Changing fluid in a new transmission

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
85
Location
California
I would appreciate some imput on if I should change the transmission fluid in my brand new 4WD Tacoma (Automatic Transmission), to a synthentic fluid? And if so, do I need to have a professional mechanic with flushing equipment perform the switch?

What about the differential?

What about a new Camry's automatic transmission?

What brands or type of fluid do you recommend?

Are their any pitfalls I should be aware of?

Thanks for your advice....I appreciate it.
 
The following is opinion only. I wouold not recommend the flush. First of all its new and flush won't do anything except get some contaminated fluid in there from the flush machine. I have had what I consider knowledgeable folks indicate that a flush can lead to dirt transferred to your transmission.

I believe the Mobil 1 ATF is good. I have used it in multiple cars with no transmission failures.

I would check in your Toyota manual to verify that Dextron III is acceptable. I can't remember if its Honda or Toyota that recommends not to use Dextron. If ATF is specified for the transfer case-check the specs there.

If gear lubes are specified I would recommend the RedLine.

Can't think of any pitfalls except don't over tighten plugs on the gear boxes. Oh-sometimes it's difficult to get clearance to get the lubes in the gear boxes. Best bet is to get some large diameter tygon/plastic tubing and tie it off outside of the truck and use a funnel with it.

If the Auto trans has a drain plug on the bottom-you'll need to fill it-run it- fill it-etc about 3 times to get a 90% changeout. But since the trannies are new you can do that over a year or so.

Good luck
smile.gif
 
Fancy ATF flushing machines are needed. Just do regular yearly(or every 10k miles) drain/refills using the ATF drainplug with OEM ATF.

I'd wait a couple thousand miles for the initial wear in on the diffs. Then, you could change them to synthetics.

Any quality(synthetic/dino/OEM) brand of fluid should be used.
For the engine, see the UOA section.
For the transmission, my vote is for OEM ATF or Amsoil.
For the front/rearends & xcase, I'd use the easily available Mobil1 GL5 75w90. But, Redline/Amsoil/Neo/and tons of other companies(speedshops and online) offer quality gear oils.

Cost is the only pitfalls to maintenance with quality fluids. Synthetics are more pricey.

Don't forget to bleed your brakes yearly. And, if you want to, the PS reservoir can be siphoned/refilled regularly also.
 
You do not need a flushing machine and they are not recomended by OEM's in most instances but this is changeing slowly. I have no idea how it is that people think they need a flushing machine to change fluid on transmission especialy on a realtively new vechile with no oxidation.Most modern Toyota's recomend a drain and refill every 18,000 miles depending on the transmission. You have a drain plug so this is very easy to comply with. If you owners manual recomends Dex III then Mobil 1 ATF is just fine. The synthetic ATF is totaly compatable with any synthetic or non-synthetic ATF.

My Mothers Tundra requires (Dex III) a drain and refill every 18,000 miles. The book says that it only takes 4 quarts but each time I drain and refill 5 quarts comes out so 5 quarts goes in. I use Mobil-1 ATF in here Tundra.

You do not need to flush the system!!!! The best way to do it especialy seeing how you have a drain plug is to accelerate your drain and fill cycles. This is far safer and cheaper then leting some lube shop hack or dealer studge ruin your ride!!!

I like Redline better then M1-ATF but it is alot more expensive and is not localy available.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Ken4:
Doesnt all new toyotas call for Toyota Type T-IV?

If the Tacoma does call for T-IV, you might try AMSOIL as a replacement. That's what I've got in my Toyota, which also calls for T-IV, and it seems to be working great.

[ September 11, 2003, 10:53 PM: Message edited by: alexiskai ]
 
quote:

Originally posted by JohnBrowning:
You do not need a flushing machine and they are not recomended by OEM's in most instances but this is changeing slowly. I have no idea how it is that people think they need a flushing machine to change fluid on transmission especialy on a realtively new vechile with no oxidation.Most modern Toyota's recomend a drain and refill every 18,000 miles depending on the transmission. You have a drain plug so this is very easy to comply with. If you owners manual recomends Dex III then Mobil 1 ATF is just fine. The synthetic ATF is totaly compatable with any synthetic or non-synthetic ATF.

My Mothers Tundra requires (Dex III) a drain and refill every 18,000 miles. The book says that it only takes 4 quarts but each time I drain and refill 5 quarts comes out so 5 quarts goes in. I use Mobil-1 ATF in here Tundra.

You do not need to flush the system!!!! The best way to do it especialy seeing how you have a drain plug is to accelerate your drain and fill cycles. This is far safer and cheaper then leting some lube shop hack or dealer studge ruin your ride!!!

I like Redline better then M1-ATF but it is alot more expensive and is not localy available.


You are only changing the pan sump, not the complete trans. The torque converter holds again as much ATF and some it trapped up in the valve body. Check a service manual for capacity, most trans hold abound 8-12 qt ATF.


You can do you own flush by disconnecting the return line and running into a 5 gallon pail while filling with new ATF simultaneously. Its a lot more complicated than this but thats the gist of it.

quote:

1. Make sure the fluid is warm. Warm up the car so the transmission is at normal operating temperature. Pull the transmission dipstick (located near the firewall in most cars). Fresh fluid is translucent and cherry red. Some darkening is normal, but if it is reddish brown or mustard color and smells like burnt varnish, it is worn out.
2. Drain the fluid by loosening the pan. Select the correct Hastings filter replacement based on pan shape and prepare a large pan to catch the fluid. Then loosen each pan bolt a turn or two and loosen one corner more than rest. Drain mostly from this corner.
3. Finish removing the pan and any gasket material from the pan or case. Avoid scratching the metal and make sure the pan’s gasket surface isn’t bent or distorted.
4. Remove the old filter. Most transmission filters are held in place with a bolt or two, but some are held by a clip. Be careful to include O-Rings or other seals.
5. Install a new filter. Use the clips or bolts from the old filter. Be sure O-Rings, etc. are in place. If the filter has a long intake neck, gently push the neck into place without unseating the O-Ring.
6. Clean the pan thoroughly. Inspect the pan before cleaning. A small amount of fine grey clutch dust is normal. However, if you find metal shavings, there has been transmission damage. Clean the pan with solvent and wipe dry so there is no harmful residue.
7. Position gasket on pan. Some gaskets have four holes slightly smaller than the rest to allow four bolts through the pan and through these smaller holes to hold the gasket in place.
8. Hand tighten pan bolts in a criss-cross pattern. After that, use a torque wrench to tighten bolts to proper ft-lbs as per manufacturer.
9. Refill the transmission using only the amount shown as “refill capacity” in the owners manual, ” using the type of fluid specified for the vehicle.
10. If doing only a partial fluid replacement, skip to instruction 12 below. If doing a complete fluid replacement, follow the steps in instruction 11.
11. You now have replaced the fluid in the pan. To replace the fluid in the torque converter and oil cooler also, follow these steps.
Step 1. Obtain the total system capacity of the vehicle from the manufacturer. Have this amount readily available.

Step 2. Disconnect the oil cooler line from the oil cooler. As you may not know which is the pressure side and which is the return side, have both directed so the stream of fluid will be directed toward a receptacle.

Step 3. With another person, be prepared to add ATF to the fill area as it is being pumped out of the oil cooler line.

Step 4. Start the engine, and as the old fluid is pumped out, add fresh fluid to the pan.

Step 5. When either the fluid color brightens or the total capacity has been replaced, shut the engine off and re-attach the oil cooler line. All fluids has now been changed.

12. Recheck the fluid level. With the car on level ground, set the parking brake and the transmission in “Park” or “Neutral.” Let the engine idle for a few minutes. Shift the transmission into different positions before returning the lever to “Park” or “Neutral.” Check the fluid level again and check for leaks.




[ September 12, 2003, 11:06 AM: Message edited by: Mike ]
 
Mike spelled it out well. This is pretty much the accepted practice of exchanging the trans fluid for most DIYers. The only thing I do different is that I stop the engine after every 3 quarts or so are pumped out because it's just about impossible to pour in the new fluid as fast as the old is pumped out. I use clear tubing to direct the outgoing fluid and lay the shoplight next to it so I can see when all the old stuff has left the system.

Mike, you forgot Step 6.... Clean up the mess!
tongue.gif
I have yet to do the job cleanly. I lay lots of newspaper on the ground before starting.
 
I have a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee(ZJ) I6 with a 42RE transmission. I would like to perform the DIY return line method of flushing the tranny. Anyone know which line connected to the radiator is the return line carrying fluid back to the transmission?


Thanks.
 
Mike that is true! The point is the vechile is new and does not need to be flushed!!!!!!!! Flushing is designed for people that are too stupid to follow the service book and change the fluid before it oxidizes and leaves deposits all over. If you change you fluid before it is bad flush's are un-need risk. Even unhooking the lines to do a homebrew flush is not need in most cases!Even something this simple leaves alot of room for error. This is especialy true when you have a drain plug in your pan. IF some really wanted to replace all the fluids with synthetic and they have a drain plug they could simply do acclerated drain and refills. By this I mean they couod choose to drain and refill monthly or every 5000 miles or what ever. After three or four accelerated drain and refills the fluid in the trans would be 100% synthetic for the most part based on conentrations. THis eleminates most user error.

Why take un-needed risks. This is one of the plus's of owning an import is that you do not need to resort to high risk shade tree methods to change out good fluids with better ones.

It is also easier to afford to buy 5 quarts a months then it is to buy 12-20 quarts all at once!

No not all Toyota's use T-IV. The Tundra and Land Cruiser does not use T-IV and I think that most of the trucks follow suit. Mst of the cars use t-IV. I think that it was smart for the trucks not to use T-IV as the intended markets would not have this fluid available. How many fleets or Farmers are going to be near a place tht cary's T-IV. Everyplace on earth cary's Dex III!
 
I still think it's better to use the DIY exchange method every 30,000 for the trans fluid. Would you follow a schedule of changing only two quarts of the oil charge in your engine every 1500 miles?
 
quote:

Originally posted by jeepzj:
I have a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee(ZJ) I6 with a 42RE transmission. I would like to perform the DIY return line method of flushing the tranny. Anyone know which line connected to the radiator is the return line carrying fluid back to the transmission?


Thanks.


Generally, the return line it the highest line into the radiator but for radiator's that have line at same elevation, you have to remove a line a check to see which one pumps fluid.

I had my new 1996 Chevy truck trans flushed when new to install synthetic. Nothing bad happened but I had it done by competent trans shop. These quick oil places I would not trust to check my oil.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Kestas:
Mike spelled it out well. This is pretty much the accepted practice of exchanging the trans fluid for most DIYers. The only thing I do different is that I stop the engine after every 3 quarts or so are pumped out because it's just about impossible to pour in the new fluid as fast as the old is pumped out. I use clear tubing to direct the outgoing fluid and lay the shoplight next to it so I can see when all the old stuff has left the system.

Mike, you forgot Step 6.... Clean up the mess!
tongue.gif
I have yet to do the job cleanly. I lay lots of newspaper on the ground before starting.


Guys, another addition to the procedure is to pump the first 3-4 quarts out BEFORE changing the filter. The pan will be almost empty and much less messier!

Butch 02 Sierra Denali
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top