First introduced in the early 1980’s, the Toyota C Series transmissions were robust manual transmissions that typically proved to be as reliable as the Toyota was in which they were installed. The Toyota C56 manual transmission was a five speed gearbox that could be found in both front-wheel-drive and rear wheel drive to the engine applications.
What Transmission Do I Have?

Toyota C56 Transmission Applications
Model |
---|
Toyota Corolla |
Toyota C56 Transmission Technical Specifications
Unlike most manual transaxles, the Toyota C56 was used in both FWD and RWD, front and mid engine vehicles. The main difference was the case. In FWD applications, the shift linkage would exit out of the rear/differential side of the transmission case. Whereas in RWD/Toyota MR2 vehicles, the shift linkage with exit from the front of the transmission case.
C56 Transmission Gear Ratios
1st = 3.16
2nd = 1.90
3rd = 1. 39
4th = 1.03
5th = 0.81
R = 3.25
Common Toyota C56 Transmission Diagnostic Trouble Codes | DTC
P0010
P0011
P0012
P0016
P0031
Common Toyota C56 Transmission Problems
Excessive noise coming from the transmission
A very common Toyota C56 transmission problem has do with noise that seems to come from the transmission itself. This can be caused by a number of issues. The most common of which are a low oil level, using the wrong type of oil, a worn or damaged gear inside the transmission, or a worn/damaged bearing.
Oil leak
If you see gear oil leaking from your Toyota C56 transmission, it could be caused by adding too much oil to the transmission, worn or damaged gaskets, or failed O-rings.
Difficulty or failure to shift gears
If your Toyota C56 transmission seems to not want to go into gear, there could be some serious issues. Some of these include a faulty control cable, a damaged shifting key spring or worn/damaged synchronizer rings.
What Transmission Do I Have?

Transmission jumps out of gear
If you’re going down the road and your Toyota C56 transmission suddenly jumps out of gear, it could be caused by some serious issues that include a damaged locking ball spring, shift fork, gear or bearing.