Master overhaul kit for the Toyota A540E/A540H 4-speed FWD automatic used in early-90s Camry, ES300 and 1998-2000 Sienna 3.0L V6.
A 1992-1993 Camry V6, a Lexus ES300 of the same years or a 1998-2000 Sienna with the 3.0L that now slips into overdrive, flares on the 2-3 shift or engages Drive with a long pause has usually worn out its clutch packs and hardened its seals. This master rebuild kit covers the A540E four-speed transaxle and its A540H all-wheel-drive version, with friction plates, steel plates, the valve body separator gaskets, case and pan gaskets, and the lip seals, O-rings and sealing rings for a complete teardown.
Toyota designed the Camry transaxle as a four-speed from the start. An Import Service overhaul article describes the A540E as a beefed-up A140E fitted to V6 Camrys built from February 1988, sharing the same basic layout. The ECT computer switches two shift solenoids on the valve body, and each gear is held by a clutch or brake pack. Wikipedia gives the A540E ratios as 2.810, 1.549, 1.000 and 0.734 with a 3.625 final drive. Because every gear depends on oil reaching a piston past a seal or sealing ring, a hardened seal or a burnt pack in one place shows up as a slip somewhere else, so renewing every friction and seal at once is the reliable fix.
Rule out the electronics. The same Import Service article explains that a shift solenoid can fail intermittently, letting the transaxle shift normally at light throttle but slip under heavier acceleration, and that a healthy solenoid makes a solid click you can hear through the pan. Our guide to testing a transmission solenoid with a multimeter covers the resistance check. Then pull a fluid sample and compare it with our ATF color and smell chart. Burnt fluid with debris on the magnet means the transaxle needs to come apart.
Listed fitment: 1992-1993 Camry 2.2L and 3.0L V6, 1992-1993 Lexus ES300 3.0L, and 1998-2000 Sienna 3.0L V6. The kit is sold as a replacement for the A540E, A540H and A540. Be careful with four-cylinder Camrys: Wikipedia lists the 1991-2001 four-cylinder Camry with the A140E, which takes our A140E master rebuild kit. The A540H appears in all-wheel-drive 1989-1991 Camry All-Trac and 1996-1999 RAV4 4x4. Read the transaxle code on the tag or the door sticker before ordering, or send us your year and VIN. If you want a kit that lists its plate count, we also carry an A540E master kit with 23 frictions and 22 steels. More Aisin-built units are on our Aisin parts page.
| Transmission | Toyota A540E / A540H / A540 4-speed FWD/AWD |
| Listed fitment | 1992-1993 Camry 2.2L and 3.0L V6, 1992-1993 Lexus ES300 3.0L, 1998-2000 Sienna 3.0L V6 |
| Kit type | Master rebuild / overhaul kit |
| Shipping weight | 8.8 lb |
Most four-cylinder Camrys of that era use the A140E, not the A540E. Check the transaxle code on the tag or door sticker. If it reads A140E, order our A140E master rebuild kit instead.
The kit is sold as a replacement for the A540E, A540H and A540, but our listed vehicles are the Camry V6, ES300 and Sienna. Send your year and VIN and we will confirm before you order.
Friction plates, steel plates, valve body separator gaskets, case and pan gaskets, lip seals, O-rings and sealing rings. Drums, bushings, the pump and planetaries are not included.
Use the Toyota ATF specified in the owner's manual for your model year, soak the new frictions in it before assembly, and set the final level hot.
Test them first. A solenoid that reads out of range or clicks weakly should be replaced while the pan is off, because an intermittent solenoid causes slipping that looks like worn clutches.
