94,000 miles on automatic transmission without a fluid change. some cars it,s a death sentence to change it. do you think it would be beneficial or would it be harmful to do so??
i,m having nightmares about the $4000. rebuilt transmission storys.
Have you check the fluid and see what condition it is in? That would actually be more helpful than ask what you should do here; everyone drives their car differently, the fluid in your car might be better than you think.
94,000 miles on automatic transmission without a fluid change. some cars it,s a death sentence to change it. do you think it would be beneficial or would it be harmful to do so??
i,m having nightmares about the $4000. rebuilt transmission storys.
I'd drain/drop the pan. Clean the pan until you can see your reflection and get a new gasket. Then reinstall the pan and put in ~3 qt of trans fluid from TOYOTA! The type you need is located on the dip stick.
I'd drain/drop the pan. Clean the pan until you can see your reflection and get a new gasket. Then reinstall the pan and put in ~3 qt of trans fluid from TOYOTA!
I never did a transmission fluid drain before. So how easy or difficult is it to drop the pan? What should I pay attention to when installing a new gasket? Should I get an OEM gasket? Should I replace the strainer assembly or just clean it to avoid potential trouble such as leak? Do I have to use a torque wrench for those pan bolts?
First, drain the fluid. It is located next to the oil pan. Next, carefully unscrew the ~18 screws around the pan. You may need to remove some of the skid plate to get the last two, but you can put it back on when you are done. Now that the pan is off, make sure you clean the magnets that are in there. This is where all the metal shavings will be found. In the process, I would recommend carburetor cleaner being sprayed into the pan and wiped away until a nice shine. Then put the clean magnets back in. The gasket may be in good shape, but after 90,000 mi, I would replace it. ($14 at the Toyota Dealer) Then screw in the ~18 screws and make sure they are tight, but equally tighted so the gasket will have equal pressure. Then put the new fluid in. Drive the car around and make sure there are no leaks. When you change your oil the next time, go ahead and drain the pan and put another ~3 qts in. This way, the new fluid has cycled through and you are getting rid of what was still in you trans. when you changed it.
This is just what I did, so you may find it helpful. I had found some people saying to do this at 30,000 mi to avoid later problems. My car is an 06 corolla with 29000 mi, so I did this over Christmas break.
Thanks a lot for the detailed help, Brad! So would it be OK without using a torque wrench to tighten those 18 bolts? Did you clean the strainer/filter?
Just remember the corolla tranny(w/ torque converter) holds 12 quarts so changing 3 won't accomplish much. Better than nothing I guess. However if the fluid is dirty or you have 90,000 miles I would recommend a dealer flush and pan drop. I got mine for $150.
You should be fine without a torque wrench or strainer/filter replacement. I am not sure if the is true for an '04 if at all, but the Toyota Dealer claims that they are using a synthetic transmission fluid in some corollas that lasts "forever." While you are there getting your fluid, just ask the mechanic to confirm that you are getting the right fluid. When you do drop the pan BE SURE YOU CLEAN THE MAGNETS! These are designed to clear the metal shavings that can damage your tranny.
As for the other comments. You guys are exactly right! I just drained my pan, so I got about 3 quarts out of the system. If I had flushed thew system, I should get about 7.7 quarts.
Hope this helps! Good Luck! Just respond and I will try to help more.
I just droped the fluid and installed few quarts yota back in
Been awhile since i did the job cant remmember 2.7 quarts or 3.7 humm. My old was dirty new still looks clean on dip stick. I would belive 7.7 total but not 12 lol. Toyota dealer either wouldnt tell me or didnt know. Forget them do it yourself.
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