[fenixus]

you can safely do a power flush, just make sure they use some decent quality fluid (not generic Dexron-III dino) like Castrol IMV synthetic blend. it's pricey though, complete power flush takes 12 quarts of fluid.

or as suggested above, you could do a few drain and refills at short intervals (e.g. every week or so), 4 times is usually enough.

it's still recommended to drop the trans pan and replace strainer (filter) and pan gasket.

 

[fenixus]

glad to hear it's been done :thumbsup:

don't forget to re-check the trans oil level on hot car (check always after shifting back and forth through all gears) the next day after things settle down, e.g. after 1hr local driving or 30 mins hwy driving. make sure the level falls between the HOT marks on dipstick, it should actually be closer to the top one, or could even be slightly above it when car is really hot after some heavy duty driving.

I just did a drain and fill on my camry. I used Mobile1 ATF (as recommended by Fenixus, thank you..), bought from advancedauto with online coupon for around $5 per qt. Easy job. Make sure you won't overfill the tank. Mine took exactly 2.6qt to fill the tank. 10mm hex key (from harborfrieght for $6.99) is all you need to do the job.

 

[fenixus]

yeah, do not underestimate the destructive power of old differential fluid
drain it and refill it, it's separate on 4 cylinder model. same ATF as for auto transmission.

Important anti-fubar step: first loosen the fill plug, before you drain it though,
DIY here:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197974

1.7qts of fluid needed and funnel with a flexible hose (a few bucks in autozone, you may need to extend it though).
use 17mm socket on 3/8'' ratchet and a cheater pipe on it to crack the fill plug loose (use lots of PB Blaster on it before you touch it), it takes some serious force too.

also, you can use left overs of Mobil1 ATF you have to pump out Power Steering ATF (original is translucent, but it's same type of fluid as in transmission) from P/S reservoir, e.g. with a turkey baster or hand vacuum pump and refill with fresh fluid.

I neglected P/S flush/exchange for a long time on wife's car and at some point the original factory fluid turned into something which was as sticky as honey (even color was similar), didn't smell or taste as good however :lol:

 

[fenixus]

that sounds good! :thumbsup:

Me neither has a garage. If your township regulations allow some tinkering around/under cars in parking lots or streets, then maybe you could do it over there? Dropping the pan and replacing strainer and gasket is not that complicated at all.

I have a dead end parking lot corner behind one of building in my apartment complex, that's where I do all repairs to my cars, in the shade of trees

don't forget about the differential, if your car is 4 cylinder model with A140E transmission, then differential chamber is separate and needs a separate drain and fill.

Drained mine today at 278K on my LE. Fluid was black. Put in 2.5 Quarts of Advance Auto ATF. Drove the car ran so much better and smoother. Since the oil was so burnt, I drove it for 85 miles to let it mix with the old remaining fluid.
Went home and did a drain and refill again. Second drain was still dark, but not as bad as the first drain. Refilled with Super Tech (Wal-Mart) ATF for High Mileage cars, gonna let it mix and do another 2 with a week. So I have cycled 5 new quarts of fluid through the transmission today.

It's really running like a new transmission, just as smooth and quiet, Hard to tell when it shifts. I figure with a few more drain and top offs since I do not have a place to do the drop pans and a garage, I can use enough drain and fills to pretty well make my fluid acceptable.

If anything bad happens using this method, I'll post it here. So far, so good.

 

[fenixus]

I would drop the trans pan even at 60k miles ... A140E transmission is very dirty, based on own experience can get twice as dirty as A541E (for V6) in the same time frame IMO.

I dropped the trans pan on wife's 2.2L when it was around ~74k miles or so (after 1 power flush at dealer at 68k miles) and it was same dirty as A541E transmission at 124k miles (power flushed at dealer at 98k miles).

 

[fenixus]

definitely get a new gasket and new strainer, best if you can get them OEM from online dealer (it's not too expensive). there are probably some decent aftermarket substitutes, but haven't tried any of those.

you can get 1/4'' torque wrench from HFT cheap, now at $19.99:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-drive-click-stop-torque-wrench-2696.html

note you will need a 10mm 1/4'' dr socket and some extension too, if you don't have a 1/4'' socket set already.

you will likely also need a blade or scraper to remove old gasket. you can use brake parts cleaner on pan and magnets, just make sure it's dry and clean (pay attention to lint, don't leave any!).

Ok, will drop and clean the pan next time (within 2-3 weeks).
Do I need to get a new gasket or use the old one?
I hope my autozone has that pesky little torque wrench for the inch/ft ratings :ugh3: