Toyota ATF service with no dipstick video

[Mr Nice]

I was thinking about buying a closeout 2017 Camry SE but the ATF drain and refill procedure killed my interest in the car. Why did they make something so basic like ATF service sooooo [censored] complicated ?

 

[WyrTwister]

Do not feel like the Lone Ranger , our 2015 Chevy Sonic automatic has no dip stick . Pull the drain plug , put it back in , pull the plug on the side and fill it back up until fluid comes out ( idling in park ) .

 

[SZR48207]

It's not THAT bad but it requires more diligence so you don't mess anything up. And the WS fluid has shown to be quite good for longevity.. but at the minimum I would change the fluid at 30K to flush out the early wear debris. After that I can't see it needing service for quite a while under normal driving conditions.

 

[simple_gifts]

WS=world spec; Not a world many bitogr's live in however.

 

[RooflessVW]

I don't understand what's so hard. You drain the fluid, fill it, start it, and top it off while it's running. You're only going to do it every 50k or so anyway. I'm sure a Toyota Certified Technician would be able to perform the ATF service for you at a reasonable cost. Get with the times or don't. The world will keep spinning.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice

I was thinking about buying a closeout 2017 Camry SE but the ATF drain and refill procedure killed my interest in the car.

Area Toyo dealers here got rid of all the 2017 Camrys back in mid-September. This transmission has been in the Camry since 2010. And has a pretty good record.

 

[Aichiguy]

This is the same transmission that is in my wife's 2011 Camry. It's been trouble free. It takes less than 30 minutes to drain and fill. I bought my 2017 Camry LE in August for $5700 off sticker. I was willing to give up a few mpg for this tried and true drivetrain.

 

[andyd]

I did a little on line searching on this subject. My take away is that the rigamarole involved is the result of changing the ATF on a warm transmission. For A DIYer, all that is required is to let the car sit overnight.Capture the cold ATF and replace that amount with fresh, cold ATF. If this is wrong, please smarten me up pronto. I intend to drain and fill at 30K on the SE. TIA

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice

I was thinking about buying a closeout 2017 Camry SE but the ATF drain and refill procedure killed my interest in the car.

Area Toyo dealers here got rid of all the 2017 Camrys back in mid-September. This transmission has been in the Camry since 2010. And has a pretty good record.

Im sure its a very high quality transmission, just very spoiled by a simple drain / refill. Some people didn't watch the video.

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted By: andyd

I did a little on line searching on this subject. My take away is that the rigamarole involved is the result of changing the ATF on a warm transmission. For A DIYer, all that is required is to let the car sit overnight.Capture the cold ATF and replace that amount with fresh, cold ATF. If this is wrong, please smarten me up pronto. I intend to drain and fill at 30K on the SE. TIA

Nope you are 100% correct.. unless the fill was low from the factory. I can't say if that would happen on Camrys, but on the Tacoma.. the trucks that came with the tow package/supplemental trans cooler all seem to be about 12oz low. So a cold drain/fill is fine but only if you know that the level was correct to begin with.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice

Im sure its a very high quality transmission, just very spoiled by a simple drain / refill. Some people didn't watch the video.

I've posted that video on here 2-3 times. I think the issue is when these cars come into repair shops with warm/hot fluid. Then it needs to be refilled at the same temperature to get the level correct. However, if it's drained and refilled at home while cold then it should be easy. Just have fluid in garage next to car. Temps of old and new fluid should be the same.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I just don't get it. Why? There is no reason it should be so difficult.

 

[thescreensavers]

How can a transmission be so picky with fluid level when it's a sump design? As long as the pick up tube is submerged? I'm sure I'm missing something here but seems odd.

 

[chunt]

Its not that difficult. If you have a way to check the temperature, checking for the correct ATF level is fairly easy. I used my Scanguage to monitor the temperature when I verified the ATF level on my Tacoma.

 

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted By: thescreensavers

How can a transmission be so picky with fluid level when it's a sump design? As long as the pick up tube is submerged? I'm sure I'm missing something here but seems odd.

Thinking the same thing . Still , a transmission w/o a dip stick is an idea that can only benefit the manufacturer , not the owner . And I am on my side .

 

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted By: JeffKeryk

I just don't get it. Why? There is no reason it should be so difficult.

Very true .

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted By: thescreensavers

How can a transmission be so picky with fluid level when it's a sump design? As long as the pick up tube is submerged? I'm sure I'm missing something here but seems odd.

It technically isn't. On Toyota vehicles with this type of trans on a RWD drivetrain, it is common to hear stories of jiffylube draining the trans pan and then overfilling the engine oil and people driving off. They always seem to drive around for a few days before realizing something is wrong and I never see a followup that says there was major damage. But transmissions are expensive and if 30 minutes of mental dedication is needed to get a proper fluid level... that seems like a fair trade.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: andyd

I did a little on line searching on this subject. My take away is that the rigamarole involved is the result of changing the ATF on a warm transmission. For A DIYer, all that is required is to let the car sit overnight.Capture the cold ATF and replace that amount with fresh, cold ATF. If this is wrong, please smarten me up pronto. I intend to drain and fill at 30K on the SE. TIA

Seems about right, and the standpipe in the pan is at a fixed height as well, unlike the traditional dipstick with hot and cold ranges. I've never done a Toyota FWD tranny with no dipstick, the procedure on the RWD ones is to fill through the fill port until fluid trickles from the standpipe's check port, close both the fill and check openings and using Techstream/OBD-II PID or the jumper wire method to use the D light to indicate when the fluid is in warm check range, pull the check plug and see if fluid runs out, if it runs out to a trickle you're OK. The level gauge and filling apparatus will make it easier to set the proper fluid level but isn't required. You just need to be careful monitoring the fluid temp, leveling the car and adding/draining fluid until it streams out to a trickle.