I completed this procedure at 49,000 km on my 2008 Corolla 1.8L automatic (with the 1ZZ-FE engine). The transmission fluid was getting a bit dark looking on the dipstick. To the best of my knowledge, the transmission fluid was the original fluid that was supplied with the car.
Note that my local Toyota service department advised me that they only drain and fill. However, most other references including a local independent transmission shop informed me they always drop the pan, clean the magnets, change the strainer, and exchange all of the fluid when they perform a transmission fluid service.
The reason that Toyota does not exchange all of the fluid is not clear to me. It is my experience that the remaining fluid in the system will quickly contaminate the new fluid if you do not pull the cooler line and get all of the old fluid out..
Disclaimer
Use this guide at your own risk! I assume no responsibility for any damage to your vehicle or personal injury as a result of following this guide. Any comments to improve the procedure will be gratefully received and incorporated where possible.
Special Tools Required
¼” drive torque wrench, suitable to be set to 48 in.lbs. (NOT ft.lbs) of torque.
Time Required
It took me 3.5 hours from start to finish, including time to take photos and make notes as well as fill the transmission to the right level and take the car for a test drive. If I had to do it again, I think I could reasonably pare this down to about 2 hours.
Parts Required.
Aftermarket transmission gasket & strainer $24.85 taxes included (Partsource no. FK-372)
6 liters of automatic transmission fluid T-IV $49.43 taxes included (Toyota Part No. C0BBB-000T4-OL). I bought a case of 12 and received “trade” price from my local dealer = $8.23/liter (taxes included). Total = $74.28 CDN (taxes included).
Note: For comparison, my local independent transmission shop charges $223.74 (taxes included) for this service, but does not use Toyota T-IV fluid. They use an International Lubricants CAM2 product, a transmission fluid with friction modifier – similar to the T-IV spec.
Let’s get started!
1. Before starting, mark a 1 gallon clear jug (ie. water bottle, windshield washer jug, etc.) in 0.5 liter (16 oz) increments as shown below. This will make it handy to see how much fluid you have drained out of your transmission so that you know how much needs to be added later on. I filled the jug with water using a graduated kitchen beaker to make the marks and then dumped the water.
2. Warm up the engine and transmission by driving the car just before this procedure. Hot transmission fluid is more effective than cold fluid at removing built up sediment. Block the rear tires, set the parking brake, jack up the front of the car and lower it on to jack stands. Note that if you have a floor jack, there is a convenient point (see red arrow above) to jack up the entire front end of the car. Ensure that the car is stable and adequately supported prior to proceeding. Place large amounts of newspaper or cardboard under the car to catch any spills.
3. Remove the transmission fluid dip stick (red circle) and set aside. Place a catch pan under the drain plug (green circle). The drain plug is on the bottom of the transmission pan which is located on driver’s side of the engine compartment. It is accessed by crawling underneath the car from the front. The white stains that you see on the bottom of the transmission pan is from the road salt that spread on the roads here in the winter.
4. Remove the plug (14mm wrench required) and allow the fluid to drain. Warning: Fluid temperatures can exceed 350°F in a hot transmission, so be very careful when draining. Wear protective gloves. Be sure the drain pan is properly centered as the fluid will come out with some force. Draining the transmission pan netted me about 3 1/4 liters of transmission fluid. Dump this transmission fluid into a waste container for proper disposal.
5. There are 18 bolts securing the transmission pan to the transmission. Strategically position a drain pan at the rear of the pan. Remove all of the bolts starting at the rear and working toward the front (10mm socket). Do not remove the front two bolts yet. Hold the pan up with one hand and loosen the remaining two front bolts with your other hand. Then gently tip the pan to allow the fluid to drain. This is where the newspapers or cardboard comes in handy – in case you miss the target! If the pan hasn’t been removed in a long time, it may stick and need to be pried downward with a flat head screwdriver. In my case, the pan dropped as soon as I loosened the front two bolts. This step netted me another ¼ liter of transmission fluid.
6. When the fluid has stopped draining from the transmission pan, remove the last two bolts and lower the transmission pan. Here is what mine looked like. There are two magnets circled in red.
7. Remove the magnets and clean them up with a rag. If there are any metal particles on the magnets, remove them. My magnets and pan were pretty clean. I only had a fine coating of metal filings on the magnets and the bottom of the pan.
8. Remove the gasket. My gasket was still pliable and it came off in one piece. If your gasket is stuck to the pan, use a scraper to remove it. Try not to scratch the pan. Ensure that there is no residual gasket on either the pan or the transmission prior to proceeding to the next step. The instructions in my filter kit indicated that it is NOT recommended to sand or wire brush the gasket surfaces, presumably because it may damage the surface and potentially cause leakage. There was no residue on the transmission flange.
8. Clean the pan with a rag and replace the magnets.
9. Reposition the drain pan over the strainer drain hole (blue arrow). Remove the three strainer retaining bolts (10mm) with one hand while holding the strainer up with the other hand. The green circles are short bolts and the red circle is a long bolt. Make a mental note of which bolts go where. Carefully tip the strainer in order to drain the fluid into the drain pan.
10. Here is what the transmission looks like with the strainer removed.
11. I observed a very small amount of grit on the metal filter cloth (red arrows). Based on the small quantity of grit on my strainer, I could have easily re-used it, but since I already had a new one in the filter kit, I decided to toss the old one.
12. Compare the new strainer with the old one to ensure that they are the same.
13. Install the new strainer. Ensure that the longer bolt goes in the correct position. The recommended torque for the strainer bolts is 84 in.lbs.
[EDIT June 6, 2011: Strainer bolt torque changed to 84 in.lbs based on input from TN Member GREENPUS]
14. Install the drain pan. It is not recommended to use gasket adhesive to adhere the gasket to the pan. Some recommend using grease to hold the gasket in place, but I didn’t find it necessary. I simply started a few bolts in each corner and that seemed quite adequate to hold the gasket in place. Some of the bolts protrude through the transmission flange and are exposed to the elements on the top side, and were already starting to corrode, so I applied antiseize compound to each of the bolts prior to insertion. Snug the bolts up by hand using a nut driver.
15. Evenly torque the bolts to 48 in.lbs., NOT 48 ft.lbs! Be careful not to over tighten the bolts, or it may squeeze the gasket out, causing a leak. 48 in.lbs is a very low torque. I used a ¼” torque wrench to do this step. I went around the pan twice just to make sure all bolts were properly torqued. Install the drain plug. Recommended torque for the drain plug is 13 ft.lbs.
[EDIT June 6, 2011: Drain plug torque spec. changed to 13 ft.lbs based on input from TN Member GREENPUS]
16. With the car still jacked up, locate the two transmission cooler lines. Disconnect the fluid return hose from the transmission cooler. On my Corolla, the return hose was the one on the driver side (red arrow). If you are not sure which one is the correct hose, disconnect one of them and get a helper to momentarily start the car. With the car running, you want the hose from the cooler with fluid coming out.
I found it easier to access the cooler line from below, so I worked from under the car. The hose is difficult to get off the metal cooler line. Once the hose clamp is moved down, you need to grasp the hose firmly and twist it to break the friction. If you can twist it, it will slide off easily. If can’t twist it, is my experience that it will not come off, no matter how hard you pull it. I found it easier to twist with a glove on. With a glove, you get a better grip and don't have to worry about skinning your knuckles. If you still can't twist the hose, push a small slot screwdriver between the hose the metal tube in several different locations. This should loosen up the grip.
17. A small amount of transmission fluid will leak from the hose – not much. Insert a nipple into the transmission hose and connect a clear PVC hose to run to your collection container. Note that transmission cooler line is 5/16” (8mm) ID. I didn’t have the right sized hoses, so I had to improvise. The above photo is taken looking up from ground level.
18. Lower the vehicle so that it is level. With the engine off, add 4 liters of clean transmission fluid to the transmission through the dipstick hole.
19. Get a helper to start the engine. The pump inside the transmission will push fluid out of the return hose. Pump 1 liter of old transmission fluid out into the clear collection container. This is where the marks on the container come in handy. Shut off the engine when 1 liter is pumped out. Add one liter of fresh fluid down the dipstick hole. The idea is to replace the old fluid with exactly the same amount of new fluid.
Note that the fluid doesn’t come out very fast. It is very gentle - maybe one liter every 20-25 seconds. Continue replacing the old and adding the fresh until the fluid coming out of the transmission cooler into the bottle is a nice cherry red, like the new fluid. On mine, I only had to replace 2 liters in addition to the 4 liters I originally added, for a total of 6 liters. This surprised me because on my Camry, it took about 3 + 6 liters for a total of 9 liters to get all of the old pumped out.
20. Replace the transmission cooler return line and securely clamp it in place. I used a gear type clamp so that I will know which line to use for future transmission fluid exchanges. Start the engine and shift the selector into all positions from P to L, then shift into P and apply the parking brake. Check under the car to ensure that there are no leaks.
21. With the engine idling, check the fluid level on the dipstick. Add fluid up to the “cool” level on the dipstick. Replace the dipstick. Over the next several days, re-check the level and adjust if necessary. CAUTION: Do not overfill the transmission as this may cause the fluid to foam and not lubricate properly.
22. Dispose of the old transmission fluid in an environmentally responsible way. In our city, they will take the old transmission fluid free at the hazardous waste disposal depot or will collect it with the recycle goods if it is placed in the original containers. It might also be possible to drop it off at a local garage or transmission shop, or auto parts store.
__________________
2002 Camry 2.4L Auto - 70K miles
2008 Corolla 1.8L Auto - 48K miles
Last edited by dz63; 06-12-2011 at 04:57 PM.
Reason: Changed Torque Specs.
The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to dz63 For This Useful Post:
May I ask where you got that Pro King, Automatic Transmission filter kit, I am planing to do mine, too. I notice it is Spanish and English, did you get it from the States?
May I ask where you got that Pro King, Automatic Transmission filter kit, I am planing to do mine, too. I notice it is Spanish and English, did you get it from the States?
u can always go with the toyota oem parts. I did this earlier this yr and the strainer cost me about 4x if remembered correctly. the kit seemed like from some kinda auto part shop
Awesome job!! I have been looking for a write up pics for awhile now. I am getting ready to do this service on my car next Spring when the weather warms up, by then I should have about 60,000 miles on my car. I am surprised that your fluid is that dirty with such low mileage, my car now has 54,000 miles looks a little dark but not as bad as yours.
Thanks again for the write up, it will be a great help when I do mine.
__________________ 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!!!!!
May I ask where you got that Pro King, Automatic Transmission filter kit, I am planing to do mine, too. I notice it is Spanish and English, did you get it from the States?
I bought it from my local Partsource store in Kitchener, Ontario. $24.85 with GST/PST included. The receipt reads "08 Corolla 4-1794 1.8L 1ZZ-FE 1 KNG FK372 TRNS FLTR KIT" It was in stock at their warehouse in Guelph, Ontario. It took 1/2 day to get it brought to my local store. Note that Partsource is owned by Canadian Tire - so if you don't have Partsource in your area of BC, I am sure Canadian Tire can get it for you.
__________________
2002 Camry 2.4L Auto - 70K miles
2008 Corolla 1.8L Auto - 48K miles
Last edited by dz63; 12-22-2009 at 04:58 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to dz63 For This Useful Post:
Awesome job!! I have been looking for a write up pics for awhile now. I am getting ready to do this service on my car next Spring when the weather warms up, by then I should have about 60,000 miles on my car. I am surprised that your fluid is that dirty with such low mileage, my car now has 54,000 miles looks a little dark but not as bad as yours.
Thanks again for the write up, it will be a great help when I do mine.
You are welcome. Glad to help.
We bought the 2008 Corolla in the Spring with 43K Km on the odometer. I have no idea how the previous owner drove the car. it is possible that their driving style may have had some impact on the condition of the ATF. Intuitively, on the first exchange, I would expect that the fluid will be a bit darker than normal, as the transmission has been broken in from new on this fluid.
You may be surprised how dark yours looks when drop the fluid. It is my experience that the ATF looks a lot darker in quantity than it does on the dipstick.
This Corolla is a city commuter car for my wife. She only puts 8-10K km on her car each year! So, I plan to exchange the ATF every 50K km on this car. This translates to 5 years. I am a little uncomfortable with Toyota's recommendation of 96K km between exchanges considering our circumstance.
__________________
2002 Camry 2.4L Auto - 70K miles
2008 Corolla 1.8L Auto - 48K miles
u can always go with the toyota oem parts. I did this earlier this yr and the strainer cost me about 4x if remembered correctly. the kit seemed like from some kinda auto part shop
OEM Toyota parts in Canada are very expensive. I priced out an OEM strainer and gasket when I dropped the ATF on my 1996 Camry and the dealer wanted $165.21 (taxes in) for the strainer and gasket. Aftermarket parts were $20.
It is my experience that buying OEM Toyota parts in the USA is somewhat cheaper than in Canada. The ironic thing is that the plant where my 2008 Corolla was built is 10 minutes from my home, but the parts are actually cheaper in the USA!
__________________
2002 Camry 2.4L Auto - 70K miles
2008 Corolla 1.8L Auto - 48K miles
ALOHA ! DZ; HEY THANKS AGAIN FOR YOU FABULOUS PICTURES OF THE TRANS. FILTER WORK. ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE FIRST OIL CHANGE PICTURES. I JCAKED UP MY COROLLA AND TOOK A LOOK UNDER IT THIS MORNING. AS I EXPECTED I WILL HAVE TO GET THAT SPECIAL 64MM 14 FLATS OIL FILTER WRENCH TO CHANGE MT OIOL. I HAVE 4 DIFFERENT SIZES IN MY TOOL BOX BUT THEY ALL WHERE TO BIG. I CHECKED A FEW THINGS LIKE THE SPARE TIRE PRESSURE, THEN I CHECKED THE OIL PLUG. DO YOU KNOW IT WAS JUST ABOUT HAND TIGHT, YES HAND TIGHT, I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES. I GET MY WRENCH OUT AND GAVE IT A SLIGHT SNUG. IT COULD HAVE UNSCREWED WHILE WE WHERE DRIVING AND THERE WOULD GO MY NEW ENGINE AND THEN A BATTLE WITH TOYOTA WOULD START.
I WOULD ADVISE EVEY NEW OWNER TO CHECK THERE ENGINE PLUG. AS A MATTER OF FACT I SHOULD JUST TRY MY TRANS. PLUG TOMARROW JUST IN CASE IT IS ALSO LOOSE. AS A RETIRED MACHINIST THESE THIGS ARE IN MY MIND ALLL THE TIME.
HEY DZ DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MILEAGE YOU CAN GO BEFORE THE SPARK PLUGS NEED TO BE CHANGED?
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