Did my first ATF drain and fill on a high mileage vehicle, when should I do it again?

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Feb 22, 2021
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I have a 2014 Toyota RAV4 with 138,000 miles on it. Not being that knowledgeable in cars, I never thought to get my transmission fluid changed. It’s a sealed transmission with supposed “lifetime” ATF. So I finally decided to get the fluid drained and refilled earlier today. My question was, since I never did it before and had put that many miles on it, should I get it drained and refilled again soon?
 
I'd wait awhile, perhaps a few thousand miles to make sure everything is on the up and up. I'm assuming perhaps only half the fluid came out unless you went to the dealer and they did a total flush.
 
I'd wait awhile, perhaps a few thousand miles to make sure everything is on the up and up. I'm assuming perhaps only half the fluid came out unless you went to the dealer and they did a total flush.
Nope just did a drain and fill. I did take it to a Toyota dealer however, they originally thought I wanted a flush but I assured them I didn’t and so they just drained and refilled. I’ll probably just take it to a local shop next time.
 
I'd wait awhile, perhaps a few thousand miles to make sure everything is on the up and up. I'm assuming perhaps only half the fluid came out unless you went to the dealer and they did a total flush.
I guess another question I have is, do you think there has been damage done to my transmission since I went that many miles without changing the ATF?
 
I guess another question I have is, do you think there has been damage done to my transmission since I went that many miles without changing the ATF?
The short answer is no. That's assuming it was operating properly before it was serviced. Many people service their transmissions when they have a problem, then when it fails they blame servicing it. So if it was working fine before the service odds are you did good for the transmission. If you were having problems before, odds are it is going to fail, either way, serviced or not. I'd drive a thousand miles and do it again if you don't have any issues.
 
The short answer is no. That's assuming it was operating properly before it was serviced. Many people service their transmissions when they have a problem, then when it fails they blame servicing it. So if it was working fine before the service odds are you did good for the transmission. If you were having problems before, odds are it is going to fail, either way, serviced or not. I'd drive a thousand miles and do it again if you don't have any issues.
I believe it was working fine. It was shifting just fine it seemed to me. The only odd thing is that I noticed my car would sometimes make a rumble strip like sound when I would accelerate and it would shift to another gear. I don’t know if that’s a bad sign or not, it could be unrelated to the transmission. I guess I should ask what are the actual signs that your transmission is in trouble?
 
I believe it was working fine. It was shifting just fine it seemed to me. The only odd thing is that I noticed my car would sometimes make a rumble strip like sound when I would accelerate and it would shift to another gear. I don’t know if that’s a bad sign or not, it could be unrelated to the transmission. I guess I should ask what are the actual signs that your transmission is in trouble?
If it was shifting fine and had no delays going into drive or reverse, especially when cold, and no shift flare, or slipping, it should be fine. Diagnosing problems based on a sound description is tough. It may or may not be related. I'd keep an eye on it for leaks and check the fluid level a few times just to play it safe.
 
I believe it was working fine. It was shifting just fine it seemed to me. The only odd thing is that I noticed my car would sometimes make a rumble strip like sound when I would accelerate and it would shift to another gear. I don’t know if that’s a bad sign or not, it could be unrelated to the transmission. I guess I should ask what are the actual signs that your transmission is in trouble?
A rumble strip sound? Yeah, that is something that I would question. Is that recent or has it been going on for a while?

I think it’s good that you got your tranny drained and filled. I’d do another in a few weeks (if everything is going alright).

Toyota fluid gets very dark...I can only imagine what yours looked like. But as long as it was shifting fine, and is still shifting fine...I think it’d be wise to finish the job and eventually exchange all that fluid and do a pan drop and filter replacement. But see how it goes with a couple drain and fills first.
 
If they have to do a TC then it sounds like you'll get a free flush in the process. Score!

On my Camry it had original ATF in it at 140k, so I did a flush, and waited 10k to do it again. It was much cleaner the second time, but it did "clean" the innards and when I did a third flush later on it was much cleaner. I might go to drain and fill now on subsequent changes.
 
Is there any advantage to doing multiple DaF instead of just doing a one-shot fluid exchange? On some rigs, the ATF cooler lines going to the radiator are super easy to use for exchanging fluids, and is probably less overall work than 3-4 DaF?
 
Is there any advantage to doing multiple DaF instead of just doing a one-shot fluid exchange? On some rigs, the ATF cooler lines going to the radiator are super easy to use for exchanging fluids, and is probably less overall work than 3-4 DaF?
I know some people are worried about "shocking" the transmission. Personally I'm not worried, but then again, I have only owned a few vehicles, so my data is antidotal. But I wouldn't think twice about a full flush via the transmission lines; and if I bought a used car & it crapped out after doing this, I'd blame the PO for not changing the ATF on time. Not the process of doing a flush.
 
Wow thanks for the link! I had no clue. Sorry if dumb question, how do I go about getting that fixed under the warranty? Do I have to take it to a Toyota dealer?
It can only be done by a Toyota dealer and you will need to duplicate the issue for the technician. The issue needs to match the symptoms described in the warranty extension.
 
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