You have actually misunderstood what Toyota means. Officially, there is no change interval for the transmission fluid in the 2009 Corolla, ever. Toyota expects the fluid to last a VERY long time.

Just inspections to make sure there are no leaks, etc.

Jeff

Manual and automatic transmission fluid replacement will no longer be required on 2009
Corolla and Matrix. These vehicles will require only inspections for external transmission leaks and
transmission operation. This advancement is the result of years of research and development by
TMC’s engineering division, where technology of both transmission components and fluid used in
Toyota transmissions have made them maintenance-free in most operating situations. The same
will apply for differential fluid, except where indicated in the Owner’s Manual Supplement.

Automatic Transmission (WS):
Inspect level and verify for leaks every 24 months/32,000 km

Manual Transmission:
Inspect level and verify for leaks every 36 months/48,000 km

Differential: (AWD MATRIX)
Inspect level and verify for leaks every 24 months/32,000 km

 

that made me feel i bought a very nice affordable car. thanks for that info

 

WS fluid is supposed to last 100K (US miles). The fluid is inspected based on color and compared to a color chart. All colors shades between red and black are represented on the chart.

 

I am meticulous maintenance type of guy. I usually do pan drains every 50,000 kms on every vehicle that I had with an auto trans. I do fluid level checks once a week on everything. (do I have OCD?) I have only seen bright red brand new looking fluid go in and nearly the same color when it comes out. I have never had an auto trans fail (or even act funny) and my current truck has nearly 300,000kms on it.

I have never seen black or even brown ATF on a working vehicle, the idea of letting it get that old and worn out is against my programming.

Thanks for the clarification on the intent of the manual. :thumbsup:

 

True but the WS trans are not the setup. Typically there is no dipstick. the fluid needs to be drained, refilled then warmed up to a certain temp and excess drained out.

The fluid is synthetic.

 

I can confirm Jeff's statement. Speaking with a Toyota Tech, the transmission fluid on automatics is essentially lifetime. Good to know as well!

Oh and something else I found out about engine oil changes. The 0W20 fuild that is supposed to be the standard for use is actually a semi-synthetic blend. It IS available from Toyota Dealers although will probably cost you a bit more because dealers can't yet get it in bulk (yet...stay tuned!). But you can get it in 1L bottles so asking the dealer to purchase 4 bottles at oil change time will work. That said, 5W20 is a valid substitute.

 

I can confirm Jeff's statement. Speaking with a Toyota Tech, the transmission fluid on automatics is essentially lifetime. Good to know as well!

Oh and something else I found out about engine oil changes. The 0W20 fuild that is supposed to be the standard for use is actually a semi-synthetic blend. It IS available from Toyota Dealers although will probably cost you a bit more because dealers can't yet get it in bulk (yet...stay tuned!). But you can get it in 1L bottles so asking the dealer to purchase 4 bottles at oil change time will work. That said, 5W20 is a valid substitute.

when i scheduled my first oil change friday, the service mgr said they do the changes with mobil 1 semi synthetic 5w20. i dont think mobil 1 makes such a thing. do they? i searched in vain and could find no such thing. he also stated that this is what all corollas have out of the factory.

 

After doing a little digging I found a UOA of the WS ATF:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum...er=1306720&Searchpage=1&Main=97956&Words=toyota&topic=0&Search=true#Post1306720

Needless to say, its more like lifespan of the warranty on the drive train rather than lifetime of whatever they are comparing it to. Considering the small cost of the WS ATF and the extreme easy of doing a pan drain via the drain bolt, I will be doing a partial drain and refill every 32,000kms.

Thanks for all your input.

Here is a chart noting the WS-ATF drain intervals: http://www.mayfieldtoyota.com/downloads/pdf/service/2009 Schedule E.pdf

 

There's a sticker on the tranny dipstick that states "No need to replace ATF under normal operating conditions". The dipstick on our '05 Ponyota Vibe has the same sticker.