Messed up my transmission: A warning to everybody!

Here’s the direction of flow. Hot fluid exits the transmission and goes into the radiator. It then exits the radiator and goes to the cooler up front. Then goes from the cooler back to the transmission. I did exactly what you are talking about. I popped a line off coming from the cooler and put it into a gallon jug that I had marked for 2 quarts. I would have someone fire up the truck and fill the jug to 2 quarts. Then shut off the truck and add 2 quarts. Repeat until it looks clean. Then I added an extra half quart and did the full level check procedure. Drained out most of that extra half quart.

 

Thank you everyone. I know I was probably not as clear as I could have been. My goal is to do a complete atf replacement. I think this last post explains it. Thank you @Norcalyotaman

 

Good luck

 

@shifty` thats good to know I’ll be watching the fluid to make sure the fluids don’t mix

 

It's more a warning about the condition of the radiator. Those two "nipples" at the base of the radiator ... if the seal for those nipples goes bad you start to mix coolant with your transmission fluid.

For your sealed transmission, you'll want to use WS fluid. Don't grab your favorite ATF off the shelf.

 

This ^^^^
I hope you used Toyota WS fluid. If not, you've had great practice so you can do it again

 

Good to know. I will watch out for this.

I did go with the Toyota WS. This forum and a bunch of other sources have me convinced to go with OEM parts on my truck.

 

There are some OEM parts exceptions, so I don't want you to think we're, like, "ALL OEM ALWAYS!" because we're not all that hardcore. Hell, there's this thread that'll give you non-OEM parts options people had luck with.

Really, transmission is probably one of the only fluids where I'd tell you to go WS, with the sealed transmissions. I'm not sure on the earlier model (2000-2004) trucks that don't have a sealed trans.

 

Dex III for the 4 spd trucks.

 

2004 calls for T-IV

 

I think DexIV is backwards compatible (all Dex are supposed to be), or was there a thread to hash back through all that?

 

04s don't count. That's the weird year that nobody understands.

 

PHM and marbles argued back and forth a few years ago about it. I don't remember where it was though.

 

Thank you @Norcalyotaman. This info was spot on! Completed a total ATF fluid and and filter change last night. Old stuff seems to have been at least a half quart low and maybe as much as 3/4 quart and it was pretty dark. It did not stink much so I think it did not burn up completely.

One thing I found in this process is that the pan had no magnets. I think I saw them on the Toyota parts page. Is this essential that I have them? I have some neodymium magnets but I was hesitant to put something inside the transmission if it was not OEM.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the how essential these are?

 

Glad it worked out! I’m trying to remember but I think mine had magnets. But it was a while ago so I’m not totally sure.

 

Well shit. I'm at just about 170k and my trans started doing this. I was maybe just going to replace the valve body and flush everything with some OE fluid. Do you all think its worth pulling the whole thing apart and having someone look at it? I've never had any trans codes and up until this started it generally always behaved. I reset the adaptation and it has helped a lot but it still happens from time to time. Probably helps that I take the same amount of space to stop as a semi.

 

When I talked to a reputable local trans shop he basically said not worth tearing apart. Said that when you tear it apart you pretty much have to put all new stuff in. Can’t really “inspect it” and that would cost almost as much as a new unit. Plus he has seen mixed results with aftermarket parts. I was tempted to do something like the “zip kit” that replaces some worn parts on the valve body and is suppose to up the line pressure. Might be worth a try and isn’t that expensive. I ended up finding a low mileage one on Craigslist for a couple hundred and knock on wood it’s working perfectly.

 

Not sure if you did anything yet but mine is a month in a running great. You may want to top off the ATF just to see if it is low. If it runs ok, do a fluid swap asap.

 

Yeah, I'm also kinda thinking that a rebuild isn't the greatest of ideas, my (later model) Tundra is back at the shop for a third time now.
Diagnosis, worn valve body, just under 250k on the clock, hardly unreasonable mileage for it.
First time he drilled out the valve body and replaced valves as well as doing all the important bits in the guts of the transmission. Didn't run too good after a short while so went back and (despite a solenoid D code) was told it was low on fluid caused by a duff gasket causing a leak at the pan's mating surface. Got it back, ran reasonably well despite that permanent solenoid D code but then it started some rough shifting and chucked a solenoid C code as well.
Called the shop and he seems to think that the valve body is still losing pressure - thank the Lord for 12 month warranties! Original cost to me $3k, shop thinks he's got a valve body from a younger truck that he's going to put in there, I don't think he's going to make any money on this one!

More of a pain in the butt is having the truck out of commission for so long this year, the Frontier the shop sold me was cheap and cheerful but it's a bit small for me as a work truck.