Poll: what'd you use in your WS-spec'd AT?

[UnderDawgAl]

I did a drain and fill of Maxlife for my 2013 Camry that specs WS. About two quarts total. The car has 115K miles or so. I suspect it's the first drain and fill since it came from the factory, but I don't know. The fluid that came out was dark red.

I'll do a second drain and fill in a week or two when I change the oil. It'll get Maxlife again, and maybe a bottle of Lubegard Red.

 

[doublebase]

I did a drain and fill of Maxlife for my 2013 Camry that specs WS. About two quarts total. The car has 115K miles or so. I suspect it's the first drain and fill since it came from the factory, but I don't know. The fluid that came out was dark red.

I'll do a second drain and fill in a week or two when I change the oil. It'll get Maxlife again, and maybe a bottle of Lubegard Red.

Honestly, I’d be surprised if that was its first drain and fill if it came out dark red. Most of us report that the initial drain and fill on a Toyota looks dark brown. Almost looks like engine oil. I’ve experienced this twice myself on two different Toyota’s. But either way, that’s great that yours didn’t look really discolored to the point it didn’t look like transmission fluid anymore.

 

[Astro14]

When I did a complete fluid change on the Tundra, at about 25,000 miles, the factory fill of WS looked quite good. A nice clear red. I changed it anyway since I was already set up to do so...

 

[cool_breeze]

Where are you finding the best price on Maxlife now, my trip to walmart yesterday said they no longer carry it.

 

[Supersonic]

After some research I found a valve body fluid replacement specification in a PDF for 2005 4Runner V6, that was close enough to the amount of a pan and filter maintenance. And it was fairly close to what many others had reported for this amount drained in the procedure. About 4.3 quarts if I remember correctly. My guess is that is just about as accurate as the variances in trying to follow the heat to temp and drain method.

I think it's also easier to run a long tube and funnel than to pump all that fluid back in.

Other thing to do in a pinch, if you have a dipstick, use a vacuum pump (red one from Harbor Freight work well), get out all you can and replace it. Thought of this when buying a 2010 Sienna ~206k, about an hour drive from here, I knew it hadn't been serviced and did what I could, worked great having exchanged about 4 quarts before the trip home. Also cleaned the PCV and replaced the air filter, probably should have clean the MAF sensor if I hadn't, but I don't remember as an aside.

And lastly, how I found out how to do a fluid swap, and now I do that for any service after dropping the pan and changing the filter. Start at 5:30 for the fluid exchange. If you have no idea what the return line is, test the easy one to get to first, if right proceed, if wrong you'll have to do the other. The idea being you'll want to keep the dirty stuff from the cooler from being pumped back to the transmission.

 

[Tomioka]

Performed 60,000mi interval changes using Toyota WS on a 04 Lexus L430 with 200,000 on original transmission. If WS gets super expensive (still cheaper at dealer) then we'll make the switch to Maxlife.

 

[blupupher]

Where are you finding the best price on Maxlife now, my trip to walmart yesterday said they no longer carry it.

Walmart.com ship to store for free, or check another Walmart.

 

[mdboulier]

Performed 60,000mi interval changes using Toyota WS on a 04 Lexus L430 with 200,000 on original transmission. If WS gets super expensive (still cheaper at dealer) then we'll make the switch to Maxlife.

Ya cost of WS is not unfair most places. Even amazon. Significantly more as a percentage of Maxlife‘s cost sure ... Anway, cost not a deciding factor for me.

Maybe I’ll go with the poll winner here and service my sienna soon.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Ya cost of WS is not unfair most places. Even amazon. Significantly more as a percentage of Maxlife‘s cost sure ... Anway, cost not a deciding factor for me.

Maybe I’ll go with the poll winner here and service my sienna soon.

It's ok, you still have time. It's still too hot out there!

 

[SoNic67]

I used at the first drain/refill the Valvoline MaxLife. Toyota OE fluid was a very dark purple color.
Now, at the second drain, I have found that Rockauto sells AISIN ATF0WS for $6.20, and that's full synthetic. So I went with that.

 

[mdboulier]

I used at the first drain/refill the Valvoline MaxLife. Toyota OE fluid was a very dark purple color.
Now, at the second drain, I have found that Rockauto sells AISIN ATF0WS for $6.20, and that's full synthetic. So I went with that.

I’ve seen that fluid and agree the price is nice. But never seen written that it’s 100% synthetic.

 

[supton]

I think I spent $25 on a Techstream cable. The software was free. I used an old Win XP laptop. With a modern car, the Techstream (or STAR for Mercedes, VIDA for Volvo) is a necessity of you want to do more than just change oil.

The hardest part of dealing with my Tundra’s transmission is filling it. For that, I bought a motive power filler. A 2.5 gallon pressure vessel with a fill hose.

Setting the level is pretty easy: with trans at proper temp, and truck level, open level check plug. If fluid pours out and stops, you’re done. If no fluid, or it just dribbled, add 1/2 quart and try again.

Since I have to fill it when I do a flush, and I have to fill it if I were to do a drain and fill, I’ll just do the flush every time. It’s not that much more work.

I used 5/8" OD - 1/2" ID PVC to fill mine. Snake down through the engine bay, try to make sure it stays off the exhaust. Dump a quart in at a time. Pain to do but depending how often you want to do it, it might be a few years between changes.

I did use a hand pump on a single quart bottle for setting the level. Didn't want to leave the PVC there as things came up to temp.

 

[Dino01]

Toyota bottled WS, works perfect, no question on compatibility...EZ just how I like it

 

[Astro14]

I used 5/8" OD - 1/2" ID PVC to fill mine. Snake down through the engine bay, try to make sure it stays off the exhaust. Dump a quart in at a time. Pain to do but depending how often you want to do it, it might be a few years between changes.

I did use a hand pump on a single quart bottle for setting the level. Didn't want to leave the PVC there as things came up to temp.

Yeah, it’s a pain...and that PVC could’ve melted on a manifold as the engine warmed up the fluid.

I ended up spending about $70 on this: https://www.motiveproducts.com/products/powerfill-pro-1-5-gallon-tank

A 2 gallon motive pro fill tank.

Fill with fluid, pump it up, open valve to fill and then top off transmission. All from underneath. The hook shaped metal fill pipe at the end of the tubing stayed in the fill port, making it a single-hand operation.

 

[blupupher]

I used at the first drain/refill the Valvoline MaxLife. Toyota OE fluid was a very dark purple color.
...

I noticed that on my first drain of WS it was red, but the drain of WS/Maxlife, it was purple.

 

[meep]

After doing this with the Lexus earlier in the thread, I just changed the atf in a friends Camry at 84k. Hers was definitely a darker brown, black to the eye as draining. Used maxlife since I couldn’t source amsoil the same day. Maxlife is a bit thinner and also more clear that amsoil.

this is the third aisin trans I’ve done this on, and I’m under the conclusion that they are less picky about fluid levels than we may be thinking.

the Lexus was supposed to be a 1.9 qt drain, and 3.5 came out. what? I idled it a bit, and another quart came out. It had been 1.5 overfilled but drove fine. But Then I goofed, and used the overflow level straw thing with the engine off, and ended up nearly 2 quarts low. I could actually hear it suck air on swift acceleration, but it drove fine. I figured out what I did wrong, overfilled it, then removed the level plug with it running to drain off the extra. So when I did this friends Camry, i pulled the level check with the engine cool and nearly quart or so came out of it. All said and done, I got 4 quarts out and 3.5 in, checking the level at 110f or so while running. the Camry seems fine on the maxlife too. Was it overfilled as well? I’m almost certain the Camry was the oe fill. I’m not sure on the Lexus- it’s fluid was a little lighter, like maybe it had one previous spill n fill.

the other trans was the 5spd tundra. I was too scared to use the bolt and temperatures and all that. Sucked out fluid, measured it, poured in exact same, 3x over the time we had it, and never a problem.

oh - I also avoided using a pump- zip-tied a funnel to a strut rod, with clear hose snakes down into the fill. Poured it slowly topside.

 

[mdboulier]

I don't know about y'all but I'm definitely glad to see what others are using. Interesting.

I'd like to see more polls like this. Perhaps discussion required before posting. One thing I see here - since folks are able to select more than 1 fluid the poll's percentages total more than 100%. 50% of users report using Maxlife (21 of 42) but there are 52 total responses so far. 21/52 is 40%.

Anyhoo, vote on. Thanks.

 

[john_pifer]

Toyota WS, twice, on my 2007 Tacoma V6.

1st time @ 100K, 2nd time @ 200K.

230K on truck now, and the transmission still seems to perform as it did the day I bought the truck new.

However, this transmission hasn’t been under much stress in my use. I haven’t towed much, and hauling has consisted of, at the most, a sportbike (450 lbs) or a couple of dirt bikes along with gear and a passenger (~ 650 lbs total).

It‘s otherwise been used as a car.

Also, this same transmission (A750E/F) was also used on heavier V8-powered trucks with higher engine output (4Runner V8, Sequoia, GX470, maybe others).

 

[SoNic67]

I’ve seen that fluid and agree the price is nice. But never seen written that it’s 100% synthetic.

AISIN has a statement on their website that all their fluids are 100% synthetic. Since they made the transmission... I trust them.

AISIN

www.aisinaftermarket.com

 

[mdboulier]

AISIN has a statement on their website that all their fluids are 100% synthetic. Since they made the transmission... I trust them.

AISIN

www.aisinaftermarket.com

Sure does. Nice. Thanks!