Automatic Transmission Fluid Change.. Advice where to go.. Sears? Quick lube place?

[empirefalls]

Three questions follow: Below is from Sears automobile website on transmission change service for $100. Should i go with the dipstick change method? Second question,Should i trust a Sears or an express lube-change store to do the transmission work?

Note The local Toy dealer wants $200. $200 i dont have right now. Even if the dipstick fluid change is not the best method, is it better than not doing anything? My tranny fluid is dirty.
800000 '05 toy corrola


From Sears Automobile:
"Transmission Fluid Exchange is a service that replaces a vehicles existing transmission fluid by means of extracting the fluid through the dipstick fill tube. Performing the service through the dipstick eliminates the need to remove the vehicles drain pan.

This service enables the technician to exchange a greater amount of transmission fluid vs. conventional drain pad removal.

For most vehicle applications removal of the drain pan only provides replacement of fluid within the drain pan cavity"

[mikered30]

How mechanical are you? You could do a series of drain and refills, if you have very basic tools. If not, going to a tranny shop might be better. Sears may not use T-IV fluid.

[empirefalls]

Originally Posted by mikered30

How mechanical are you? You could do a series of drain and refills, if you have very basic tools. If not, going to a tranny shop might be better. Sears may not use T-IV fluid.

I succeessly did a transmission fluid change myself on a 1986 Chevy Camero...the year was 1989 But iam older and really do not have an adequate place to do auto work.

T-IV is the correct fluid, i will bring the fluid myself to a place if i have too.

I keep hearing/reading negative stuff about power flushes though the dipstick, although the Toy. dealer service garage said that is how they do it.

[JasonA]

I would pay a local mechanic specifically to drain and refill. I wouldn't fool with the flushes. It shouldn't take but 1/2 hour to do the job, so even at a full hour of labor, you'd be less than $100, even if you bring the fluid with you.

[Riick]

Doing it through the transmission cooler lines at the radiator is best method I know of, short of pulling the pan.
The $200 figure from Toyota is MUCH too high for the work you're talking about,
that's the figure I was quoted at Toyota for pulling the pan, changing the filter and then buttoning it up again.
OTOH.. they didn't want to do it that way, and given what the filter consists of they're probably right.

[dorman68]

Originally Posted by mikered30

How mechanical are you? You could do a series of drain and refills, if you have very basic tools. If not, going to a tranny shop might be better. Sears may not use T-IV fluid.

I agree with mikered, just do a couple of drain and refills. I would perform the drain and refill once and do it again in another 500 or so miles. There is a 14mm plug on the pan, when I did mine at 30k I just drained and refilled, it took about 10minutes, I ended up needing about 3.75 qts of tv-4 fluid. Hope this helps.

[tarbasd]

How long has the fluid been dirty? If it is a well maintained tranny, the flush should be OK. I personally have some positive experience with Sears. Back, when I just started to learn to work on cars, I took my car (and my friend's) to Sears a few times, and they always did a good job. They used quality brand name fluids, and best of all, they would let me directly watch what they did.

[iCorollaS03]

Its not hard, I did the procedure within 30 mins. Go to your Toyota dealership and buy the auto transmission filter with gasket and fluids (ask the guy for capacity I don't remember off the top of my head).

1. Raise car up on jack stands (be safer that way and you will see why I say stands instead of ramp later) and put something behind the rear wheels to keep it from moving
2. Drain transmission fluid
3. If you want to remove the transmission fluid pan to do the filter, I believe its a 10mm socket. Keep the drain pan under, more fluid will pour out.
4. After the pan is removed, remove the transmission filter... I believe 3 bolts, also size 10mm. Keep track of where the bolts go, I believe two different lengths on the filter bolts. Once again, keep drain pan under.
5. If you want to drain more fluids from the torque converter. Set the car to neutral, spin the wheels BY HAND and more fluids will be drawn out.
6. Bolt in new filter in the same manner it was positioned before
7. Clean the pan surface, both under the engine block and the pan itself.
8. Put new gasket on the pan, and bolt it back to the transmission in a cross pattern so it will be even. DO NOT TORQUE ALL THE WAY. After you have all the bolts back on, THEN you torque all the bolts down to OEM specs. Once again, torque them down in cross pattern.
9. Don't pour fluid in yet, set the car back down on all 4 wheels that way it will be balanced.
10. For example if max capacity is 5 quarts, put about 3.5 quarts in there first. THEN turn the car on and let it warm up. After its warmed up, just move the shifter around into different gears (so it can draw fluids thru the gears). Set the car into park and don't turn it off. Slowly add the remaining fluids until it hits the "HOT" line on the dipstick.

Transmission fluid must be added when the car is warm or running to get the correct level. Be real careful, when I say add slowly I mean real slow so you don't over fill. Sometimes people misjudge the fluid level because some fluids are still on on dipstick wall and throws off the level.

If you have questions, PM me.

Good luck,
Ken

*Edit*

By the way, the procedure took under $40 including tax. Also, theres a magnet on the bottom of the pan, take it out and clean off the metal shreds and put it back on the original position in the pan. $100-$200 for a simple flush is way too much, they are not taking out that dirty filter. They are just running new fluid into an old dirty filter.