Transmission Flush 2002 CE Corolla???

[gadawg]

I need to flush the transmission fluid and am needing some help. I am pretty sure I have found the trans cooler lines but am unsure which is the send and which is the return. Can anyone clarify which is which? Also I am wanting to drain and fill the differential and need any info I can get on this as well. I think the manual calls for ATF in the differential but I want to be sure. Thanks for any information!!!!!

[gadawg]

anyone???

[TRDragoon]

your cars too brand new to get the tranny flushed......have you driven it for 50k km?

and is it automatic? cuz if its Manual, you wouldn't hafto till 150k km....

[gadawg]

I am switching to Mobil1 Synthetics all around and I am going to go ahead and flush the trans while I am at it. Do you know the capacities of the A/T and the differential by chance?

[hopeful]

to get it done properly take it to a shop that will drain AND flush with a nice big expensive machine.

Otherwise, all the tranny oil thats in the torque convertor (gadawg: I have torque?) will stay in there.

[Deep]

Hopeful is right, the converter holds almost as much fluid as the rest of the tranny, to do a complete flush/fill a shop would need to do it... unless sombody has another method. Come to think of it, if the car was left in D with the ignition off and rolled, would that drain the converter? Just a thought.

[gadawg]

Well you don't have to take it to a shop and use their "expensive" machine to flush your trans. Here is a short description of what I did. First, drive the car for about 10 miles to get the fluid heated up in the trans and differential (only 3 speeds have the differential), then I put the car on jack stands and got a 5 gallon bucket that is more short than tall to fit under the vehicle. I loosened the 10mm hex bolts on the bottom of the diff and trans and let the fluid drain for about 20 minutes. Clean the metal shavings off of the bottom of the magnetic drain plugs.Then I loosened the 17mm differential fill plug to allow air in as to not create a vacuum. Once the fluid is drained completely out of both, replace the drain plugs. Next I filled the differential back up. I used a hand pump to put 1.5 quarts of Mobil1 ATF in. I then replace the 17mm bolt. Next I located the transmission cooler RETURN line. It is the one going into the bottom of the radiator on the drivers side (USA) from the transmission. Use a pair of pliers to release the clip and move it up the line a little. Carefully work the cooler line loose from the radiator fitting. It is a brass fitting about 1.5 inches long. After I removed the rubber line, I put a piece of tubing I had laying around and put it on the fitting and ran the tube to the bucket. Next I added 4 quarts of the ATF though the dipstick filler tube and then I started the car. ( DO NOT PUT THE CAR IN GEAR) I watched as the old fluid was being pumped out into the bucket. Once the fluid slows down add 2 quarts then start the car again and watch the old fluid being pumped out. Repeat this process until you see the NEW fluid start coming out. I let about a quart of the new fluid continue to flow out before I was satisfied that I had all of the old fluid out. After I shut the car off, I replaced the trans cooler return line to the radiator and replaced the clip. I then added 2 more quarts or until I could see trans fluid on the dipstick. I lowered the car off the jack stands and took it for a test ride for a few miles. I came back and with the car running I checked the fluid and added fluid until it read in the HOT range on the dipstick. It took a total of 11.5 quarts of Mobil1 Synthetic ATF to fill the differential and flush the transmission. All in all it took about 1.5 hours to complete the job, And I know it was done right!!!!

[Chris Corolla S]

Nice job

Thanks for the well written description