How much ATF would a radiator hold for 3L v6?

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Nov 22, 2020
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Couldn't find any info on this for my specific make and model online, so maybe you guys could get me somewhere in the ballpark?

I did a radiator replacement on a 2002 Toyota Sienna with a 3.0 v6. Roughly speaking, how much fluid do radiators hold? The dip stick for the ATF is really tough to gauge, especially with mostly new fluid. I lost whatever amount is in the small hoses (not much) combined with what went away with the old radiator, since I couldn't drain it before giving it to the wrecker for recycling.

Maybe a 1/4 or 1/3 quart, or more? Or do the numbers vary too much from vehicle to vehicle to make a guess? Are the specs for capacity available for radiators someplace?

Here's the radiator. Bottom two nipples are the ATF ports. So, whatever is built into the bottom of that radiator.

Screenshot_2021-02-09 Amazon com Denso 221-3101 Radiator Automotive.png
 
My GUESS is not much....less than 1/4 qt. I say this because I had an old (leaking) radiator for my GM 3.8 sitting around the garage for awhile; before I scrapped it, I pried open the tabs and removed the end tank with the ATF cooler, it was just a straight pipe about 3/4" diameter. Unfortunately, I threw it away without taking any measurements...
 
Typically a couple wraps of tubing. A few ounces to possibly a cup unless the design is different than they used to be.
 
From 1/4 to 1/2 quart, I don't find the dipstick hard to read on my 2000 Avalon which has the same powertrain. Got to let the ATF settle out of the tube after adding fluid.
Do you check the level with the motor running? I think it has to have it switched through the gears while running to get the reading?

For whatever reason, it seems the cold reading is different each time, and the hot reading is tough to figure out as the fluid seems to splash up the tube and streaks over the dip stick when pulling it out.
 
I just measured the volume of a cooler that was removed from a 3.5 liter Nissan V6 radiator and it only holds right at 2oz. Add another ounce or two for what's in the rubber line leading to the cooler if you don't plug or pinch it off while swapping out the radiator. I know this isn't a Toyota, but the cooler inside that Toyota pictured is almost certainly the same pipe/tube style in the Nissan due to space constraints.


See the following video(timestamped) if you're curious about how the cooler actually looks:
 
I just measured the volume of a cooler that was removed from a 3.5 liter Nissan V6 radiator and it only holds right at 2oz. Add another ounce or two for what's in the rubber line leading to the cooler if you don't plug or pinch it off while swapping out the radiator. I know this isn't a Toyota, but the cooler inside that Toyota pictured is almost certainly the same pipe/tube style in the Nissan due to space constraints.


See the following video(timestamped) if you're curious about how the cooler actually looks:

Nice! Thanks for posting that. The radiators look very similar.

I added about 3-4 ounces of ATF, as I removed both cooler hoses and replaced them during the swap.
 
As a side question. Anyone guess how low ATF has to be to cause shifting issues? I think the tranny holds 10 quarts total, or so. Would 1 quart low be a problem with the function of the tranny? Not in terms of added wear on the fluid, but just making sure fluid is in all the spots and passages that need it.
 
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