Transmission drain and fill-Toyota Fluid or Maxlife?

What is everyone using for their transmission fluid when doing drain and fill?

 

You will get multiple answers to this. I would say use the Toyota WS fluid and dont think about it lol.

 

OEM fluid. I will use different brands at times for diffs, xfercase, etc but with a transmission I dont like mixing and would stick to OEM. I also never do a flush, drain and fill only.

 

Thanks. For ambient temp drain and fill do I need to mess with the cooler thermostat or anything else? Just drain and put back same amount of new fluid?

 

some do the typical drain, measure the fluid drained and fill same amount, ambient temp/cool fluid. Personally this is what I have done on any of my vehicles vs the more formal process.

Or there is the more formal process if getting up to temp-
There’s a very specific procedure to ensure your tranny is at the right temperature. It involves pinning your OBD and shifting in a specific sequence, then quickly filling until the fluid is dripping out. I think there’s some youtube videos..
https://www.tundratalk.net/threads/5-7-tundra-diy-transmission-fluid-change.106946/

I'm sure others will chime in on their preferences. And there are past threads here about this if you want to try a search

 

I've used Maxlife on all my toyotas.

never an issue.

 

Thanks, appreciate the info. I saw the formal process and it looked overwhelming.

 

The best thing to do is follow the service manual which I’m fairly certain does not call for ever draining or filling with anything. It’s lifetime fluid.

Partial change is a waste of time and money.

A full change is difficult to do at home, costs a lot at the dealer, and while better than a partial change, is also a waste of time and money.

 

Manual says to replace at 60k

 

...and drain & fill is as easy as changing your oil.

 

Ive used both. Can’t tell a difference

 

I thought it was 60k if towing, 90k if not.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/tundra-maintenance-guide.315/

But I just checked the link below for a 2018 tundra and for 60k it said replace if towing, 90k and 120k said inspect for leaks and replace if towing.

https://www.toyota.com/owners/parts-service/maintenance-schedule

I think they changed guidance throughout the 2/2.5 Gen timeframe.

 

I did not know if the transmission was ever serviced but when I did drain and refill, I used Maxlife. *knock on wood* has been trouble free so far, put about 30k miles on since then.

 

If WS fluid is better than maxlife…..fresh maxlife is better than 90k mile WS.

drain, measure, refill. Dont over think it

 

They say it’s a lifetime fluid, it is not. Under extreme conditions it should be changed, my driving habits aren’t extreme, but the climate im in is. I do full fluid swaps using the transmissions internal pump using amsoil fluid

 

My trans fluid exchanges were always at a dealership with Toyota fluid. I did about about 3 or maybe 4 in 110k and 13 years and it still shifted exactly like brand new with not a single stumble that I ever remembered when I traded it last week.

Firm when I needed it to be firm and smooth when conditions called for it to be smooth.

 

What did they charger each time?

 

maybe in the 160s. With anything other than oil the way new cars are so fluid type and procedure sensitive I was always paranoid independent shops would muck it up.

 

For $160 you weren't getting a full fluid change. But, imagine what you could have instead, with inflation, had you not wasted that money.

230k miles here, never drained or changed until 200k and the transmission has shifted like new the whole time.

Would I change it again at 200k? Sure. Every 30k? Complete f'n waste of time money and energy.

I'm starting to do motor oil every 10k instead of 5k. Comes out super clean there too.

 

It's a lifetime fluid.

Please, show us a case where it was proven the transmission failed due to not changing the fluid.

 

You guys are all free to waste your time and money on whatever you want, but please stop pretending it makes a difference.

 

If it’s a lifetime fluid, why did you change yours? Shits and giggles?
I’m not spending your money, I don’t see the big concern.

 

With a name like poop bubbles I'm not at all surprised when I read this guy's posts.

 

Literally for shits and giggles. Others can learn from my shits and my giggles too.

 

watch the care care nut channel. Dudes a toyota master tech, he tells you why the lifetime fluid is bullshit. Also why 10k mile oil changes are bullshit.

You should never beleive 1 word from anybody that has any ties to advertising or marketing. A toyota technician has 0 reason to lie to you. If anything, he has to do less work if you beleive the lifetime fluid BS, but alas, here he is telling you its BS for the good of the consumer.

 

Owners manual doesn’t say anything about lifetime fluid. I drain and fill mine about every 20 to 30k miles with WS. Holds about 4 quarts. Takes longer to remove the skid plates than it does to drain and fill.

 

My impression is the owner’s manual does not treat it like a lifetime fluid, only Toyota marketing does. They like to be able to advertise no maintenance items to their customers. The manual I think suggests an inspection at 100k under normal driving and a 60k full change under severe duty. You don’t recommend inspections of what you think you designed as a forever fluid.

My other theory is based off the fact that no dealership I ever talked to wanted to do a full flush before 100k. They would tell you all day the fluid was lifetime so it didn’t need it, then suddenly become agreeable when you asked for a drain and fill. The wishy washy language in the manual about trans service and the lifetime fluid marketing is about giving dealers an excuse not to have to do the big bad scary full flush until after the warranty period. The fear being, with trucks that tow and haul and have wear and tear on the drivetrain a full flush before 5/60 might upset something and cause a warranty issue.

 

Please stop, you made your point, time to move on sir.

 

this sorta relates to this thread...

last weekend my garage (detached) started to smell like a month old 5 gallon jug of hobo piss.

well...my Transmission pump jar refiller thing was in the attic & the weather heated up enough to squeeze out whatever leftover trans fluid was in the tube.

soaked the rafter & dripped.....juuuusst missing the wife's Telsa (yes, plaid). catastrophe averted. I must be livin' right.