Toyota/Lexus UA80 Camry Rav4 etc Fluid Level Check

[UA80_90210]

How do you guys check or verify fluid level on these UA80 FWD transmissions.
Have a 22' camry

1.
I know guys get the transmission to like 105F & use a scanner then drain & fill whatever comes out ona flat surface.
^Seems complicated

Could I just drain & refill the 24mm fillhole until it leaks out? Or will that be overfilled?

I usually get anywhere from like 2.5-3.2 quarts on previous drains

UA80 is used in Toyota/Lexus so seems like a pretty common transmission

• Camry: 2017–2024
• RAV4: 2019–present
• Highlander: 2017–present
• Grand Highlander: 2023–present
• Sienna: 2017–2020
• Avalon: 2019–2022 [1]

Lexus Models:

• ES 250: 2022–present
• ES 350: 2019–present
• RX 350: 2023–present
• NX 250 / NX 350: 2022–present
• TX 350: 2024–present [1]

 

[benjamming]

To fill until it leaks out the 24mm hole would be overfilled.
This is what I've done on U760E (did yesterday which is the below directions for a 2014 Camry) & U660F 6-speed auto transmissions. There are TSBs & service manual instructions for this as well as many videos such as Car Care Nut. Once you've done a couple, it's pretty straight forward. Toyota provides a way to do this without a scan tool.
Remove the plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug held on by (2) 10mm bolts.
Remove the 24mm fill plug.
Drain by removing the overflow plug using a 6mm hex bit. Use the same 6mm hex bit to remove the overflow plastic "straw". Give that a good bit to drain well.
Reinstall plastic "straw" and torque to 15in-lb.
Reinstall overflow plug with old crush washer.
Use a jumper to connect DTC terminals 4 & 13 with the ignition switch off. This is 4th from the left on the top row & 5th from the left on the bottom row.
Start vehicle.
Dash will be lit like a Christmas tree.
Shift between Park & Drive slowly a few times to get the fluid circulated well.
Shift between Neutral & Drive waiting less than 1.5 seconds between each shift. "D" will disappear.
Shift to Park. Leave vehicle running.
Remove jumper from terminals 13 & 4.
Once "D" is illuminated (94-113F), remove overflow plug. If no fluid drains, then it is underfilled. If it gushes out, then wait until it's a small stream. It won't ever stop or even really slowly drip as the fluid is continuing to be heated & expanding. If "D" starts flashing (113F or greater), then the fluid is too hot for this method to check the fluid level. Let the vehicle cool.
Reinstall overflow drain plug with new crush washer & torque to 29ft-lb.
Install new crush washer for the fill plug & torque to 36ft-lb.
Reinstall plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug with the (2) 10mm bolts.

 

[LckydevL]

You can also drain cold and fill cold. Measuring the amount that came out of course. But.................................

My first drain and fills I did the "complicated" way. Why? Because on several different websites owners have reported factory overfills and underfills as much as a half a quart plus. I would recommend the long way to anybody doing it the first time. After that you can do the quick and dirty cold fill method.

 

[Leo99]

You can also drain cold and fill cold. Measuring the amount that came out of course. But.................................

My first drain and fills I did the "complicated" way. Why? Because on several different websites owners have reported factory overfills and underfills as much as a half a quart plus. I would recommend the long way to anybody doing it the first time. After that you can do the quick and dirty cold fill method.

It's either the factory overfills them or the whole process is whacky. A lot drains out when you just remove the drain plug. If cold and done right, very little should drain out until you remove the plastic tube. I put back what came out and it hasn't blown up or shifted poorly.

 

[Mainia]

To fill until it leaks out the 24mm hole would be overfilled.
This is what I've done on U760E (did yesterday which is the below directions for a 2014 Camry) & U660F 6-speed auto transmissionmissions. There are TSBs & service manual instructions for this as well as many videos such as Car Care Nut. Once you've done a couple, it's pretty straight forward. Toyota provides a way to do this without a scan tool.
Remove the plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug held on by (2) 10mm bolts.
Remove the 24mm fill plug.
Drain by removing the overflow plug using a 6mm hex bit. Use the same 6mm hex bit to remove the overflow plastic "straw". Give that a good bit to drain well.
Reinstall plastic "straw" and torque to 15in-lb.
Reinstall overflow plug with old crush washer.
Use a jumper to connect DTC terminals 4 & 13 with the ignition switch off. This is 4th from the left on the top row & 5th from the left on the bottom row.
Start vehicle.
Dash will be lit like a Christmas tree.
Shift between Park & Drive slowly a few times to get the fluid circulated well.
Shift between Neutral & Drive waiting less than 1.5 seconds between each shift. "D" will disappear.
Shift to Park. Leave vehicle running.
Remove jumper from terminals 13 & 4.
Once "D" is illuminated (94-113F), remove overflow plug. If no fluid drains, then it is underfilled. If it gushes out, then wait until it's a small stream. It won't ever stop or even really slowly drip as the fluid is continuing to be heated & expanding. If "D" starts flashing (113F or greater), then the fluid is too hot for this method to check the fluid level. Let the vehicle cool.
Reinstall overflow drain plug with new crush washer & torque to 29ft-lb.
Install new crush washer for the fill plug & torque to 36ft-lb.
Reinstall plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug with the (2) 10mm bolts.

I partially disagree, it is not as cut and dry as if the transmission fluid is dripping out of the 24mm drain hole with the "correct fluid height straw that is pushed up through the drain hole to the correct level for the transmission, you are overfilled." NOPE. There were issues with factory filled Rav4's back in 2018-19ish, where people in Canada and upper midwest of the USA would have transmissionmission slipping in below zero Fahrenheit temps. This also included DIY transmission fluid changers too. I did a fluid change on my wife's 2014 Rav 4 to get the HORRID WS that was burnt up at 22,000 miles. The WS was so burnt I could not stay in the 24x48 ft garage the smell was so so bad. I exchanged the full complete load with Redline D6 with Redline Racing high and low viscosity oil to try to match the D6 viscosity. A trick many did on the early Honda Odyssey with great results"reduce the slip agent in D6 as I like nice crisp shifts. 60% D6 40% NO slip additive Redline Race transmission fluid cocltail. I digress.

These Rav4 and other Toyota I would guess were slipping right from the manufacture in below zero weather as as we all know oil temperature = oil height. I know I leveled my Rav4 and was at the correct temp doing all the correct porcedure that is simple. I had the same outcome as the factory new Rav4's ( on a dedicated Rav4 forum). We left a person house and my wife was driving and it slipped big time, I ask have you felt this before and she said yes 2 times. ( well tell me next time I added) I told her pull over and rev the engine to 2,000 rpm and we sat there for 5 mins to get the transmission oil hotter through the hockey puck heater. Then off we went. I added 3/4 of a qt the next day and went back in a couple weeks later and added another 1/2 qt for good measure. so 1.25 qt more and never had a problem and we hit -24 below a couple years later and no problem,

Getting EXACT height and freeking out if it is above factory height is seen on the internet and I just laugh may ars off at that stupidity.
Like 1 to 1.5 Qt spanned out to the square area of the pan length x width is going to raise the fluid level 6mm to 8mm. Enough to stop the "underfilling" and in no way will "wreck" the transmission as I saw some "by the book with zero divation freak outs people were preaching." Every one of the Rav4 where people brought back their slipping Rav4 were all fixed by adding more fluid. 10 years later my wife's Rav4 is running like a top and it tows a ultralite popup trailer too.

 

[55hambone]

To fill until it leaks out the 24mm hole would be overfilled.
This is what I've done on U760E (did yesterday which is the below directions for a 2014 Camry) & U660F 6-speed auto transmissions. There are TSBs & service manual instructions for this as well as many videos such as Car Care Nut. Once you've done a couple, it's pretty straight forward. Toyota provides a way to do this without a scan tool.
Remove the plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug held on by (2) 10mm bolts.
Remove the 24mm fill plug.
Drain by removing the overflow plug using a 6mm hex bit. Use the same 6mm hex bit to remove the overflow plastic "straw". Give that a good bit to drain well.
Reinstall plastic "straw" and torque to 15in-lb.
Reinstall overflow plug with old crush washer.
Use a jumper to connect DTC terminals 4 & 13 with the ignition switch off. This is 4th from the left on the top row & 5th from the left on the bottom row.
Start vehicle.
Dash will be lit like a Christmas tree.
Shift between Park & Drive slowly a few times to get the fluid circulated well.
Shift between Neutral & Drive waiting less than 1.5 seconds between each shift. "D" will disappear.
Shift to Park. Leave vehicle running.
Remove jumper from terminals 13 & 4.
Once "D" is illuminated (94-113F), remove overflow plug. If no fluid drains, then it is underfilled. If it gushes out, then wait until it's a small stream. It won't ever stop or even really slowly drip as the fluid is continuing to be heated & expanding. If "D" starts flashing (113F or greater), then the fluid is too hot for this method to check the fluid level. Let the vehicle cool.
Reinstall overflow drain plug with new crush washer & torque to 29ft-lb.
Install new crush washer for the fill plug & torque to 36ft-lb.
Reinstall plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug with the (2) 10mm bolts.

You left out replacing the fluid

 

[meep]

Mine was low when new. Pull the plug for the level sippy straw and zero anything came out. My ‘24 was shifting inconsistently, sometimes delayed, sometimes a thud. Reverse was frequently a bang.

I drained out the WS, measured, and filled with something like an additional half quart, which still didn’t drain through the straw. Added another quart and tried again. In the end, after then running it and draining out, with fluid a good “shower temperature” (which is probably around 110-115?) the stream turned to a drizzle and I capped it. Ended up needing somewhere around 1 1/4 quarts ish.

I was scared to use the Toyota method for years but after trying it, getting it wrong once (waited till the dripping stopped, and then had to redo it), I haven’t had any trouble with the method. It helps that the fill plugs are usually reasonably accessible.

 

[michaelluscher]

A scanner will make it easier to monitor live temp, but you can get by without it
Make sure to pin open the cooler thermostat if equipped

 

[The Critic]

To fill until it leaks out the 24mm hole would be overfilled.
This is what I've done on U760E (did yesterday which is the below directions for a 2014 Camry) & U660F 6-speed auto transmissions. There are TSBs & service manual instructions for this as well as many videos such as Car Care Nut. Once you've done a couple, it's pretty straight forward. Toyota provides a way to do this without a scan tool.
Remove the plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug held on by (2) 10mm bolts.
Remove the 24mm fill plug.
Drain by removing the overflow plug using a 6mm hex bit. Use the same 6mm hex bit to remove the overflow plastic "straw". Give that a good bit to drain well.
Reinstall plastic "straw" and torque to 15in-lb.
Reinstall overflow plug with old crush washer.
Use a jumper to connect DTC terminals 4 & 13 with the ignition switch off. This is 4th from the left on the top row & 5th from the left on the bottom row.
Start vehicle.
Dash will be lit like a Christmas tree.
Shift between Park & Drive slowly a few times to get the fluid circulated well.
Shift between Neutral & Drive waiting less than 1.5 seconds between each shift. "D" will disappear.
Shift to Park. Leave vehicle running.
Remove jumper from terminals 13 & 4.
Once "D" is illuminated (94-113F), remove overflow plug. If no fluid drains, then it is underfilled. If it gushes out, then wait until it's a small stream. It won't ever stop or even really slowly drip as the fluid is continuing to be heated & expanding. If "D" starts flashing (113F or greater), then the fluid is too hot for this method to check the fluid level. Let the vehicle cool.
Reinstall overflow drain plug with new crush washer & torque to 29ft-lb.
Install new crush washer for the fill plug & torque to 36ft-lb.
Reinstall plastic shield which covers the 24mm fill plug with the (2) 10mm bolts.

This.

 

[benjamming]

It's either the factory overfills them or the whole process is whacky. A lot drains out when you just remove the drain plug. If cold and done right, very little should drain out until you remove the plastic tube. I put back what came out and it hasn't blown up or shifted poorly.

It drains out when cold before the straw is removed b/c the transmission isn't running.