Just bought my dream truck (in reality)...and need advice

Hello all,

I just bought my dream truck (well, my dream truck based in reality, because I don't have 90,000 dollars lying around): A 1st Gen Toyota Tundra Access Cab.

Fast foward to Wednesday, January 24, 2024: I bought a 2000 Tundra with One Hundred Forty-Eight ORIGINAL MILES on it with a practically SPOTLESS interior for only $7500 and of course I'm in love.

I know to start the clock on my own ownership of the truck as well as possible there's some basic upkeep I need to make sure I do/get started on: Oil/filter change (of course), transmission fluid change (more on that soon), and replacing the lower ball joints/seeing if I need to replace the radiator (which are common problem areas on early 1st gen Tundras)

I paid for the Carfax on it (from these guys who offer a legit Carfax for a fraction of the price; I highly recommend them) and saw that the vehicle spent its whole life in Mesa, Arizona until November of 2015 (which is great for the frame since it was in a dry climate and no rust) However: I saw that the only(!) recorded instance of there being any transmission fluid change occurred in 2003 when there was only 25,000 miles on it.

I know there's differing opinions on automatic transmission fluid and the degree to which it needs to be kept up on, but I just checked the dipstick and it is practically cherry pink. Is there a chance it's been changed SINCE the 25K mark, and it just wasn't put on the Carfax report? Because the owners since have kinda just seemed these suburban fancy pants dudes who've never touched a brake pad...or is it still really nice and reddish pink because Toyota transmissions are just THAT well made?

I'm so hung up on this because a number of people I know (not the least of all longtime & well-known YouTube mechanic gurus like Scotty Kilner in this video) go to great lengths to tell people the horror stories to be had down the line if you don't change the transmission fluid every 50 or 60 thousand miles...So my question: Since the fluid seems to be in such great condition and because it's a Toyota that seems to be pretty well maintained, would you guys recommend a transmission fluid change, and just starting the "every 50/60K miles" rule of changing it from where it is now, at 148 thousand miles? Or is there too much to be concerned about with their "you could end up damaging it" advice?

Thanks guys. And any other strongly recommended "just after buying" upkeep/advice would be SUPER welcome for my new baby. Cheers!

 

Also...my boy Scotty seems to really recommend

$14 Lucas Oil 10009 Transmission Fix - 24 Ounce, White

this Lucas Transmission slip stuff; would that be something I'd want to preemptively mix in there gradually to get ahead of any slipping that might occur from the transmission fluid not being changed for so long? Or would it possibly just create a problem where there wasn't one before

 

This doesn’t make any sense. Does it have
“OneHundred Forty-Eight ORIGINAL MILES on it” or does it have more than 25,000??

 

Whoops. I bought it with 148K miles on it...

But according to the Carfax the only time it had its transmission fluid replaces was when the car HAD 25K original miles on it. Past owner, back in 2003 or so

 

IMO, as long as it looks clean and is at the proper level, leave it alone.

 

But, there are people on this forum with years more experience with these trucks than I. I'm speaking from my own experience, with my truck. I was in a similar situation and I don't know when it was last changed. It's clean on the stick, smells and tastes like transmission fluid, is at the proper level, and the truck shifts fine. I'm going to leave it alone.

 

So you...have NEVER changed the transmission fluid on your truck?

 

Me personally, no. Not on this truck.

 

First off. Scotty is a hack, a shill. He’s full of shit and says anything he can to get views, going so far as to contradict himself from time to time if you pay attention. I’m probably guilty of that too, but I’m not doing it to get paid.

Second, ATF should be cherry red, not pink. Is that a typo? Pink is bad. Pink milkshake is what you get when your radiator fails and the transmission line that passes thru it leaks coolant into the transmission fluid.

Third, 148k even with unknown history, is not a bad idea to change transmission fluid as long as there are no visible signs of issues and the current fluid color isn’t burnt, doesn’t smell burnt. But be careful what fluid you put in it. It varies between years. @bfunke had a great matrix that showed which year/model got what.

4th, this isn’t a fucking GM, Ford, or Dodge. Like, if it was a GM with a 4l60e, I’d warn you not to touch the fluid. These Toyota transmissions are known to go half a million miles with limited service. 4l60e, you’re lucky to get 150k, if 100k.

Last thing I’d say is, if you really want to buy into the bullshit urban legends about “fluid changes on unknown service history transmissions”, then so what others on here do: drain and fill. Replace exactly what comes out, and consult the manual regarding how/when to check your fluid level properly.

If you haven’t consulted the sticky thread for new owners, you may want to do that sooner than later, just so you know what quirks, upgrades, TSBs and whatnot are out on your truck.

Also, go into your profile, and update your “Vehicle one line description” to include useful info on your truck. Specifically whether you have V6 or V8 and 2WD or 4WD, it’ll help us help you.

 

Change out the 4 quarts from the drain pan for piece of mind. Rule is every 60k for normal use and every 30k for regular towing according to the Toyota maintenance guide you get when you buy the truck (or at least ask for it).

The fluid staying in good condition is not unusual if you don't abuse the truck.

edit: It shouldn’t be pink, just red. If it’s pink, you’re hosed.

 

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

 

Yeah I meant "dark, red, cherry pink" as far as the color of the transmission. I'm not a huge differentiator when it comes to shades like that; I know what good transmission fluid looks like.

So I'm guessing the general consensus is if I want this thing's transmission to last as looooooong as possible (which I do, I'm anticipating this being my truck until the end of my natural born life) that I CAN change the transmission fluid, and get started on that as early as possible? I already know about draining/replacing the equivalent amounts & all that

Also, a little bummed to hear about Scotty...I knew there was going to be at the very least SOME people who'd raise their eyebrows at me invoking the name of a YouTube personality, but wow. But that's why I go to MULTIPLE sources for confirmation on what I hear; hopefully that redeems me a little bit

And I've definitely heard to only change any of the tranny fluid out with exactly what they put in at the factory...but I @shifty` I went to that guy's profile and couldn't find anything in the way of a matrix saying which specific fluid to use for my year...would it be somewhere else by chance?

 

Nah, there are a few dudes on here who dig on Scotty. I tend to be a little more jaded. I know a salesman when I see one. And when I saw how much he’s flip-flopped on lighting-related stuff alone, then listened to his whining and complaining about misc stuff, I just can’t take it. But I’m not knocking ya.

I’ve got beef with other content generators also. @bmf4069 would probably tell you about my love/hate relationship with ChrisFix too, but at least 90% of what comes out of his mouth is honest and true, and he gives solid educational advice. HEY GUYS CHRISFIX HERE!

At the end of the day the only bad time to do a drain and fill is when your transmission is already acting up, but you’re 100% positive the fluid level is correct, since under-filled will cause erratic shifting, and over-filling comes with its own array of problems. Just be grateful you have an earlier year, so it’s not a sealed trans. You only hafta worry about planetary gear grenading.

I’m on mobile but lemme see if I can find Brad’s matrix of fluids.

 

Here you go, see these two replies: https://www.tundras.com/threads/p0770-solenoid-e-code.132335/#post-3364147

my screen is too small to make sense of it. Hopefully the chart makes sense.

 

Scotty doesnt know.

 

Damn. Yeah to me Scotty always seemed "too old & probably financially comfortable enough" to not be just the stereotypical grifter, for sure

 

Oh awesome; yeah that'll definitely give me a good direction to head as far as the fluid goes...thanks!

 

Any record of the timing belt being changed? Lower ball joints? I’d be more concerned about those than the transmission fluid.

 

For your year you're gonna want dex III. I wouldn't touch it if it looks good though.

 

Guy I bought it from says the timing chain was changed at 110K; there's a metal plate on the engine confirming this so I think I'm good there. He says that the rear differential fluid was changed about 3 weeks before I bought it too, but I don't know...I think I'll maybe change it out with the engine oil/filter just to be on the safe side & start from zero for my own peace of mind

 

It's a TINY bit on the dark red side, more than I'd like, and I'd like to start a log of keeping up on it and changing it every 50-60K miles since I plan on having this for pretty much the rest of my life

I've been looking around and have found that for my A340E/A350F engine I need the Dexron III like you said, and everyone seems to recommend Valvoline's Dex/Merc; I'm going to go with that I think

 

Long story short, i swapped in a 2000 transmission into my 2004 truck. When i had the transmission out i drained the torque converter, pulled the pan, removed the cooler and cooler lines, replaced the filter, and propped up the tranny in all sorts of angles to drain as much fluid out of it as possible. I then refilled it with Valvoline. All that would be a bit overkill for a standard tranny oil drain though. And since a standard tranny drain leaves lots of old fluid still inside the tranny, you can perform a 3x flush/fill procedure (dillution swap). Then change the filter after the 3rd and final draining. I'm not really a fan of pouring in additives into anything that already works correctly.

 

I mean I was planning on just doing a standard "replacement" kinda deal, where I drain as much as will come out (I'm guessing it'd be about 4, 4 1/2 quarts, refilling that amount, driving around on it for a bit (don't know what kind of mileage I should figure in for this though) and just...repeating the process two more times. That way I'll eventually replace all the fluid, or so I'm told.

But as always, I'm open to more advice/correction on bad advice

 

Drain, measure what came out, replace. Start it up, then with your foot on the brake shift through the gears a couple of times. Bring it up to temperature and check the fluid level. The check it again. When you're done, check the fluid level, then go for a test ride (easy does it). When you get back...check the fluid level. You'll be fine

 

If you're going to do multiple drain and fills there's a better way to do it to have less mixing between old fluid and new.

1) Do a drain and fill. Measure what you take out, and put that amount of fresh fluid back in. Don't run the engine.
2) The following is the rest of the process from a post I made in a this thread.

It's best to do it along with a drain and fill, then you're starting with a pan full of fresh fluid.

You'll need a couple feet of 5/16" ID vinyl tubing from any hardware store. Get a gallon milk jug and add one quart of water to it, then mark the level. Add a second quart of water and mark that level. Do the same for a 3rd and 4th quart. Dump the water out. That's your waste oil container.


Disconnect the input line of the transmission cooler. Several ounces of fluid will come out, so be prepared with a catch pan. Dump the contents of the pan in the milk jug you marked earlier. Connect the vinyl tubing to the transmission cooler line as shown in the pics. You might need to expand the end of the tubing with a pair of needle nose pliers so it will fit over the transmission line. The fluid won't be under any significant pressure, so a hose clamp isn't necessary. Put the other end of the tubing in the milk jug. Start the engine and let it run to pump the fluid out. When the level gets to about one quart (should take about 10 seconds), kill the engine. Add a quart of ATF to the transmission. Repeat this "one quart out, one quart in" procedure until the fluid coming out looks like the fluid going in. It should take about 3 gallons.

I'd recommend getting a funnel to assist in filling the fluid. You'll be pumping all day with the pump you have.
I've had one of these from Advance Auto and it works really well.

 

+1

Scotty is like your buddy's dad who has no experience as a tech, but has very strong (and frequently unfounded) opinions about vehicle repair/maintenance and is all too willing to run his mouth about it. The more he says, the more you realize how shallow his depth of knowledge is.

@intellexualist

If you want solid knowledge about Toyota-specific repair and maintenance here are a few excellent resources:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheCarCareNut
https://www.youtube.com/@ToyotaMaintenance
https://www.youtube.com/@FayeHadley

For general automotive repair and maintenance (including, but not exclusively Toyota) you won't find anyone better than Steve O. at https://www.youtube.com/@SouthMainAuto

IMO his diagnostic skills, thoroughness, and resourcefulness are off the charts. He's a fantastic communicator/teacher and a great videographer. I can't think of a better tech anywhere, period! BTW, his personal vehicle is a Gen-2 Tundra -- which he's had in his shop/on his channel.

 

This is "drain & fill" method mentioned in reply #9 and is what a lot of guys do. The importance of this method and benefit is, you're slowly placing fresh fluid (thus refreshed detergents and additives) in a measured way, basically "refreshing" the fluid, rather than just shoving all-new high-detergent fluid where there was low/no detergent fluid before (if that's a genuine concern).

The main concern I've heard parroted over the years by the "never change fluid past XX miles / if unknown service history" is, "adding all-new fluid, with harsh new detergents, will knock something loose that'll clog a passage / unlodge some buildup that was preventing a leak / <insert other wild claim here>". This is because "JimBob's uncle's sister's boyfriend had it happen", but they convenient fail to mention the whole reason JimBob's uncle's sister's boyfriend took it in to have the fluid changed is because the transmission was shifting funny, primarily because it was already dying because the guy ran it low on fluid and towed over capacity every weekend hauling his monster truck to the track.

Like everything in life, there's probably some truth in urban legend, because it legitimately happened: Someone had their trans fluid changed, and the trans died after. What is typically missing is the context, i.e. the transmission was already failing or had been heavily abused, which had someone checked, they would've known. I haven't definitively seen it happen on this forum, so I'm going to remain 100% skeptical, as I have been in the 20+ years of my internet forum'ing, on multiple car forums, where I have yet to see irrefutable proof the warnings about transmission fluid drain/fill or complete change are anything more than urban legend. The only time I've ever seen a full fluid change 100% causing failure is when pressure was used to push fluid through a newer electronic transmission.

Sorry: I'm a skeptic sometimes, I would expect in 30-40 years of talking to wrenches and hanging out on automotive forums, I'd have seen definitive proof. I'm here to tell you ... I haven't. Doesn't that seem weird?

Timing chain or belt? You much rarely need to change timing chains.

I'll ask again: Which engine and drivetrain do you have? V8 or V6? 2WD or 4WD?

The timing belt change stickers cost $2 on scAmazon. Timing belt change costs $1,400 on average. Do you know the seller well enough to be 110% positive they take the cheap way out? Never trust a seller. If you have a V8 for example, grab a 10mm, loosen the bolts on one of the timing covers enough to pull back and inspect the belt. Post pics here if you don't know what to look for. Better yet ...

Read this thread for what you need to know: https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

Dark red is perfectly fine on a truck this old. When things turn start browning and smell or taste burnt, that's when you need to get worried. And don't trust fluid in a cup. Throw a few drops on a fresh paper towel, you'll get a better view of the fluid color than any other method.

 

That’s exactly how i would do it. It’s also the procedure that specified by Honda for some of their vehicles. Driving around for about 5 minutes between each drain should be plenty of time/mileage to cycle the fluid through torque converter and all the other little orifices.

 

The white paper towel method is what I used.

And it's a 4.7 V8...I THOUGHT it was 4WD, but when I run the VIN it says its 2WD which is strange. Maybe it has the option to go into 4WD when I need it? Hmm, wasn't even thinking about that when I bought it because I'll mostly be using it for hauling trailers full of stuff and whatnot

 

When I was looking for my truck, there were SEVERAL occasions when I'd turn up to check out a truck, often after driving ~ 1 hour or so to get there, only to discover that it was 2WD (having been advertised as 4WD). "Oh, sorry man, I didn't know" the seller would say. At least I was spared the hassle and potential problems of buying a truck from someone who had not a clue. If that happened to you, I'm sorry.