Transmission flush question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

ycartf · 05-15-2007, 05:27 PM

Hello everyone - just want to pick the brains of the knowledgeable folks on here before going any further in pursuing this.

I wondered if it may be possible to flush your transmission - draining it of old fluid and putting new fluid in simultaneously - by taking a piece of clear tubing (long enough to hold and filled with a bit more than your total exchange capacity) and inserting it between your cooler line where it exits and the transmission line where it returns to the transmission. In theory it sounds (to me) like the old fluid would push the new fluid in and once you had nothing but old fluid left in this long piece of tubing (hopefully with newer-looking fluid now entering AND exiting the tubing) you could disconnect it and reconnect the original fittings. I do not know how small diameter of hose you would have to use to keep the fluid from just running along the bottom of the tubing - preferably using capillarity of the fluid and a trapped air bubble in between the old and new fluid to coast it on in.

Please let me know how feasible this sounds - and yes I know it has to be a long piece of tubing. At five quarts (unsure what my exact total capacity is on a 1997 I4 automatic Camry) you would have to have 33 feet of 1" (inner diameter) tubing - 59 feet of 3/4" tubing - 84 feet of 5/8" tubing - 131 feet of 1/2" tubing. Thanks for your attention and ideas!

Tracy

atobe · 05-15-2007, 06:59 PM

sounds like a good idea but the tranny would be pumping it out pretty fast and the line might not handle the pressure.... that's the only problem i'd see and i don't see how all those hose's gonna be cheap.

touringcamry · 05-15-2007, 08:57 PM

That is a lot of tubing. The last time I did a transmission flush using the cooler lines, I let the engine run for about 10 or 15 seconds during which it would pump out 1.5 qts of fluid. Then I shut the engine down and poured that amount of fluid into the fill hole to replace what was pumped out.

IIRC the cooler lines are 3/8" ID so you'd also need to find a way to make that larger tubing fit.

marc780 · 05-16-2007, 04:57 AM

Yes you can flush it and easily. It takes a few feet of tubing, not a whole bunch. But beware, if your trans has more than 100k miles it may be better not to flush. I've posted about this before so you may wanna do a search first as to why not. But i digress.

I flush mine the easy way. Here are the ways from easiest to hardest.

1. Pay a shop to do it. Maybe they will do a full flush exactly how you'd do it. Maybe they will just say they did. For sure they will charge you the same. But you didn't get dirty!

2. Do several drain and fills. I think your camry has a drain plug? 10mm male hex, usually. Drain pan, just like the oil, refill. Drive car, or just run engine for 10 minutes. repeat twice.

3. Drop pan, clean strainer/replace filter, whichever. Disconnect hose from radiator (cooler part). Run engine for about 10 seconds and let tranny pump go to town. Shut off engine. Top up trans. Repeat til fluid comes out clean.

sundarpn · 05-16-2007, 06:49 PM

I used to do the cooler line method of flus in my old taurus. I bet it can be done better on the Gen5 as there is a drain plug too.

Does anyone know the total capacity?

1. I guess I would dicsonnect the cooler line and run the motor in like 5-7 seconsd intervals to drain like 3-4 quarts i guess?.

2. Then open the drain plug and drain anything else. (measure what comes out).

Then put back the amount that came out. Then if you want do step 1 again for say 2 qts.

But the toyota type IV ATF I am told is expensive

marc780 · 05-18-2007, 03:48 PM

My transmission uses TIV as well, not only is it expensive ($5 or more a quart) it is a dealer-only.
I just do a couple changes in a row, and use up 6 or 8 quarts. If you try to do a flush, and run low on fluid, you better hope the toyota dealer is open.
In an emergency i wouldnt hesitate to top off with dexron if i had to, as it is better than running with the trans low on fluid after all - but after that i would flush it as soon as i could.

Heat · 05-22-2007, 11:48 PM

I did a flush on my '95 LE I4 a few weeks ago.

Pick up about 6 feet of 3/8" ID hose, clear, a transmisison fluid funnel (will have a narrow end and a long tube), transmission fluid (pick up about two quarts more than the capacity of your vehicle), and a few empty gallon milk jugs.

Using a pitcher and water, add water one quart at a time into a milk jug. Mark lines with a permanent marker so you know where the quart lines are on the jug. Now just set the other two jugs next to the first and mark them also.

Disconnect the proper tube coming out of the radiator - on my '95 it was the right tube as you stand looking at the engine (the driver's side tube). Slip the 3/8" tube over the tube coming out of the radiator and put the other end in a milk which is located on the driver's side of the car (so you can see it while sitting in the driver's seat). Take out the automatic transmission dipstick tube and put the funnel in there, have the caps off of a couple quarts of transmission fluid. Start the car, immediately check to make sure that fluid is coming through the hose and is not spraying over your driveway. Assuming you are connected to the right line, you'll see the milk jugs filling with fluid. As a quart comes out, be adding fresh fluid through the funnel. At some point be sure to shift into reverse, nuetral, drive, one, and two for at least a few seconds each - foot on the brake of course.

Anyway, at some point you'll see "clean" looking fluid coming through the tube - this is why you want a clear plastic hose. Turn off the car, reconnect everything, seal up the used transmission fluid to take to your local mechanic (they'll take it for free). Go for a little drive and check the fluid level with the engine running and on level ground.

sundarpn · 05-22-2007, 11:56 PM

interestingly the tranny dipstip in my 2002 XLE says "No need to change ATF under normal driving"

marc780 · 06-17-2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundarpn

interestingly the tranny dipstip in my 2002 XLE says "No need to change ATF under normal driving"

Sure it says that, (obviously, 'cause they sell more cars that way when the transmission goes out, of course). It's really not in their interest for you to run the car 300,000 miles.

Yanpapa · 06-18-2007, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heat

I
"Disconnect the proper tube coming out of the radiator - on my '95 it was the right tube as you stand looking at the engine (the driver's side tube)."

Is this a one of a "Oil Cooler Hose" that is attached to a bottom of a radiator? And I assume that transmission fluid will start draining once you disconnect hose from an outlet? I just wanted to prepare myself for doing this.
Thanks.

Heat · 06-27-2007, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yanpapa

Is this a one of a "Oil Cooler Hose" that is attached to a bottom of a radiator? And I assume that transmission fluid will start draining once you disconnect hose from an outlet? I just wanted to prepare myself for doing this.
Thanks.

It's going to be one of the two hoses (tubes) going from the transmission to the radiator.

And while a minimal amount of fluid will come out (whatever was in the tube), it is minimal. It's not until you start the engine that fluid will come out quickly - maybe a quart every 20 or 25 seconds or so.

There are only two hoses going from the transmission to the radiator and on my '95 the correct one was the hose as I was standing in front of my car looking at the engine. Really, if you can change your oil you can do a transmission flush by yourself.

One thing - when you first start the car run out to make sure that fluid is going through the hose. That is, that you hooked up to the right line, otherwise fluid will be shooting out onto your driveway.