AT Transmission Service
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There are two types of flush machines. One accesses the fluid via the trans cooler lines, the other via the trans fluid inlet port in the pan.
There are opinions that going the trans inlet route results in getting more old fluid out.
I don't have the details right here but the cooler line approach results in some mixing of old and new fluid.
The link below has an article on this subject:
http://www.backfence.com/reviews/rateBiz.cfm?mycomm=RE&bid=17
Have read several others that state the same thing in more detail and even describe the machine designs and limitations.
If you have time do a Google search on transmission flushing machines, there should be a many hits on this subject.
Guessing the oil cooler approach is faster and cheaper for the shop.
If using the cooler route you may be able to this yourself by just filling the pan with new fluid and having the trans pump it out via the return line. Do this a few times and the fluid should be clean.
There are opinions that going the trans inlet route results in getting more old fluid out.
I don't have the details right here but the cooler line approach results in some mixing of old and new fluid.
The link below has an article on this subject:
http://www.backfence.com/reviews/rateBiz.cfm?mycomm=RE&bid=17
Have read several others that state the same thing in more detail and even describe the machine designs and limitations.
If you have time do a Google search on transmission flushing machines, there should be a many hits on this subject.
Guessing the oil cooler approach is faster and cheaper for the shop.
If using the cooler route you may be able to this yourself by just filling the pan with new fluid and having the trans pump it out via the return line. Do this a few times and the fluid should be clean.
The trans pan has 2 plugs. A fill plug and a drain plug.
My dealer quoted me $350... 
They also tried to talk me out of it... not very confidence-inspiring. :hammer:
I intend on getting it done, but not by people who:
1) Have never done it before
2) Are charging way too much
3) Seem to know less about it than I do
4) Are trying to talk me out of it cause after all... it's not due intil 100k.
What a bunch of weenies :disappoin
Pb - the fluid isn't cheap... are you sure you're getting what you need for $150?
They also tried to talk me out of it... not very confidence-inspiring. :hammer:
I intend on getting it done, but not by people who:
1) Have never done it before
2) Are charging way too much
3) Seem to know less about it than I do
4) Are trying to talk me out of it cause after all... it's not due intil 100k.
What a bunch of weenies :disappoin
Pb - the fluid isn't cheap... are you sure you're getting what you need for $150?
as i recall your car takes ws fluid (world Standard)(no Dipstick) it is not due for over 100k. i took a toyota class on this. yes 350 sounds about right since the price of the fluid. theres really no reason to want to flush it before 100k. its really no fun to fill it eather. the use of a toyota tough scan tool is needed. i know i know everyones used to this 30k intervals. but there is no real reason to change the fluid before it, fluid has come along way.
PB yes 150 sounds right. there is no reason to change the filter it is a metal filter. at my dealer we flush with a BG additive, aslong as you use a bg additive they will warrentie your tranny for 50k worth of work aslong as you own it. if you dont wanna pay for the flush, you could do a drain and refill at home, but its gunna take a few times to get the fluid looking right
If using the cooler route you may be able to this yourself by just filling the pan with new fluid and having the trans pump it out via the return line. Do this a few times and the fluid should be clean..... thats how i would do it, if i dident have a flush mechine to use. DRIVE the car before you do this get everything nice and hot. its alright to do it this way... becouse there is no load on the transmission.
hope i could help
PB yes 150 sounds right. there is no reason to change the filter it is a metal filter. at my dealer we flush with a BG additive, aslong as you use a bg additive they will warrentie your tranny for 50k worth of work aslong as you own it. if you dont wanna pay for the flush, you could do a drain and refill at home, but its gunna take a few times to get the fluid looking right
If using the cooler route you may be able to this yourself by just filling the pan with new fluid and having the trans pump it out via the return line. Do this a few times and the fluid should be clean..... thats how i would do it, if i dident have a flush mechine to use. DRIVE the car before you do this get everything nice and hot. its alright to do it this way... becouse there is no load on the transmission.
hope i could help
My dealer quoted me $350...
They also tried to talk me out of it... not very confidence-inspiring. :hammer:
I intend on getting it done, but not by people who:
1) Have never done it before
2) Are charging way too much
3) Seem to know less about it than I do
4) Are trying to talk me out of it cause after all... it's not due intil 100k.
What a bunch of weenies :disappoin
Pb - the fluid isn't cheap... are you sure you're getting what you need for $150?
You've almost talked me out of it. Its just so hard for me to trust a fluid for 100k miles. Im dying to see the fluid for myself.
What kind of flush pump does the dealership use? The one that connects to the pan, or the one that connects to the cooler lines?
Why does the Toyota service recommendation sheet say :Tacoma trans service 30k miles. $66
Is that just to top it off or something?
What kind of flush pump does the dealership use? The one that connects to the pan, or the one that connects to the cooler lines?
Why does the Toyota service recommendation sheet say :Tacoma trans service 30k miles. $66
Is that just to top it off or something?
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After reading this tread on TTORA:
http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78433&highlight=transmission+temp
I plan on having mine done every 35K miles.
turfdoc
http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78433&highlight=transmission+temp
I plan on having mine done every 35K miles.
turfdoc
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1,002 Posts
that is exactly what convinced me. toyota doesnt even know how hot the tranny's r running at(apparently). so they are usually running hotter than what they say they should be running at. im gettin myne done at 30 or 35. sure the dealer will hasle me, but it'll let me sleep better at night.
I dont tow ever, and most of my miles are highway miles, so I'm not at all concerned. Other then like twice or three times a year i go camping, i load about 1000lbs onto the truck and have to take mountain roads to get there. But yea if you tow or off-road upgrading the cooler and getting the fuild serviced regularly seems like a good idea (good idea on any truck really)
But didn't PB install a fan for his trans cooler? that seems like a great fix for poor airflow and i might do that just in-case.
$150 should be a full flush, but not removing the pan.
I decided against doing anything for now. I need to think about it more.
I wouldn't do it earlier than recommended, but that's me.
Pb- Since you're reluctant to change, but reluctant to rely on the fluid for a long time, how 'bout this-
Go buy a quart of the fluid from Toyota.
Add 4 oz to the tranny.
Run it to temp as described in the fill level instructions.
Excess fluid should flow out the level check hole with the plug out.
(See factory manual instructions, it's not truly a drain, but an over-flow level that you pull the plug out of to check level.)
Use a clean container and you can "see" what it looks like, and better yet, you can send the fluid to Blackstone Labs for analysis. If no fluid flows out, then you needed to add some anyway, and you just add another 4 oz until the test does let some flow out. Button her up and see what the lab results are.
And... the rest of us low-mileage guys will appreciate hearing the results.
[There are alternate instructions for checking the temp without the scan tool. I don't have them at hand, but someone has already posted them a couple of times. You use a jumper and read the flash of the tranny gear indicator if I remember correctly.]
Pb- Since you're reluctant to change, but reluctant to rely on the fluid for a long time, how 'bout this-
Go buy a quart of the fluid from Toyota.
Add 4 oz to the tranny.
Run it to temp as described in the fill level instructions.
Excess fluid should flow out the level check hole with the plug out.
(See factory manual instructions, it's not truly a drain, but an over-flow level that you pull the plug out of to check level.)
Use a clean container and you can "see" what it looks like, and better yet, you can send the fluid to Blackstone Labs for analysis. If no fluid flows out, then you needed to add some anyway, and you just add another 4 oz until the test does let some flow out. Button her up and see what the lab results are.
And... the rest of us low-mileage guys will appreciate hearing the results.
[There are alternate instructions for checking the temp without the scan tool. I don't have them at hand, but someone has already posted them a couple of times. You use a jumper and read the flash of the tranny gear indicator if I remember correctly.]
this correct, i just had to add fluid when I installed my tranny cooler a coupler weeks ago.
i was told to get mine done soon since my tran.fluid is "dark"
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1,002 Posts
yea but how do u know when its dark without crawling under there and chekin. what a pain, worse thing about this truck is that theres no dip stick:disappoin
The last couple thousand miles my transmission has been shifting at higher RPMs, especially when shifting to 5th gear, and it was hurting my MPG.
So I went to the dealership today and got the trans flushed. It was a good decision. The trans upshifts and downshifts a lot smoother now, and at lower RPMs. I should have done this sooner. It cost me $140 and then I had a 10% off coupon. According to the receipt the trans fluid cost $5.20 a qt. and they used 12 qts. I watched them add the fluid and I think they actually used more than 12 qts. Some of it appears to get wasted though. Some stays inside the trans pump lines, and some overflows, etc.
BTW, my truck has 35k miles, in case you're wondering.
Oh, and they took good care of my truck. I gave it a thorough inspection, as usual. All the service techs were checkin' out my truck, and the many mods that they had never seen before. They especially loved the train horns. They scared the crap out of this old tech dude. LOL :lol:
So I went to the dealership today and got the trans flushed. It was a good decision. The trans upshifts and downshifts a lot smoother now, and at lower RPMs. I should have done this sooner. It cost me $140 and then I had a 10% off coupon. According to the receipt the trans fluid cost $5.20 a qt. and they used 12 qts. I watched them add the fluid and I think they actually used more than 12 qts. Some of it appears to get wasted though. Some stays inside the trans pump lines, and some overflows, etc.
BTW, my truck has 35k miles, in case you're wondering.
Oh, and they took good care of my truck. I gave it a thorough inspection, as usual. All the service techs were checkin' out my truck, and the many mods that they had never seen before. They especially loved the train horns. They scared the crap out of this old tech dude. LOL :lol:
My dealer had a special for the flush and fill.....$99! I made an appointment for that and some warranty work, they called me and said that at 57K I didn't need it. They said that my '06 had "special fluid" that was good for 100K. Oh well...talked me out of giving you my $99. I;ll get it done somewhere between 80K and 100K
Uhhh...the Trans fluid that goes in our trucks is WS fluid and it doesn't come in quarts it comes in Gallons in Yellow metal containers. I'd check to make sure they used the right fluid. I forget who it was but they had installed a tranny cooler on their truck aftermarket and had to add fluid and the dealer gave him the wrong type of fluid. Make sure they didn't use Type-IV Fluid...it comes in black bottles in quarts. WS Fluid comes in Yellow Metal Cans in gallons.
The WS looks like this, 2nd picture down and is about $40 per gallon. Which is twice as expensive as what you said you paid.
http://www.artsautomotive.com/GenuineFluids.htm
Type-IV Fluid is the 3rd picture down.
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