AT Filter Replacement

Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
6,056
Location
VA
I have been instructed by my dealer that I do not need to replace the AT gaskets in my Toyota/Lexus. He says they are just screens. I change my ATF every
30K by drain and fill only using Toyota T-IV or WS. What do you think? My ATF fluid looks just as red when I drain it as when I put it in.
 
Which Toyota in your signature? On my 1998 Sienna the dealer said the same thing. I replaced the "Strainer" (their name for the filter) multiple times. It develops a grey film on it over time. Sold the Sienna in 2015 when I got the caravan. Never had an issue with the tranny.

Some of the newer Toyota trannys had some sore of fiber material in the ATF filters, but I don't know which models. If you are doing it yourself, I don't see why you wouldn't want to change the filter every 100K miles or so. I like to clean the pans as well and put extra rare earth magnets in the pan as well.
 
If you've changed the fluid like you say, no need to change the screen/filter.

Who told you this, a technician, a parts guy, a salesman ?
 
He says it wouldn’t hurt to change but with the way I change the ATF, if it were his car, he wouldn’t change it.
 
I have been instructed by my dealer that I do not need to replace the AT gaskets in my Toyota/Lexus. He says they are just screens. I change my ATF every
30K by drain and fill only using Toyota T-IV or WS. What do you think? My ATF fluid looks just as red when I drain it as when I put it in.
My Service Manager, whom I trust, said the same thing, it's not a "filter" more like a strainer and the mesh is not small. He said there is no need to replace if you do regular fluid changes.
 
I thought I had a mesh screen as the filter, but was wrong. The original OE filter was the felt/paper type in our 2001 RX300.
I do ATF drain and fill every 16 or 24k km as preventive measure, but still plugged up the filter at 260k km and had to change it as it was affecting gear shifts.

I heard newer Toyota/Lexus changed to felt/paper media filtering, you should confirm if it's the mesh metal screen type or not.
 
Back
Top