It just requires more than a funnel and being able to slide under a car on a piece of cardboard.
What new vehicles are available WITHOUT a sealed transmission?
- Thread starter Legal Eagles
- Start date
If the current 4Runner still uses the 5AT it should have a transmission dip stick. Or any manual. I think some heavy duty trucks still have them too. It’s really only a limited amount of either vehicles carrying old power trains or special duty applications. ZFs are out of the picture so no point in looking at FCA/Stellantis cars or any European brands.
A lot of these fluids are lifetime because the transmissions itself will go out before the fluid will. Check Nissan and Subaru CVTs. Even some of the ZF transmissions will have pan gasket leaks before 100k that will require changing ATF anyways. I wouldn’t lose sleep on a car that didn’t have a ATF dip stick. Most likely ATF won’t be the issue.
A lot of these fluids are lifetime because the transmissions itself will go out before the fluid will. Check Nissan and Subaru CVTs. Even some of the ZF transmissions will have pan gasket leaks before 100k that will require changing ATF anyways. I wouldn’t lose sleep on a car that didn’t have a ATF dip stick. Most likely ATF won’t be the issue.
Ideally disagree with the notion that any transmission fluid is "lifetime." "Lifetime" in that case is marketing wank. Essentially what it means is when you don't change your transmission fluid ever the transmission will fail with the original fluid in it but it'll fail after the warranty. So the manufacturer's not on the hook for it but you still need to change it otherwise the fluid will be lifetime fluid because the transmission will die with the factory fill in it fairly early when it could have lasted longer if you would have actually kept changing it.
Lifetime is 150,000 miles/ 10 years so if you want more than this change your fluids/ filters. ZF 6 and 8 speeds need a drain and fill at 60-75,000 miles depending on usage.
I believe the 4Runner uses the same Aisin 750 as the 2nd gen Tacoma. If so it won’t have a dip stick and will use a temp/level dependent overflow plug.
most of these modern euro cars with ZFs, the life time is 150k not cause the transmission will fail but everything else will. Zf is one of the least troublesome parts I seen on BMWs from the last decade. Never a single transmission issue, usually t-case/diffs and engine misfires.
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