anyway backdoor ways to change transmission fluid at home on this sealed unit

What is your question?

book says its good for 100k miles, it now has 34k on vehicle and haven't changed yet. should it be replaced or can it go the distance without having any problems if I wait till 100k to replace it? Dealer wants $240 to replace is this too much? I've always done a drain and fill every 15k with either a dipstick tube oil pump or drain plug on other cars and never had any transmission related problems on these vehicles with close to 200k miles.

8banger in Deerfield Beach FL

Mar 15, 2014

5 Replies

Popular Answer

pushrodon Mar 15, 2014

Leave the car alone!!! WTH!

8bangeron Mar 15, 2014

what's your reasoning behind it?

pushrodon Mar 15, 2014

Likewise!! ..... It doesn't need this work at all!! Read the manual.

8bangeron Mar 15, 2014

Car being used, don't have access to owners manual, but just read Haynes manual and it recommends being done at 60k. It also recommends changing coolant every 100k, is that longlife coolant that good? I don't know if it uses the same coolant as my Tundra which I've always replace every 2 years or 30k miles using only OEM coolant. Any input on that as well, thanks for your reply!

pushrodon Mar 15, 2014

Routine engine service is all it needs for the first 100k! Unless used for towing or under other extreme conditions! Don't neglect it but by all means don't over do it either! Toyota wants you to get good service from their vehicles,, just follow the manuals instructions, that's it! You'll get ALL kinds of suggestions but heed that 'owners' manual. I've been in the business for 43 years, 3 Toyotas in the driveway right now, so that should hold some clout i think. BTW, i have over 250k on one of them, and still going strong! Routine service.

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enhance yourselfon Mar 15, 2014

I agree leave it alone at present, but when you may need the trans fluid changed check owners manual to make sure you use the correct trans fluid, some vehicle manufacturers require you to use the car makers trans fluid, and also if you use a dealership check and see if they offer discount coupons for trans and other services, if not try another dealership.

8bangeron Mar 15, 2014

Thanks for the advice, I know this uses WS fluid and would only use OEM for this. And I always look for the coupons its saves a lot. some things I just don't do anymore with age and bad back and use the dealer as their factory trained and would hold them more accountable if repairs don't last as they should even past their warrantee period. The place I go to is pretty good for that anyway as the service advisor knows me a while.

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tires tooon Mar 15, 2014

I have to disagree with the other responses. Toyota wants you to have low cost of ownership for 100k miles. If they have recommendations to change the fluids before the 100k mark it ups the calculation for that figure. Toyota wants to sell you another car at 100k, not help you to maintain the car for 200k plus miles. I would suggest changing the transmission fluid at 50k, depending on how the vehicle is being used. Change your fluids and keep the car longer, it's a better financial deal in the long run.

pushrodon Mar 15, 2014

To each his own!! If it didn't last any longer than 100k, don't think there would many repeat customers!!

8bangeron Mar 15, 2014

I thought of that too. Things have changed a lot on cars since I bought one that used a carburetor, points and distributor but, Like the good shade tree mechanic I am (formerly diesel locomotive tech from way back) , I take all responses into consideration and will go from there, but preventive maintenance has always prevented me from having a breakdown in the middle of nowhere except for the occasional unforeseen failures, like the MAP sensor failed on one car and a rock hit belt tensioner on another. guess that's pretty good after all these years.

pushrodon Mar 15, 2014

Am very familiar with all the changes, cut my teeth on the 'real' muscle cars! It's up to you how it's done, either way happy motoring!

8banger

JackGason Mar 10, 2015

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME --- I did and it just cost me $415.21 to have my system flushed and refilled by a Toyota dealer. I drained the closed system and filled with the 6.9 quarts of Toyota special transmission fluid prescribed ($9.75 per quart). It took that much for the fluid to get to the top of the fill port as noted on U-tube videos. I drove the car at Interstate speeds for about 60 miles when the Check Engine and the Slip Indicator lights illuminated. I drove on for thirty more miles (not recommended but necessary) and when I stopped, smoke drifted out from under the hood -- it was transmission fluid which was covering the outside of the transmission and burning. Today, I took the car to the dealer (the lights were not illuminated because the engine/transmission had cooled). This is NOT your father's transmission!! The dealer corrected the situation (took 2 hours) and fortunately I had not done any permanent damage. The dealer has a special machine insert the fluid from the BOTTOM of the transmission. He then follows a process of running the engine and adding fluid until the correct operating temperature is stabilized. Unless you want to buy the special equipment and become a dealer, LEAVE THE TRANSMISSION ALONE for 100,000 miles and then pay the $240.00 for a flush and fill. That is a about the same cost as changing the fluid yourself every 25,000 miles and a whole lot cheaper than a new transmission!!

Condor5635on Feb 13, 2017

JackGas - your experience seems strange... draining the system resulted in 6.9 quarts which you used as your metric with filling it back with 6.9 quarts of new fluid? I find it hard to believe you got 7 quarts out just by draining it. Seems like an awful lot. You do not need all that special equipment UNLESS you are filling it at a temperature that is higher than 104-113 degrees Fahrenheit that the included straw/tube was designed for. You mentioned fill port as well. That is the bolt on the side that is used to fill with fluid and if you filled it to the level where it started coming out of that hole you definitely did it wrong in the first place!

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