ATF Color Question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jhbhatia · 01-27-2006, 12:40 PM

Our 1997 XLE V6 camry's at 80K miles. At 30K miles we did the trans drain and fill. At 60K miles we did the Tranny Flush (all services done at dealership...this car only goes to dealership). However, the color of the fluid now has concerned me. Normally, i'm used to seeing 'red'and when its get to marnoon its always been time for 30K drain and fill (or flush). We did the flush 20K miles ago and color is dark marnoon (not blackish). Dealership tech says its alright? Comparing that with my 01 i4 solara. That baby has 30K miles since the last tranny flush, and the fluid is still 'red'.

I understand that I've been noticing that the on our camry, the fluid goes darker quicker.
Both cars shift nornally and smoothly. We don't drive it hard (well i do on my solara....) but not that hard. Cars still drive/shift like new. Is there something of concern, should i buy a tranny cooler for a piece of mind..or am i just overly cautious.

johnnyzee · 01-27-2006, 01:09 PM

overly cautious

Cyorke · 01-27-2006, 04:05 PM

the higher the mileage on the car the quicker the fluid will get darker. With transmission fluid it is not so much the color as it is the smell. You want to make sure it does not have a burnt smell to it is probably the most important thing. Just keep doing your services like you ahve been and you should be good.

Just so you know my wife and I drove a 97 Corolla til it had a175K miles on it. I never changed or drained or flushed the transmissions. It had the originaly fluid in it when I traded it in on our Sienna. I never had a problem with it. I would check it ever so often and it was brown but never had any kind of burnt smell to it. Should I have done this, probably not. Did it hurt not changing the fluid, probably would have if I would have changed it after that many miles.

jhbhatia · 01-27-2006, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyorke

the higher the mileage on the car the quicker the fluid will get darker.

Both my 97 camry and my o1 solara are like less than a 1000 miles apart. So the milage on both is similar. But the manner in which the camry fluid darkens and how solara is red is always puzzling to me. I know of the burning smell on trans fluid...i know i'm overly cautions by replacing fluid very often..but i'm still puzzled as to why two cars (very similar) close enough milage..and one's got darker fluid than the other...

Cyorke · 01-27-2006, 05:46 PM

Is one driven more stop and go city driving and the other more highway driving. If so that could have something to do with it. Like everything else stop and go is harder on all parts of the car than highway driving.

Digger1 · 01-28-2006, 10:54 AM

FWIW....heat is the enemy of tranny fluid. Trannies in FWD cars tend to run hotter than trannies in RWD cars. Having said that, I can imagine that your V6 Camry sees higher engine bay temps than does your I4 Solara. So, the tranny on the Camry probably runs hotter than the tranny on the Solara.

Just for grins, what tranny is in your Camry? Your Solara?

jhbhatia · 01-30-2006, 09:10 AM

^^ both are a/t's

Digger1 · 01-30-2006, 11:10 AM

JH,

Does your Solara have the A140E automatic transmission?

Just curious.

Hajoca · 01-30-2006, 08:02 PM

No, A540E is used with the six cyl.

Digger1 · 01-31-2006, 09:48 AM

Hajoca,

I think JH said his Solara was an I4.

Drive safe!

nodrogkam · 01-31-2006, 03:17 PM

Well at about 70 K my camry recieved its first flush.

Before that it was always dark and i was always told by mechanics to change more often. But its always been drained/refilled. Apparantly not much fluid is exchanged, and apparantly the filter has never been changed? I dont understand where this tranny filter is, and why no one mentions that it needs to be changed?

Is there indeed a tranny oil filter?

I think that if the car still feels smooth and the fluid is still redish you should be fine. But at the first time anything feels bad about the tranny i'd go in to get it serviced.

Cyorke · 01-31-2006, 03:41 PM

You have to remove the trans mission pan to replace the filter. It is not so much a filter as it is a very fine mesh screen. Drain the fluid then pull out the 10mm bolts that hold the pan on and three it is. Youcant miss it. There are two or three bolts that hold it onto the transmission also.

nodrogkam · 01-31-2006, 05:24 PM

awesome. but i guess im also sort of wondering if and when this may need tobe replaced. Im at a little over 90K right now.

Cyorke · 01-31-2006, 05:31 PM

I dont know that they really have a replacement schedule for it. Wehn we did 30K mile services on any car at the dealer I was at all we did was drain drop the pan and put a new gasket on the pan. I cant rememebr ever replacing one. You can take it off and clean it if you really wanted to I guess. Like i said it is jsut a very very fine mesh screen.

Donald · 01-31-2006, 06:24 PM

I think the higher torque of the V6 will take a heavier toll on the transmission fluid. It will definately create more heat in the tranny. Even though the transmission is designed to handle it, the fluid is probably showing the difference.

I drain and refill my tranny approximately twice a year. Only 2 of the 5 quarts come out each time but it helps I think.