every 60 000 km |
| Gearbox lifespan, km | ~350 000 km |
| Weight, kg | 72 |
Gear ratios Toyota A242E
Using a 1997 Toyota Starlet with a 1.3 liter engine as an example:
| Main | 2.821 |
| 1st | 4.005 |
| 2nd | 2.208 |
| 3rd | 1.425 |
| 4th | 0.981 |
| Reverse | 3.272 |
Using
The transmission was installed on:
- Toyota Corsa 4 (L40) in 1990 – 1994;
- Toyota Corsa 5 (L50) in 1994 – 1999;
- Toyota Cynos 1 (L40) in 1991 – 1995;
- Toyota Cynos 2 (L50) in 1995 – 1999;
- Toyota Starlet 4 (P80) in 1989 – 1995;
- Toyota Starlet 5 (P90) in 1996 – 1999;
- Toyota Tercel 4 (L40) in 1990 – 1994;
- Toyota Tercel 5 (L50) in 1994 – 1999.
Disadvantages of the Toyota A242E gearbox
- Owners of A-series gearboxes often complain about a broken wire in the solenoid coil;
- Otherwise these are very reliable automatics with a service life of 300,000 km and more;
- As with any automatic, aggressive driving quickly wears out the torque converter lockup clutch;
- This debris then gets into the valve body and jerking appears when shifting;
- Next, shaft vibrations destroy the oil pump bushing and lubricant leaks begin;
- At very high mileage the rear output shaft bearing may also break up;
- The shaft then goes out of alignment, which destroys the third planetary gearset.
