Dante - Thank you for another excellent and informative well done post. I'm likely not alone in being very interested in your DIYs with pics posts - very helpful and much appreciated.

 

Another great write-up!

When I changed mine at ca. 60,000 miles I definitely needed extra leverage to get the drain plug off. The dealer did a "flush" at 30,000 miles and probably did not remove the plug.

I also used a full 4 quarts of fluid to get it up to the correct level.

And that goes ditto for me, thanks buddy! :chug:

 

Another great write-up!

When I changed mine at ca. 60,000 miles I definitely needed extra leverage to get the drain plug off. The dealer did a "flush" at 30,000 miles and probably did not remove the plug.

I also used a full 4 quarts of fluid to get it up to the correct level.

 

so the old drain and refill method does give you the PINK looking fluid? or a mix of pink and brown? (not sure the paper towel pink is the after refill from your tranny or right out from the bottle)

So did you do Part 2 at all?

 

^
Hi

1) so, no you are not ever going to go from the horrid brown in the 100 mL beaker, to the wonderful pink factory-fresh fluid in the 50 mL beaker with just 1 simple drain & refill. Even doing multiple ones, you will never get all the old out. In pharmacy, this is what we call Serial Geometric Dilutions. Say, for the sake of argument, the first drain & refill gets 50% of old out. Then 2nd only gets 50% - but of the blend of old & new, so only 25% actually. Worse, 3rd is down to 12.5% & so on - you rapidly reach a point of diminishing returns. The paper towel that looks so pink is after a few trips around the block - a lot of brown fluid was still prob. in the torque converter.

2) I haven't done part 2 yet, b/c I only just did part 1 this last Friday

Let's give the new fluid a while to scrub away any gunk, as I mentioned...

I think the reason you can't get *all* the old fluid out, other than by draining out a cooler line while topping up (all the while with engine running) until fluid out is as pink as fluid in, is why people like to think the infamous tranny "flush" is a good idea. But I've repeatedly discussed this with my 'Yota tech friends, and they are adamant - Toyota does NOT recommend tranny flushes routinely.

Lenore can probably jump in here & explain better than me why that is

 

Dante does your tranny have the second drain plug located on the transaxle just behind the oil pan on the inside (engine side) of the tranny? The RX300 had this plug and when you undo it even more fluid comes out...It still fills from the dipstick to the main tranny.

 

Dante here is the rear transaxle plug for the tranny, does your highlander have this...this drains even more fluid....
see post #63 for photo
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...neration/220061-photo-diy-rx300-awd-transmission-fluid-pan-filter-change-5.html

 

Would it be possible to perform a flush similar to the method used by some Taco owners?

Here's the procedure for Tacos.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326809

 

Would it be possible to perform a flush similar to the method used by some Taco owners?

Here's the procedure for Tacos.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326809

;
Yes that is perfectly fine, you are using the transmission pump to move fluid not an external machine that back flushes the system....

 

Hi lenore.

Thanks for bringing this important point up. When I first began researching this DIY, I started on the Club Lexus Forums. Where it became quickly apparent that the RX 300 is NOT identical to a 2001 Highlander. Can't speak for a Kluger - Matt?

Here's why: Compare the pic you posted in the link, to these actual pics taken tonight, under my HL. Note the casting mold 'spot' where a front diff drain would be. Note how there is also no such drain..

I guess the Lexus still kicks our ass is some ways, eh?

Yes, I know I might have a mild front diff oil leak - but it is *very* slow, so until I'm ready to pull a diff apart, I'll live with it

Cheers dude.

PS - this info was verified with a Master Toyota Tech. To Repeat - Highlander 2001 AWD DO NOT have a separate front diff drain.

D

 

?

D

I have to ask this.
The black mark under the bolts (kind of oil mark)
Is it a leak? I remember seeing the same thing on our 2004 Sienna AWD. Is that the transfer case?

 

High grandpa.

No, the Transfer case on our HL has lots of cooling fins on it - see my DIY on the transfer case oil change, and you will see what it looks like.

That conical metal chamber, with the oil "stain" is the front differential, and it is an integral part of the transmission - they share the same fluid. On the Lexus RX300, it actually has a drain plug, as well as the tranny drain pan. People have verified that these two share the same fluid, by pulling the (Lexus's) front diff drain plug, adding fluid through dip stick, and it will come out the open drain plug for the front diff.

In our HL, the fluid circulates somehow - but I do not have a FSM yet, so do not have schematic. But it (front diff) does take T-IV transmission fluid, just like it's co-part, the transmission.

This type of set-up is referred to as a "transaxle"

And yes, it would appear I have a very minor oil leak in my front diff. I will power wash it off & inspect it's rate of progression. I t appears stable or at least very very slow.

cheers. Feel free to keep asking!

 

Great write up thanks for taking the time to do this. I just ordered everything to do the transmission fluid in my 01. I've been wanting to do it and this post made it so simple I could not resist! Thanks again!

 

Taco

it has been a few months after your tranny drain. Is it possible for you to show how the color looks like now?

(when are you going to do Part Two?)

 

Side note: I've heard other's refer to fins on transfer cases and diff cases as "cooling fins". I *think* these are present to provide structural rigidity to cast housings, not for heat dissipation, per say.....

 

I think I referred to them as cooling fins. I assumed that b/c there were so many of them, and it's a viscous coupler, so I expect a fair amount of heat generation in the T-case with that set-up.

But I'm open to be corrected if that's not the case.

 

Yeah, I can show you the colour - will do so later tonight or tomorrow.

Part II is on hold while we sell house. We list on Tuesday, and you basically have to able to leave on a moment's notice. not exactly the time to be disassembling the wife's tranny pan :lol:

Once in new house will do it. Instead, might just drain & refill another 4 quarts in the meantime; but you don't need me to take pics of that again.

G

 

Whoops.

Forgot to post up that colour after the first drain & refill - sorry.

Here it is as of last week - just did a second drain & refill:

Brought to you by Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale :lol:

Not so sure I want to drop the pan on this tranny now. A few of the bolts will be a bitch to get at, and no-one is recommending it amongst the techs I know. So it's on the "could be done, but won't be done for now" list.

Preliminary fluid checks show Very Cherry colour now.

Geoff

 

thanks.

Talking about dropping the tranny pan, did you know the online toyota service manual didn't really call out for tranny drain at all? Unless you tow or drive it in bad condition... Also, no mention about power steering flush/drain at all.

 

Yes, interesting that they have that kind of faith in T-IV fluid.

I thought that given the low cost & ease (as far as a DIY goes) that a few drain & fills, if of no benefit, would not hurt (as opposed to a flush, which could).

My fluid was very dark before I did these two drain & fills - it sure is a lot lighter red now.

Does colour mean anything overall though? It didn't smell burnt, which is one thing I've seen first hand on another vehicle.

Anyway, like I said, this is the easiest fluid change on the whole vehicle, so not one I'm going to skimp on

cheers

G

 

100% agree. This kind of proactive maintenance on a $4000+ transmission makes a lot of sense given the ease of AT drain and refill and the relatively small investment in a case of AT fluid. I do an 4 quart AT drain every 15 k - basically a 15-20 minute job.

The Highlander is so easy to change fluids on - I did an oil and filter change in about 30 minutes this weekend - no need to even use a jack.

I guess that makes up for the fun to be had in changing the rear bank spark plugs? And that engine air filter housing is also a beaut to mess with....Pandora's box.

 

@ dante's taco:

i just dropped my tranny pan two weeks ago to change gasket and filter adn clean magnets. (127k on car). in reference to those few bolts to get at... yes they are a pain. here's what i learned from my own experience and this site. use a box wrench on the two bolts buried behind the A frame and a small 1/4" rachet on the 2 or 3 bolts in front of them.

i found that by putting the car up on jack stands and then placing a jack under the tranny and jacking it to the point where it almost lifted off the jackstands raised the tranny enough to make removing those few bolts more bearable.

someone said torque the bolts to 59 inch pounds (yes inch pounds). since i don't have a torque wrench i went old school by feel. after a week of driving everything was bone dry and looked great.

i too have a little weepage going on where the case joins the tranny. it is so insignificant. i also noticed a little bit of dampness where the transaxle arm comes out and goes to the passenger's side.

i might throw some auto-rx in the tranny to internally clean.

i did a home made tranny flush as well. i disconnected the hose that comes OUT of the tranny cooler and ran some clear plastic tubing from the cooler into a bucket. armed with 11 qts (the tranny holds 10) i had my neighbor run the car while I poured fresh fluid in the tranny. worked like a charm. i used the castrol multi import fluid.

hope this helps.

 

Thank You! I missed this - sorry didn't reply. had some, er... Telecommunications Issues (Yes, Telus, this means you) during the move so was off the grid for 7 days & missed this. Armed with this new info changes things.


Hmmm...