2000 Avalon Tranny Filter and Fluid Change Procedure

[clark_bailey]

1. Drain the fluid from pan (allen wrench plug).
2. Remove the pan bolts, about 15 of them I think (use a 10mm 1/4 inch drive ratchet with 6 inch extension).
3. Place pan on work bench, marking where magnets go, you then remove them and wipe off the metal shavings and grime.
4. Remove old gasket with flat scraper, clean both surfaces the gasket will touch.
5. Wipe out pan until clean. I used paper towels alone, no solvents.
6. Place new gasket on pan, put bolts in pan holes to hold gasket in place.
7. Remove screen/filter. It is held with three 10mm bolts, and a little wire retainer tab on top holds some wires, just bend the tab up to remove the wires.
8. Replace filter with new one, making sure the gasket on top of new filter is lined up correctly, replace the 3 bolts holding the filter up in place.
9. Make sure magnets are back in pan, replace pan and tighten pan bolts to 48 INCH pounds.
10. Pour 3 quarts Dex III in the tranny dipstick hole. Yes you need a small funnel.
11. Remove the tranny fluid hose going from radiator to the tranny, it is the one on closest to the drivers side fender. There are two side by side directly behind the driver side radiator fan motor, but the one you want is the one closest to the driver side. (Of course the hardest to get to!).
12. Pull it down through the hole in the plate under the radiator and into a two gallon jug with quart marks on it.
13. Have a buddy crank the car and pour in new fluid as the old is pumped out, havethe buddy go through the gears a couple times during the process.
14. You can keep up if you move real fast, but I had to stop the engine two times to catch up on the filling since the fluid pumps out fairly quick.
15. Once two gallons have been removed, and you have put in two gallons of new.... Stop the engine and Stop filling with fluid.
16. Replace the tranny cooling tube and make sure clamp is tight.
17. Crank it up and go through the gears, then check fill range on the stick. Add as necessary. Mine needed a pint to be perfect after a 10 mile test run.
18. Enjoy your success.

[BiXLL]

What is the recommended change interval, do you know? How much fluid total do you need to this?

[kegunder]

I think the interval is 60K miles. You need about 3 gallons if you follow this procedure.

BTW, nice writeup.

Also, I prefer to change the fluid closer to 30K miles. Also, you can skip the filter change most of the time (skip steps 2-9). This way you can do quick fluid changes more often. I changed my filter at 150K and its was spotless... its a mesh screen, not a filter. I doubt I'll change it again any time soon.

[BiXLL]

If your needing 3 gallon to do it, I am thinking it would not be much more expensive to just have a flush done ay one of those oil change places. I have never used them though, is there anything about them I should know?

[BiXLL]

Is there any brand of fluid you recommend? I know its Dex III, but for instance I have 107,000 miles and I am wondering if maybe I should go with like Valvolene Max Life, designed for cars with over 75,000, or maybe synthetic, or are the all about the same?

[BiXLL]

Originally Posted by BiXLL

Is there any brand of fluid you recommend? I know its Dex III, but for instance I have 107,000 miles and I am wondering if maybe I should go with like Valvolene Max Life, designed for cars with over 75,000, or maybe synthetic, or are the all about the same?

Well, after doing some research, I found that WalMarts "Super Tech" brand of ATF is made by Pennzoil. It sits right next to the Penzoil brand on the shelf and is $9.00 a gallon versus $14.00, so I am going with the Super Tech. I have heard good things about their injector cleaning product also but have never used it.


Did you ever feel like you were talking to yourself??????

[BiXLL]

Well, just got done doing mine, and I am glad I did. I have never seen tranny fluid so brown before, I mean there was not even a hint of red to it! Great instructions also Clark, thank you!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, got small leak around pan gasket. This is the second filter change in a row that I have had to tear the pan back off do to leak. I hate rubber gaskets!

[BiXLL]

Here I am talking to myself again!!!!! LOL Anyway, I got it fixed. Tore the pan back off, cleaned everything up, applied a very small bead of silicone and put back on. I make the same mistake with tranny pans almost every time, I torque them up way too tight causing the gasket to bulge out of shape and causes a leak. I just can't bring myself to leave them at what I consider too loose.

[clark_bailey]

I needed to read my own post about the fluid exchange to do it on a Accord I just picked up. Anyway, glad to hear you got your leak stopped at the pan gasket. I know it is hard to leave the pan bolts "loose" but that is the spec and "loose" does not crush the gasket which leads to leaks. Glad I could helped you with the instructions.
Clark