I've seen many discussions about changing factory fill engine oil after the initial break-in period of about 1000 miles in a new car. Many people on Toyota Nation forums did this and it generally considered a good practice. I did this too when I got my new 2010 Corolla. I changed factory engine oil with Mobil 1 5W20 synthetic at about 1200 miles. However, I also noticed that generally people do not think about changing the ATF and I believe transmission goes through the break-in process too. So this past weekend I did 4 drains and fills with Redline D4 ATF replacing the factory fill of WS fluid. I had good results - transmission is now a lot quieter and shifting smoother. I also noticed some fine metal powder came out with the first drain which I believe must be the break-in particles. So it is probably a good idea to change the factory ATF to get all the initial junk out of there... Any opinions?
Changing ATF after initial break-in period
- Thread starter dkrivosheyev
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No, I changed engine oil at 1200 miles and I did ATF at 3000 miles. Redline D4 feels definitely better than factory WS...
JHZR2
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I would try to do this. BMW's M cars get all fluids changed out at 1200 miles. The others do not. My chevy truck recommended locking diff fluid replacement at 7500 miles in the OM.
I figure somewhere in there is surely a good point to do a change. Then again, long life is had from a lot of these systems without rigorous changing, so exact miles may not make that much of a difference...
I figure somewhere in there is surely a good point to do a change. Then again, long life is had from a lot of these systems without rigorous changing, so exact miles may not make that much of a difference...
I think it's a feel good move. Very much like changing the FF oil early, there is no evidence that I have seen that says it adds anything to the longevity or performance of the transmission.
Having said that, I must admit that I always change the FF oil out early. And I did a complete cooler line flush on the wife's 06 Corolla last summer at 40k using Amsoil ATF. Why? Because it makes me feel good to do it
BTW, did you use the correct fluid? I thought the D6 was the replacement for Toyota WS. It's no wonder you think your transmission shifts smoother, the fluid you used is thicker than the FF you took out.
Having said that, I must admit that I always change the FF oil out early. And I did a complete cooler line flush on the wife's 06 Corolla last summer at 40k using Amsoil ATF. Why? Because it makes me feel good to do it
BTW, did you use the correct fluid? I thought the D6 was the replacement for Toyota WS. It's no wonder you think your transmission shifts smoother, the fluid you used is thicker than the FF you took out.
Dave at Redline suggested using D4 in this car. I also had slight gear whine at 60mph with WS fluid and now it is almost gone - you can hardly hear it
My 2010 Hyundai Elantra will have the ATF changed next week at 7500 miles for the first time using Hyundai SPIII . The OM says to inspect ATF at 30K and change at 60K which to me seems off ? First , the AT does not have a filter - only a screen so I would think changing the ATF earlier would be a good thing . Second , with my other older vehicles I always do a drain every 30K miles which seems to keep the transmissions happy .
I agree. I was surprised to see how much junk came out with the factory fill of my new corolla at 3000 miles, so it is definitely a good idea...
A trans does not have the heat or combustion by products that an engine does.
[I am a frequent and too soon changer of lubes.]
All I can say is that there is no real rush to change out your ATF right away. Maybe a year.
[I am a frequent and too soon changer of lubes.]
All I can say is that there is no real rush to change out your ATF right away. Maybe a year.
SAE studies show that 75% of all the wear particles a transmission will see are present from factory and initial wear. This makes the first change the most effective. I think 5k might be better for the transmission.
I changed the ATF in my Jeep and did a fluid exchange for the first time at about 15,000 miles. The pan was spotless, along with the magnet in it. I read that transmissions shed metal early so I was expecting to see metal in the pan. I think its a good idea for people like myself who dispose of cars when the cars beg to be junked.
I think this is true. I am planning to do at least one more drain and fill in a couple of weeks to get the rest of WS fluid out of there and I am positive I will not see any particles now since most of them already came out in the first drain.
Not a bad idea but you blew your warranty with the Redline.
If I have a warranty claim I don t have to tell them I have Redline in there do I? Will they do UOA to see what fluid I got in there?
Originally Posted By: hate2work
BTW, did you use the correct fluid? I thought the D6 was the replacement for Toyota WS. It's no wonder you think your transmission shifts smoother, the fluid you used is thicker than the FF you took out.
D6 used to be Redline's reco for some Toyota apps using the WS and was later changed to D4.
I sure wish I knew the reason behind that.
BTW, did you use the correct fluid? I thought the D6 was the replacement for Toyota WS. It's no wonder you think your transmission shifts smoother, the fluid you used is thicker than the FF you took out.
D6 used to be Redline's reco for some Toyota apps using the WS and was later changed to D4.
I sure wish I knew the reason behind that.
The application tool on redline website calls for D4 for this transmission. I am not sure if they ever had d6 specified originally. I do know that 2010 Corolla has U341E transmission which is the same used in 2000 - 2005 Celica. In 2001 - 2005 toyota specified T-IV for this transmission and then in 2010 they changed specification to WS for the same transmission. I always thought it is strange to change the fluid without redesigning the transmission. Does anybody know if U341E used in Celica was redesigned for 2010 Corolla? The model number is the same....
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