I used castrol Import Multi-Vehicle to change 3 qts of trammy oil at 90k. The dealership has been doing it every 30k, but did not know just changing trammy oil was so simple. I have never changed the filter if there is one. Is Castrol ok to use? Do I need to change the filter too? Any instructions if needed? The oil was still pretty red in color.
I have also used CASTROL IMPORT MULTIVEHICLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID . It works well for me. All I do for a trans service is drain and refill with about 3-4qts, "it's so easy a caveman can do it". The filter is a metal screen type without any felt or paper, most techs just wash it out and reuse it. I personally do not see any value in this if you perform your periodic drain and refill. My coworker has a 2003 Matrix with 169,000 miles and he only has performed drain and refill services every 30k and his trans works flawlessly. Just my 2cents worth anyway.
__________________ 2005 Corolla LE - Impulse Red - Auto Trans - 1ZZFE - 86,000mi 2003 Echo - Auto Trans - 96,000mi. - slow as dog-dirt - I'd rather put my money in the bank than in the tank!!!!!
The Toyota stuff isn't that much more expensive than the Castrol - I figure, why stress out about whether or not the aftermarket stuff will work. I spent the couple of extra bucks and got the Toyota stuff and it works great. If you're flushing every 30K, I surmise that you are not a cheapskate. 30K seems a bit overkill to me. I changed mine at 100K and the filter was clogged pretty good. I recommend dropping the pan and cleaning that out at some point.
There is a great procedure in the Haynes Manual for this vehicle. Here is the gist (for auto transmission):
Note: There are some people who disconnect the tranny cooler lines to get out more of the old fluid. No argument that getting more of the old ATF is a good thing, but not covered in the procedure below. You'll need more ATF than what is listed below to fill your tranny back up.
You will need:
- 4 qts of Toyota Type-IV ATF
- Replacement drain plug crush gasket (only if you're going to pull the plug - see below)
- New filter and pan gasket. (If you buy Pro-King part #FK-284, I can tell you it won't fit)
- Skinny funnel that will fit in transmission dipstick pipe.
1) Pre-disassembly check: Take the new pan gasket with you under the car. Hold it up to the dain pan and make sure it is the right replacement. There are a couple of brands out there that are close but bolt holes are in the wrong place, too big, etc. Once you are confident you have a good fit, proceed.
2) Draining the fluid. There are two options:
- Option 1 - Skip the drain plug removal: If you have a large catch, you can remove the pan without pulling the drain plug out. This is the messy way of doing it, but you won't have to worry about the drain plug leaking later on, and you don't need a new crush gasket. This is a good option if you go to get parts and they are out of stock on the crush gasket and you need to get this over with.
- Option 2 - Pull the drain plug and drain tranny, then remove pan. Don't pull the plug unless you have a new crush gasket. They are not designed to be reused. Once the fluid is drained, replace plug with new crush gasket. The flat side of the gasket should go against the pan. Remove the pan bolts. Note - there will be residual fluid in the pan!
3) Once the pan is removed, you'll see the silver-colored filter assembly. It is held in place with three bolts. I think they are 10mm. One of the bolts are longer than the other two. Note which is which and make sure you put it back in the same spot when reassembling. Remove the three bolts and the filter comes right off. Again, there will be residual fluid in the filter.
4) Replace filter and bolt in place, noting the location of the longer bolt. If you have access to a parts washer, the filter can be cleaned and reused since it is a fine metal mesh filter. Blow out with compressed air if reusing and make sure all of the slovent is completely gone. You don't want that junk mixing with your new ATF.
5) Thoroughly clean the drain pan, removing all of the fine grit and sludge from the magnets. Make sure you put the magnets back in the same spots they were originally located. Verify that the sealing surface is clean and smooth, no gouges. Verify that the surfaces on the transmission face are clean and smooth as well. This will ensure a good seal.
5) Reinstall drain pan with new gasket. The torque spec is 48 inch pounds. Again, that is INCH pounds. Use a star pattern when torquing the bolts. I use a sharpie marker to number the bolt holes in a star pattern on the pan itself to ensure I don't miss any. Starting with hand snug, tighten all bolts in the star pattern. Then go with about 1/3 of the torgue (20 inch pounds) in the same pattern. Next, increase torque up to 40 inch pounds, same star pattern. Finally, 48 inch pounds.
6) Carefully wipe any residual ATF from the bottom of the engine. This way if you see ATF later, you know you have a leak and not just residual ATF from the drain and fill.
7) After verifying that the plug is reinstalled into the pan, and the pan is torqued properly, you can fill the transmission. Start with 3 quarts of ATF. You will add the fluid through the dipstick pipe using the skinny funnel.
8) Start the car and leave it in PARK for a few moments. Listen for unusual noise. You should hear none. If anything sounds wrong shut off the car and investigate.
9) After a few moments, slowly shift from PARK down to L, stopping at each position for 5 seconds or so before proceeding to the next. Go down then up 3 or 4 times. You will probably note that the shift to R is a bit rough the first and second time through. Not unusual. After cycling through several times, leave the car running in PARK and check the ATF level on the dipstick. If the dipstick is dry, add 1/2 quart more, give it a minute to all drain down the pipe, then reheck. As the tranny heats up you'll notice that the level will go up.
10) Take the car out for a drive. You want the tranny to get up to normal temperature. The tranny should be operating smooth as silk. Try giving the accelerator pedal a stomp and note that the tranny downshifts nice and smooth. Then park on a level surface. With the car again running in PARK, check the ATF level and add ATF to get it in the HOT range. Be careful not to add too much! You'll have to pull the plug or use a small siphon pump to get the fluid back out!
11) Over the next couple days, just do a quick check to make sure the level is good and no seepage from the gasket or drain plug. That should be it.
12) Boast to your friends that you do your own tranny maintenace and save huge wads of cash.
1) Borrow from the motorhead down the street.
2) Rent from the auto parts store.
3) Buy your own. In this case, you'll need one that does foot-pounds and one that does inch pounds. There are nice ones that "click" when the desired torque is reached (expensive), and there are the deflecting beam type. The beam type is not as spot-on, but much cheaper. Good enough for our use. Sears has the nice click type. Not sure if they have deflecting beam type or not. You could find one cheaper elsewhere.
What torque wrench is good for the stuff we do on the car-cheap? lol I have a sears close.
i have the craftsman deflecting type torque wrench and to me, it does its job..i chose that over the craftsman click type because ive been researching and found out that those click type torque wrench from craftsman tend to break and also you only get like 1 yr warranty on it...so if it breaks after a year, you would have to buy a new one...on the other hand, the deflecting type torque wrench has a lifetime warranty...to me its better and is cheaper..
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