The Toyota dealer changed my tranny fluid... but

A750F 5 speed transmission fluid change interval every 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles or NEVER (according to Toyota?)

The Toyota dealer changed my tranny fluid at 100,000 miles (like the owners manual), but when I looked at my service receipt from 2009 they only used 5 quarts of WS.

Why didn't they drain ALL the WS and charge me for 9 to 13 quarts?

What should I do for my next transmission fluid change? What would you do?

Would you drain and fill the pan only (about 3 quarts measured) and add 3 quarts in your driveway?

I have 140,000 miles on the 4 runner today.

Thanks

 

That’s why you gotta call and ask them if they do a drain and fill or full flush. If they don’t know, go somewhere else.

I do flushes only. Think it’s a waste to do drain and fills.

 

Some "experts" advise not to flush a 4runner that shifts perfect and has 145,000 miles on it. One 4runner owner has 250,000 miles on it, and never did anything to his Tranny.

I'm going to drain 5 quarts and fill with Toyota Fluid - and I think that's what Toyota wants me to do.

I think their lifetime fluid lasts a lot longer than people think - that's why a 5 quart drain and fill of the tranny pan is the way to go.

 

Well, I won’t get into that debate, because it’s a lot like which oil is the best debate. you do you.

 

How often do you flush? I have never refilled or flushed mine and I am pushing 170k. Should I?

 

All devices with gears and bearings, such as automatic transmissions, need lubrication. All devices needing lubrication should have the lubrication medium changed periodically.

Few carmakers specify transmission fluid change interval. VW dealers further the "sealed for life" myth. In my view it is a point of designed obsolescence, now that most engines are capable of 300k miles with normal maintenance. Driveline failure is what brings people into the service department and the new car showroom. Recommending NOT to maintain the transmission is in carmakers' and dealers' interest.

100k miles is a good, and subjective, interval. Mercedes-Benz specifies 60k miles for transmission oil and filter replacement.

Drain and refill is better than not draining and refilling. Full flush is best.

 

Actually, you are in the same boat as I am, and I paid the dealer to drain 5 quarts and replace and change the filter (big deal) at 100,000 miles, and I'm at 150,000 miles now; and the tranny fluid currently in my 2005 4runner is 13 years old on average.

What I hope to learn with this post is what do I do at 225,000 miles. Drain all 13 quarts of dirty ATF Type T-IV? and replace with 13 quarts of red ATF Type T-IV?

Some say that will stir up the gunk in da' transmission.

I want to drain 3 quarts in my driveway at 180,000 miles and replace with 3 quarts of ATF Type T-IV. Do this again every 13 months... I dono! I did the rear differential at 150,000 with Valvoline 80W90 and it was easy drain and fill.

The dealer does not do transmission services any longer, but they gave me the name of a local shop that does just transmissions. I called the shop and spoke to them and they hardly ever see 4 runners, but they do "drain and fill all the fluid - not just 5 quarts; so, I'll probably use them in 20,000 miles or if my tranny "acts up". The owner is supposed to call me back.

BTW. I'm in the Bahamas and I've never had an overheat of car radiator and you can't drive over 50 mph hardly anywhere. I should be able to go to 400,000 miles without an exchange.

 

My opinion as someone with nothing more than a couple cents:

If your transmission is in good working condition right now, it will be in good working condition after a flush.
The old theory is that dirt, metal, etc. would keep a poor condition transmission running and that a flush would disrupt that.

I change around 100k. I agree drain and fill is better than nothing, but would you mix half clean engine oil with half dirty engine oil?

 

Some makers do not want their transmissions flushed, Honda for example. I (think) I was told my Accord doesn't even have the proper connections to hook up the machine and do a complete "fluid transfer." Honda recommends drain/refill but that being said mine's been done like every 50,000 miles so I've traded off a complete change for doing it more frequently. I happen to do the Honda myself literally easier than an oil change cause your not f'ing with the filter. 159,000 miles / 10 years old and shifts like the day I bought it. I'm still "waiting" to drive it into the ground a difficult task for most Honda's. I'll probably do the 4R at 50,000 also, three things I've always been anal about are tranny fluid, oil and coolant. Like Fram used to say in their commercials you can pay a little now or a lot later. Personally I think that saying has some merit to it.

 

Hmmm... I also wanted a tranny flush on my recently purchased 4Runner (175K). I was thinking 'new tranny fluid, the truck is ready to go'. I would quickly learn a tranny flush is dependent on the existing condition of the fluid.

If the tranny fluid is thick, don't flush it out. Keep it in there until the tranny bottoms out, then rebuild/replace it. Replacing it with new 'thinner' tranny fluid will wear down the already deteriorating gears (hence the thicker fluid) faster.

If the tranny fluid is clean and thin, flush it out.

If you're doing it at a dealer, specifically ask the condition of the fluid.

 

4runners hold about 13 quarts of tranny fluid. The dealer drained 5 quarts when they did a service of mine at 100,000 miles for $350. They changed the filter and dropped the gasket.

I have to check if there is a drain and fill plug on my 2005 4runner..

If there is, I will do a drain and fill of 4 quarts in my driveway at 150,000 miles using Toyota brand tranny fluid (4 quarts).

 

There are three plugs on the 5 speed 4th gen transmission.

- drain plug
- level control (overflow) plug.
- fill plug

To drain, open the fill plug to allow venting, and open the drain plug.

To fill, close the drain plug, open the level control (overflow) plug, and open the fill plug, and add fluid from the fill plug until it flows out the overflow plug. This is extensively discussed on this site.

 

I just purchased a 2004 4runner. The trans fluid was almost black and yet it shifted great both up shift and down shifts. This trans still has the dipstick tube. I drained and removed the pan no chunks just black silt. I replaced the filter and added about 6 qts of Transmax. 2 weeks later fluid was brown, so I drained and filled about 5 qts this time. Two weeks after that fluid is still clean and the trans shifts great. In AZ I do a drain and refill every 30000. Rule of thumb is if the fluid starts to turn brown it needs to be changed.

 

I don’t like the idea of a full flush on high mileage vehicles if it’s running fine. Drain and fill. At 150k miles, if you’re still sailing smoothly, wait for a problem before you possibly create one yourself. You’d likely get another 150k out of a 4runner. That’s what the numbers say.

But that’s just one opinion of many. Not here to argue. Just my take.