Transmission noise, post fluid change

2003 4.7L TRD Pro AC

So the other day I pulled the drain plug on my transmission, not my proudest moment. I refilled it with 4 Qts of fluid. Since changing the fluid there's been a flapping or clicking type noise, especially when I'm first taking off from a stop, it speeds up as I accelerate, I don't notice it in reverse, neutral, or park even if I rev the engine. I'm kinda scared out of my mind that I might have just ruined my transmission, definitely can't afford to replace it right now, I'm hoping you guys can save me. Thanks in advance

 

Well, I have a 2000....but I got just over 5 quarts out of mine when I did a drain and fill. Is it not possible to check your fluid level on your truck? That is the first thing I would do.

 

How did you fill the transmission back up?

 

Just went through the dip stick tube, fluid level looks good when the trucks in neutral.

 

You cycled back and forth thru all the gears a few times after re-adding fluid?

You verified the transmission was up to operating temp before checking?

You are certain you used the correct fluid, since the fluid requirements varied across years/transmissions?

 

@bfunke is who I always tag because I can never seem to find the damn chart that shows which years/trans get which fluid.

 

Barely 2qt on a drain and refil?

 

I did cycle through, I've checked multiple times at temp. I am not certain used the correct fluid, I used what the guys at auto zone said was right, I guess they could be wrong though. Is there an easy way to identify which transmission model I have?

 

2 QTS is where I started, but it didn't reach past cold on the dipstick. I found online lots of people saying 4 QTS that got me into the right range on the dipstick, maybe a tad on the high side.

 

My transmission has a decal on it that says, like, A750 or something on it. It's also on the door jamb sticker, in the bottom left corner.

 

Your 2003 should be the A340 trans. They use DexIII fluid, a drain and fill is roughly 3.5-4 qts.

 

Was I dreaming about a thread where some trucks had the wrong length dipstick?

 

Can confirm it's the A340F trans. This is the fluid I used, I had been told I needed Dexron VII don't know much about the difference. https://www.autozone.com/motor-oil-...uart/318569_0_0?searchText=transmission fluid.

Any ideas what is actually causing the noise? Is it the gears slipping?

 

Unless something changed, all Dex fluids are reverse-compatible. No clue what's making the noise. Transmissions aren't my forte.

 

Never trust vatozone employees. You need dex III. I had to put about 5 1/2 quarts back in mine to get it correct.

 

I've heard they are too, but I'd still stick with dex III.

 

Should I be buying fluid directly from Toyota? Do they even sell that there? Would there be a difference?

 

Realistically, probably not.

I think the big thing I'd be doing right now is triple-confirming you don't have too much or too little fluid. Both are problematic.

 

So I picked up some fresh fluid today and did another fluid change today. Still having the same issue, think it might be time for the shop to take a look, thanks guys.

 

the only thing I noticed is you never mentioned "I measured how much fluid came out and refilled the same amount"

That's probably where things went wrong.

 

Valid point, It was a little over 3 Qts roughly, I filled about that much, but still wasn't even close to the range on the dipstick. I was advised by a mechanic friend to "always trust the dipstick" not sure if thats sound advice but it made sense to me.

 

Unfortunately your mechanic is right, but only half way. The system itself still holds fluid. Most of it being in the converter.

this is possibly the reason Toyota sealed the transmissions off. And force you to go through an annoying process to get the temp/levels just right. But if it yields a transmission that can last 200k on the original fluid. I have no complaints.

 

Did you drive the vehicle before you noticed the drain plug mixup?

 

Was your truck running in Neutral while you were refilling and checking dipstick level? You might have underfilled, the trabsmission needs to "suck in" fluid while you're refilling, I found that to work better for me when checking trans fluid levels. Don't do another drain for now. Cycle through all the gears (holding brakes, obv) then keep the truck idling in Neutral, then check fluid on dipstick.

 

Yeah you wouldn't need to rely on the dipstick if you just measured what came out and put that amount back in. Hopefully the shop doesn't have any bad news.

 

What if the fluid was low to start with. The dipstick don't lie.

 

That's what I was thinking. Like I said, I had to put in 5.5 qts so I was probably low when I did a spill and fill.