ATF Drain on Camry

[coopns]

02 Camry at 106 (got it at 100). It was flushed at around 60. So last time I changed the oil I drained the ATF. So I drained it again today and it was red but still looked fairly dirty. What do you figure, drain again in 6 months?

Can't believe how dirty ATF fluid must be in my other rig that doesn't have a drain bolt and other rigs that don't keep up with it.

And...while I at it...

I used the same funnel I used for the oil. I just cleaned it best I could, is that fine? And..Why do they recommend going through all the gears after filling?

And...Our recycle center doesn't accept ATF..just oil and cooland. What should I do with it?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: coopns

And...Our recycle center doesn't accept ATF..just oil and cooland. What should I do with it?


Just mix it with used motor oil. They won't know the difference.

 

[Eddie]

I think Walmart takes ATF in addition to MO

 

[mattd]

they recommend going through all the gears so that all voids are filled with fluid.

 

[ZZman]

How often does your manual say to change it?

I would go at least another 30-50,000 before changing it.

 

[tomcat27]

odd that they dont take ATF, since its essentially mineral oil. most of the chain auto stores take oil, atf, and coolant. the "dirty" fluid you see is likely (normal) clutch material in suspension

 

[unDummy]

Most of the oil recycling containers at the local autopart stores here are labeled "ATF, PSF, motor oil, gear oil, and hydraulic fluid".
The local recyclers will occasionally sniff for chlorinated compounds. So, don't use your oil pan as the catch can when washing down your brakes with a chlorinated brake cleaner during a brake job.

I've been known to dump old brake fluid into my gas tank.

And, around here, we evaporate antifreeze since sometimes its difficult to find a recycling drop off for antifreeze(once a year at the land fill). Gov't idiots want us to recycle but make it very difficult.

And, if you know anyone working in a power plant, a boiler room, or in building maintenance, old lubricants can be usually dumped into the bunker oil tanks. Those boilers will fire just about anything.

 

[onion]

Quote:
I've been known to dump old brake fluid into my gas tank.


??!!?

Surely I've misunderstood you. Did you just say that you dump old brake fluid into your vehicle's gas tank??


Personally I just dump it into the same jug as my used motor oil. I know that it's not oil and that it won't mix well... but I don't see why it matters. It dumps into the used oil tank just the same as oil does.

 

[unDummy]

No, you didn't misunderstand. Brake fluid burns well enough. If I bleed out a pint or a quart, I just dump it into a almost full gas tank in ANY of my cars. Been doing it for years. Can you mix it with your old oil? Sure, but does your local recycler want you to?

If I had an older diesel vehicle or generator, I'd just dump all the PSF, ATF, oil... into its fuel tank. One day, I'll find that abandoned listeroid somewhere.

 

[Turk]

Bow to unDummy...

 

[electrolover]

i put all my fluids in one barrel(except coolant of coarse)
when it fills i call a recycler to come get it. they make asphalt out of it. i dont think it matters if brake fluid or gas is in it.
they can never tell

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: coopns
02 Camry at 106 (got it at 100). It was flushed at around 60. So last time I changed the oil I drained the ATF. So I drained it again today and it was red but still looked fairly dirty. What do you figure, drain again in 6 months?

Can't believe how dirty ATF fluid must be in my other rig that doesn't have a drain bolt and other rigs that don't keep up with it.

And...while I at it...

I used the same funnel I used for the oil. I just cleaned it best I could, is that fine? And..Why do they recommend going through all the gears after filling?

And...Our recycle center doesn't accept ATF..just oil and cooland. What should I do with it?



Did 2x D&F at 40,000 miles and 1x at 60,000 miles. seems more than enough. putting a magnefine in over xmas.

 

[onion]

Originally Posted By: unDummy
No, you didn't misunderstand. Brake fluid burns well enough. If I bleed out a pint or a quart, I just dump it into a almost full gas tank in ANY of my cars. Been doing it for years. Can you mix it with your old oil? Sure, but does your local recycler want you to?

If I had an older diesel vehicle or generator, I'd just dump all the PSF, ATF, oil... into its fuel tank. One day, I'll find that abandoned listeroid somewhere.


I see no problem with dumping used motor oil, psf, atf, or the to like into a tank of DIESEL (if we're talking about older vehicles/equipment). Adding a gallon or two of used motor oil to a tank of diesel was common practice among truckers years ago. I personally wouldn't do it nowadays with modern 3-micron filters and ridiculously high pressure injection... but if you have an old John Deere or something... then that's free fuel (be sure and change those fuel filters regularly, though). Lots of farmers will also add a cup of gasoline to a tank of diesel for easier starting in the winter. Seems to work fine.

But brake fluid in gasoline... IMO that's insane. It isn't even a hydrocarbon. I'm not sure it'll even mix properly. And brake fluid can wreak HAVOC on rubber seals. I see lots of potential problems and zero benefits here. I mean [censored], you could probably get away with throwing a handful of dirt into your gas tank now and then... that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Who cares what the oil recycler wants? He can't care about what he don't know about. Once you dump brake fluid into used oil, you can't tell it's in there... I've done it for years. But I'd sooner dump my old brake fluid out on the ground than into my car's gas tank.

 

[unDummy]

No rubber problems. Brake lines, caliper, master cylinder, wheel cylinder... don't have a problem. The ratio isn't high enough to be an issue.
It mixes well with gasoline. It burns well. Please, unless you can find ANY verifiable failure caused by it, don't create or spread 'havoc rumors'.

I prefer to not dump anything on the ground that might end up in my well, the nearby fishing pond/lake/river/stream.

I care what the oil recyclers want.

 

[onion]

Hey, it's your vehicle... I wouldn't try to stop you. But I don't want people to think that dumping BRAKE FLUID into the gas tank is a good idea. Seriously... that's the dumbest thing I've heard all week.

It's common knowledge that brake fluid swells rubber seals. Any old-timer you talk to knows that you can dump it into a slipping/leaking transmission to swell the seals, and it MIGHT get you by for a little while... before the seals just go to [censored] due to the swelling.

Here's a seal swell test done by a fellow BITOGer showing o-ring swell caused by brake fluid (among other chemicals): link

Of course brake fluid doesn't swell rubber seals in the brake system. There are several different types of synthetic rubber... and rubber that is compatible with brake fluid is definitely NOT compatible with oil (that point is easy to prove: LINK ).

Ok, so we know that brake fluid will swell seals designed for hydrocarbon fluids (gasoline is made up of hydrocarbons for those of you in Real Linda). And we know that hydrocarbons will swell seals designed for brake fluid. So why on Gawd's Green Earth would you risk damaging seals and hoses by putting brake fluid in your fuel system? When you can easily dispose of the stuff elsewhere??

I'm really at a loss here.

 

[unDummy]

The seal swell test link is meaningless. I'm not running my engine on brake fluid. I'm tossing in maybe a quart to minimally 10-15 gallons of fuel.

I haven't seen any autopart stores with a brake fluid drum for recycling. I'm at a loss here too.

The dumbest thing I've heard is someone contradicting something without any proof.

 

[onion]

Meaningless??

I posted a link to a seal swell test clearly demonstrating that brake fluid swells rubber seals designed for use with hydrocarbon fluids. And you're dumping brake fluid into a system designed for hydrocarbon fluids. That seal swell test couldn't BE more relevant.

Granted, you aren't running a very high concentration of brake fluid. You will PROBABLY get away with it. You would also PROBABLY get away with throwing a handful of dirt into the gas tank twice a year. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

 

[unDummy]

Did the test include gasoline's affect on the seals?
Many here use fuel additives and they cause seal swell too. No issue.

If it was relevant, I would've had a failure already. And, EVERYONE that used ANY fuel additive would've too.

 

[onion]

brake fluid in the gas tank...

You gotta be [censored] me.

 

[wiswind]

To the OP, using the same funnel for ATF and motor oil is fine.
If you are doing pan drains and refill.....maybe every other oil change? if you are doing 5K-7K oil changes.
I think my '03 Sienna uses the same transmission......and I plan to do a cooler line fluid exchange every year.
I also installed a auxillary transmission cooler and have a magnefine filter in the cooler line.
I plan to change the Magnefine filter once a year also.
My transmission fluid was exchanged at a quick lube about 30K before I bought the vehicle and it was more brown and dark than I expected.
I used Redline D4 for the fluid exchange.
In this picture, new fluid is on left......30K mile fluid is on the right.



The in-pan transmission filter just has a nylon screen.....not much filtration of small particles.
My transmission was still shifting just fine......they are good transmissions.
I am somewhat OCD about transmission maintenance having had to replace 1 in my '96 Ford Windstar......which was not known for having a good transmission.

In short.....I think fluid getting darker faster must be normal with the OEM setup, but yet......they still have a reputation for holding up.......a minivan is harder on the same transmission vs the car application and they are holding up well in the Sienna.
The same cannot be said about most any other minivan......which all seem to use a car transmission. (Windstar shared the same transmission with the Taurus).

As a side note for your 02 Camry.....if it has the V6 (which would be the 1MZFE motor) make SURE that the PCV valve, located in the rear valve cover....sort of on the passenger side, is not clogged......
If the PCV valve should become clogged (can happen) then you will develop a "gelling" issue with the motor oil.....