Heyyyyy..and help.

Hi! New to this forum thing, but I am willing to give it a try. Im in Northern KY. The Car Gods have declared all out War in my life the past few months. We have a 2015 Buick Verano that just kept pouring oil from any strange spot it chose until I had to give it back because I couldn't afford anymore. 2005 Honda Civic I paid someone to come work on and he gave me a good 2 days.. Never to answer another call again. It's still not running. And I'm still waiting on the part he left to get. NOW..my A-1 Day One..always dependable 05 Tundra is sounding like the transmission is going out. It did it every once in a while but now I'm worried about driving it. When it should be shifting into about 3rd to 4th it whines loudly and takes a few to find the correct gear. This has progressed into every time I drive it. It is not overheating or throwing any codes. I tried checking fluid, but am not able to. It's encased? There no dipstick. I started looking up how to check it and the millions of reasons it sounds like the transmission could just fall out any moment.. And that brought me to this forum. I work hard everyday.. And many nights.. And am failing fantastically at getting ahead. This is why I can't take it to a mechanic unless absolutely nessesary. Please could anyone give me their experience or anything I could check myself? Thanks for all your help!!

 

So, couple things.

First, the transmission fluid lines run thru the bottom of the radiator. One of the things that happens in these trucks, if you don't proactively replace the radiator every 150k-+ miles or so, the fittings rot out, and you start mixing transmission fluid with coolant. Nickname is "pink milkshake" because that's what it'll look like when you get fluid out of the transmission. I can't tell you if you have pink milkshake or not, but you may notice weirdness under the radiator cap.

Second, if you've replaced the radiator recently, you need to check the lines running in/out of the bottom of the radiator to make sure they're not leaking. If they are, you need to top off the trasmission properly.

Third, you need to check (or have someone check) the trans fluid level correctly. It's not as easy on sealed transmission, but I can link you a video from Faye below.

You MUST use WS-compatible fluid if you need to add fluid.

Just like "universal coolant" is complete and utter bullshit you should never use, there is no "universal transmission fluid" for the transmissions in these trucks.

Chances are the transmission isn't dying. You're just low on fluid or are in the works of killing the transmission by way of not maintaining the cooling system properly. It will die if you don't address the situation ASAP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_6BZpK3gg​

 

Hey Shifty, you never cease to amaze me with your knowledge on these trucks and your passion with sharing it. You go man!!!!!!!

 

Welcome from NY.

 

this.

Transmissions use a kind hydraulic fluid to change gears and lube itself.

If you don't have enough fluid, shit gets wonky.

If you have hella dirty fluid, Shit gets wonky.

Constant use in "less than ideal" conditions will wear out your clutch plates faster and that's what causes transmission failure.

 

I know it isn't the answer you want to hear, but for someone who probably doesn't have a torque wrench, a 5mm hex bit, or a 24mm socket I wouldn't recommend trying this yourself (no offense intended!)

Take her in to a reputable mechanic, and not the dealer who will always try to upsell you with all sorts of unnecessary work. A good, reputable, shop that specializes in Japanese vehicles will tell you what you need to have done, what you should have done, and what you could have done if you have extra money to burn - which for many of us driving these first gen tundras around is rarely the case. If all they do is add a quart or two of trans fluid it shouldn't be more than $125 with labor included.

Good luck and all the best!