Transmission Filter or Screen. Drop Pan or No Need?

I own a 08 Tundra 5.7 Dbl Cab that came with a Tow Package and temp gauge..I have no transmission dip stick as I know this is a sealed transmission. I have been told by my dealer that they have to drop the pan and replace my fluid, filter and gasket which costs $647.00 out the door. I was told by another Toyota dealer I have no filter but I do have a screen and no need to drop pan just flush and replace fluid. Firestone said they could tell by my transmission number. How I hate to have my truck on a lift for them to say you have this or you have that. does anyone know?

 

Forget Firestone. Your transmission has a "strainer", but it typically will not need to be changed. Owners here that remove the pan usually find the strainer clean, but maybe some settlement in the pan.

I'm highly surprised that your dealer even offered to drop the pan. Most dealers will not touch them, because it is likely that one or more pan bolts will be snapped off in the hole during the pan removal. Nature of the beast. In that case, I guess he expects to simply increase proportionately the $647 he already wants to charge.

Drain and replace is a pretty simple DIY procedure. The only semi-tricky part is setting proper fluid level afterward. Use Search to read owner experiences, and determine if this is something you can or want to do.

 

, What he said.

 

Current Tundra owner literature calls for inspection of transmission every 30K miles for leaks, but does not recommend any ATF change for "normal" operating conditions. Experience with this "lifetime" ATF recommendation varies, but some owners here have reported 200K-400K on their Tundras with no fluid change and no transmission problems. My opinion on this has evolved, and I will probably change my ATF after 100K-120K miles. Change method TBD.

For "Special Operating Conditions", including towing or "heavy vehicle loading", current owner literature recommends fluid change at 120K miles.

 

I do drain and fills every 45-50k. Get right about 4 qts out every time with the front on ramps. Usually time it to match an oil change.

 

This. Simple drain and replace exactly what came out. You will need a pump to get the new fluid in.

 

I was able to snake a 5/8" clear hose from driver's side wheel well to the fill port and gravity fill with a funnel. Have seen where others snake a fill hose up thru engine bay under hood.

Measured 4.5 quarts drained, put 4.5 quarts back in. I recommend drain / fill with vehicle cold. Measuring warm fluid could be slightly different than ambient.

 

I dropped the pan and replaced the "screen and o-ring" once a year or about every 15k miles in my 08 no issues for 125k. I know it's overkill but I'm neurotic about maintenance and I tow quite a bit. I'll be following the same schedule as before with the new one. I typically do this with all my toys, fresh fluid every year, excluding engine oil.

 

I just did my "08" (126K miles) with a Strainer, o-ring, pan gasket and both drain and check crush washers (all OEM). The two front corner bolts snapped right off and I had to drill and tap the excess bolt out of both holes, very time consuming. All four magnets were extremely clean and since I can not see inside the strainer, changing it was a no-brainer for me. I can not tell if the fluid had been changed prior to me owning the truck (but it did appear over full), it did need changing. It was not burnt, but was pretty dark. I plan on doing a drain and fill in two to three months since I do not drive it a lot. After that I will probably do another drain and fill at 150k. I put silicone on top of the two new bolts were they protrude.

If I towed a lot I would do a drain and fill every 30k miles. Remember, the transmission temperature must be between 115F and 130F to get an accurate amount dribbling (small stream) out of the "Check" plug.

 

Be sure to read this Toyota paper before performing a drain/flush and fill. If you have the tow package on your truck you "MUST" follow the steps to open the Cooler Thermostat to get an accurate level when you reach check able temperatures.

 

Hi can you tell me where you found that PDF, and if it does not have tow package, can I ignore the termostat step?

 

If no tow package, there is no thermostat to pin open. So yes, the step can be skipped.

 

Thanks!