Trans flush - Too late?

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with my local Toyota dealers' service department and they said that they DO NOT drain and fill nor do they replace filters in the transmission... The service advisor recommended a full "pressurized flush" despite my mileage and not knowing the history of the truck... to the tune of $440... I don't think I'm going to go that route.

 

Change the engine oil at 5-6k and drain and fill the tranny every 3rd oil change. Engine and transmission will stay happy.

 

Just a heads up, pretty sure all the broken pan bolts that seem to happen on our trucks happen from dissimilar metal corrosion and not just common rust.

 

Drain and fill every 60,000. At 113,000 you are only one behind. Do a drain and fill now and another at 163,000 and consider yourself caught up. No need to replace the filter... it is only a screen anyway. And removing all the blots from the pan creates the risk of breaking off a bolt and having to do the whole drill and tap fandango. This should give you reliable service through 300,000. Nothing mechanical lasts forever.

 

It's just gets weirder. You'd think the dealers would all be on the same page with maintenance.

 

To my knowledge these trucks do not have a CVT or "Sealed" trans...

 

They don't call em stealerships for nothin....

 

Typical dealer. They just want into your back pocket. Service departments keep the lights on.

 

Sure they do drain and fill. It's your money. They would prefer you do a flush because it's more profitable for them. But any competent tech can do a drain and fill. If I was having this type of discussion with my Toyota dealer, they would soon be my ex-toyota dealer. Check to see the average tenure of their techs and how much turnover they have. Chances are that if they treat you like this, they also treat their employees the same. Hopefully you are geographically located where you can conveniently travel to a different Toyota shop. Food for thought.

 

I’ve posted this a couple of times.

Here is an anecdotal story about changing transmission fluid in a Toyota.

A guy I work with has a 2007 Sequoia that has 330,000 on it. They bought it new. He has done one drain and fill on the transmission at 150,000. I’ve driven it recently and it shifts fine. Always has.

 

I have an 05 Sequoia. It has been regularly flushed. 270k and about 7 flushes. Working fine. Never had a drain and fill. Am I just lucky? It sounds like I should have killed the tranny years ago.

 

FYI its not a screen, it is a filter. A filter that probably doesn't need to be replaced but a filter non the the less.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/my-transmission-pan-adventure.110777/

 

I did this (full flush using the trans’s own pump). Since this is how fluid is normally moved as the vehicle is driven, I can not see any downside or risk. The benefit is you can change all the fluid at one time. Those pressurized flushes that some shops offer are what I would stay away from.

 

Yeah I much prefer this method as well. I know it goes against the theory that you "need some of the old fluid to keep the trans happy", but so long as the fluid already isn't horrible, I think it's fine. Plus I love doing my own maintenance, so it's nice to be able to do a full flush in my driveway. I did my trans, diffs, and t-case all in one day. I have so many oil change stickers up in the left hand side of my windshield now

 

FWIW, I just swapped my trans fluid out for Amsoil signature series, and wow totally different truck! Shifts so much better!

 

Check out this video:

https://youtu.be/jJr30r6RRgw

 

Anyone actually know what a Toyota Dealer does when doing a transmission fluid service?

 

Dealers are all independently owned and may do something different. Toyota service manual only states to do a drain and fill of the pan as far a maintenance goes.

 

I find it hard to believe that TMC does not have an approved/recommended 'by the book' service procedure.

 

It has... And it is drain&fill (or drain and refill as they call it)

 

Its does, its what I said to answer your question and what the gentleman posted above. Just because Toyota says its the way to do it though, does not mean dealers follow it. People have posted on here that dealers will say they dont service transmissions be there its "sealed" or that they use a machine to pump the fluid in and out. Dealers are not uniform and many dont follow Toyota's service manual, perfect example is the transfer case fluid, there is only one Toyota approved fluid for 14-21 and I dont think anyone has found a single dealer that actually uses it unless you specifically ask for it, or else you'll end up with 75w90. Point is, the only way you know anything is done right is if you do it yourself.

 

Like many threads here, this has been discussed quite a bit elsewhere.

My understanding:

A "drain and fill" does something, for sure. And is the safest.

A "pressurized flush" with an external pump is dangerous. This is what knocks things loose you don't want knocked loose.

Using the truck's transmission pump to pump out the old fluid while new fluid is added until it's all replaced is perfectly acceptable, and IMHO, the preferred way to go.

I'd have a detailed discussion with your service guy and see exactly what they do, and what they don't do. I had one dealer who said they only drain and refill. Another did it the right way.

The fluid smells so bad I much prefer have someone else do it. My dealer charged me slightly more than the cost of the fluid, which I thought was quite fair. This is what I did when I bought my '15 at 98k miles.

And, of course, I didn't stand there and watch them do it. Who knows what they really did!

 

DIY FTW

 

Interesting. He doesn't address if Trucks that tow need more frequent change intervals. I did the complete flush on mine well before it had 60,000 miles after some extensive towing. Obviously the transmission works fine with 100% clean fluid when new. I wonder at how many miles the clutches are at the point they benefit from having a percentage of dirty fluid?

 

Does anyone actually know what pressure the “pressurized flush” is?

like are we talking 5psi or 100psi?

 

Cooler line is more like 3-5 psi. The return is usually goes into sump, so the pressure is not a problem. The problem is introducing a whole new fluid rapidly, with different properties, without resetting transmission adaptations. Valve body actuates solenoids as it used to do with an old worn fluid, but the pressure response is quite a bit more agile now, and that is what causes mechanical problems after flush. Even worse if a generic fits-all-transmissions fluid was used, which can be too thin for old transmission and lack slip additives.

It is safer to replace only a part of fluid, be it drain&fill or with flush machine, using OE-spec ATF.

 

Makes sense. I was thinking along the lines of the idea that things could get broken loose by doing a flush. In my small mind I’m thinking particles.
What makes a flush different than an oil change? An oil change nearly drains all of the fluid and you completely refill with fresh oil. Compared to say, 33% from a trans drain and fill.
Not arguing either way, just thinking open aka educating myself lol

 

Service intervals. If you flush transmission every 5-10k miles, like you do for engine, it will be a happy transmission living a very long life.

 

Total fluid swap? What process did you use to change all the fluid?