ATF is red. Replace or not?

[importcar]

Fluid on the dipstick is red. Last drain and refill was 32,000 miles ago. Should I replace it now or wait awhile longer?

[new echo owner]

Fluid is cheap, transmission is not, just do a drain and fill. Don't forget the drain plug gaskets.

N.E.O.

[Gun5]

i just put a JDM in mine, did axle seals, tranny filter and fluids.. working good so far plan on changing it in 25-30k

[importcar]

I'll be reusing the drain plug gasket but I'm also applying liquid gasket on the threads. Do I need flexible tubing to reach the fill hole? And do I need to jack up the car?

[new echo owner]

It isn't a good idea to reuse the drain plug gasket; once they are compressed it will make the plug difficult to remove later.

Are you talking about the diff part? Yes, but if you raise the car too much fluid will drain back out. The main part of the trans through the dip stick tube.

N.E.O.

[Gibson99]

i have NEVER replaced an automatic tranny drain plug gasket. never had one leak, either... and i've done plenty of drain/fills and flushes since i spent 6 years working on toyotas at a dealership.

OIL drain plugs on the other hand - yes, replace that gasket. maybe not every time, but once it starts looking bad. personally i don't even use a gasket on my own cars unless there's something wrong with the pan or the plug, but if there's something wrong with the plug i'll replace the plug.

[new echo owner]

Replacing the gasket of the drain plug is more for preventive than any other reason. How many of those drain plugs did you have to replace after you had done a drain and fill a few times? How many of them became difficult to remove after a few drain and fill? The gasket is only a couple of bucks at most, why take the chance when you can prevent problems in the future. A trans drain plug gasket is similar to a engine oil drain plug gasket, can't understand why you would replace one but not the other. Having said that, it is your car, and you can do whatever you want to do with it. I am just suggesting that he should replace it so he may not have to deal with any further complication, and it is up to him to decide what is best for him to do.

N.E.O.

[Gibson99]

Maybe someone has replaced yours with an aftermarket... but every oil pan drain plug gasket i've seen is paper (toyota) or copper (aftermarket). The factory ones on the camry/solara/etc) ATF pan are thick aluminum, and i've only ever seen one damaged , and that was someone who seriously must have used an impact gun to install it. we had to replace the tranny pan on that one because we couldn't get the plug back out.

on 95 v6 auto, i did a drain/fill on the tranny once every other oil change (so about 6k mile atf change intervals). As long as you don't CRANK the bolt on there as if it required 300 ft-lbs of torque, you'll be fine. It only needs to be snug.

Before I sold my 95, i changed the ATF. Car had 180k at that point, and it was no more difficult to remove the plug than it was at 80k, and it was still the same washer/gasket 100k miles later. Same deal on all the cars that were worked on my myself and the rest of the techs in the shop - none of us wanted come-backs for leaks, nor did we want to fight to remove the bolt the next time it came back for regular service, so we did it right. Don't think I ever saw anyone in the shop replace a tranny drain gasket either. Differentials plugs, oil pan plugs, and manual trans drain plugs - oh yeah, those get replace all the time, but the big thick aluminum washer on an ATF drain pan pretty much never needs replacing. That was my point.

[rty]

My Camry doesn't even have a gasket on the transmission drain plug. Guess what? It doesn't leak.

[new echo owner]

As I had said it is your car, you can do as you wish.

N.E.O.

[Gun5]

well i don't have as much experience as Gibson.. but having done many transmissions... I havn't replaced a gasket as well.. theres just some hardware on vehicles they say replace.. but is never replaced like Axle retainer clips

[new echo owner]

Interesting!

N.E.O.

[aaron30]

do ya'll ever replace the filter ?

[Venom_5]

um .... ATF fluid is SUPPOSED TO BE RED - idk if someone already said that, but i skimmed the thread and didnt notice it

yes, some companies dye it pink or purple but Dex III or Dex/Merc fluids are normally bright red in color .... when it gets brown (or unfortunately, black) then you need to flush it

best way to flush it isnt through the drain plug - unfortunately, the best way is with a fluid exchanger but thats not a DIY thing (go to a place like Valvoline) ... not cheap, but cheaper than a tranny

[importcar]

I know ATF is supposed to be red. But is the diffrential separate from the tranny? Does it use the same ATF as the tranny? I'm not sure where the fill hole is for the tranny and differential. Can someone provide a link?