Ask the Toyota mechanic!

2014 4.0 V6 112k miles

I think I need to replace transmission fluid according to recommended maintenance schedule on this forum. To my knowledge the transmission fluid has never been touched. Light service duty, no towing or hauling. I requested Toyota dealer drain and refill. They pushed back saying it has lifetime fluid and not to touch it if it drives fine. Truck drives fine and shifts feel normal. Who do I trust? Never had a dealer push back on preventative maintenance. Like, don't you want my money?

 

They are telling you not to change it because Toyota Corp is pushing that the transmission fluid is a lifetime fluid. They do this for environmental reasons. Because your vehicle only has 112k miles after 8 years I'm assuming that there are quite a few short trips. This is considered sever service use. In the owner's manual the "lifetime" fluid on applies to normal driving and not sever.

Here is a good video from a Toyota Master Technician that explains it well.
He talks about replacement at 2.15 if you want to skip ahead.

https://youtu.be/ULcSauSJrsY


When you go in and have the transmission fluid replaced tell them you are under the sever service schedule and it needs replacing.

 

Yes, only a drain and fill and no flushing machine. This is only going to change out about 4 litres of fluid so based on the condition of the old fluid you may want to repeat the process a few times. The transmission pan does not have to be taken down to change the filter. The filter is just a mesh screen and does not have to be replaced.

The problem with a flush machine is that they can dislodge material inside the transmission and that can cause problems.

 

Thanks! Does the transmission have a dipstick or sample point? I asked the service advisor if the technician could pull a sample to perform a visual inspection of the fluid and she said they are sealed transmissions with no where to sample from (unless you crack it open I suppose).

 

You only have to warm up the trans to a specific temp, then open the drain/check plug. Fluid will start to trickle out from there. It's similar to the procedure of checking fluid level.

The Car Care Nut channel linked above has a video about that.

 

That may work but if the fluid is a touch low you may not get anything.

 

At your mileage just go ahead and get the fluid changed. Paying someone to check the quality of fluid when it's due is just wasting money.

 

@Ruggybuggy, can you please give me your advice.

I bought oil and filters to change the oil in my son's 2000 Tacoma (2.4L) and my daughter's 2007 Camry (2.4L). My son wanted to do his so I left him to it. He has changed it before so I knew he knew what to do.

However, he grabbed the 5W-20 oil and the filter I had bought for my daughter's Camry and used those. The filters are slightly different sizes but the screws are apparently identical because he said it went on just fine.

Will his Tacoma be OK with the 5W-20 oil rather than the 5W-30 oil it calls for? Will the filter be sufficient? Do I need to change them now or can I just wait until the next oil change?

Either way, I will be buying new oil and a filter for my daughter's Camry so the correct stuff will be used for hers.

TIA for your help!

We live down south so the absolute coldest it will likely see is in the single digits F, and that will be when it is parked overnight.

 

The Tacoma will be just fine with the 5w20 oil but I would remove the filter and install the proper one. Just unscrew the wrong one, install the proper new one and top up the oil after you have run the truck. It “may”be just fine with the Camry filter but there is a reason the filter is different and I wouldn’t chance it and discover why.

 

Thanks! That's kind of what I was thinking but it's nice to have a professional perspective!

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas to you as well.

 

Having trouble with my 2011 Tacoma, P0158
Have replaced sensor
Checked wiring for shorts
Code keeps coming back
What to try?
Replace upstream a/f sensor?
Clean MAF?
Ensure clean air filter?
Thanks so much for the help!

 

2016 4.6 tundra issues

Replaced fuel pump and fuel module this summer. Now getting codes.

P0441 and p0455 was predominant so evap pump was replaced.

Now p0456 has shown up.

Any thoughts?

 

@OilPumper1963 - check the purge valve and attached hoses. Code corresponds to small evap leak

 

B1650 - Occupant classification System malfunction

Check the wires under the passenger seat for damage or if anything is disconnected. If nothing was found the passenger seat will likely have to be recalibrated. This isn't something you can do yourself. Basically there is a utility in Techstream that recalibrates the seat based on a weight amount that is placed on the seat. The Master Tech at our dealership did these. I was a Pro Tech and it wasn't the work I performed but I saw him do it quite often.

 

Quick question. I'm having a pretty common issue with my alarm going off randomly for no reason. My dome light is off so I'm guessing it's one of the other alarm sensors. My question is Will the computer register which sensor is causing the alarm to go off so I don't have to replace one at a time until it's fixed?

 

I have two questions, which are probably pretty easily answered. First, I have a 2012 Tundra Platinum with 97,000 miles. What are the service intervals for this truck? Second, my brake light in instument cluster, left side always stays on. Why? I have googled it and done the few things it says, but still stays on. Thanks.

Matt

 

I've never had anyone complain of this issue. The doom light isn't a sensor so it wouldn't matter if you turned it off. Use Techstream to scan for codes in the alarm module. Does it go off randomly or at a common time?

 

Just randomly in the evening and night but only in the last couple days. There is a few things on this forum talking about the hood sensor being the issue . I live in an apartment so I'm sure all my neighbors are pissed lol

 

Your service schedule is in the service manual. Follow that and you can't go wrong. If you don't have the manual you can download a copy from the Toyota website. As for the brake light on make sure the fluid level is up to the MAX mark. Check that the sensor float isn't sticking in the reservoir. You can use a clean small screwdriver and push on the float to see it it's sticking.

 

It's possible the hood switch can be the problem. Unplug it and see it it goes off during the night. Techstream should be able to see what sensor was triggered.

 

It just went off about 20 min ago so I opened and shut all the doors and same with hood. If it happens again I'll go unplug that sensor.

 

Yeh that would start to get old.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/tundra-maintenance-guide.315/#post-4466

 

Driving me nuts lol. Thanks for your help.

 

I have a 2013 that just rolled 15k. I’ve changed the oil twice since I bought it last year with 5k, but don’t believe any other fluids have been changed. Is there anything you’d recommend be changed as most Toyota intervals are based on mileage?

Thanks for your help and expertise. I’ve been following the thread and am amazed at how you can nail issues without seeing a vehicle in person.

 

Just went off again!! Unplugged that sensor. I'm surprised I got my fat hand in there lol

 

You have a 2013 with only 15,000miles and bought it with 5,000 miles on it a years ago! Wow!

I would change the coolant just because of the age of the truck. Just open the drain on the rad and drain then refill. It will mix with the rest of the coolant. The front and rear diffs and transfer case I would just inspect. Take the vehicle for a drive then open the plugs and see how the fluid looks. The reason for the drive is to make sure any water that's in the oil will be mixed in and you will see it when inspecting. Your looking for a nice golden color. A cream color indicates water in the oil. Make sure the brake fluid is light yellow in color and get some testing strips to measure if any water is present.

Thanks for the compliment. I've been a licenced tech for over 35 years (just retired) so you see alot of different issues and solutions.

 

Thanks for the quick reply! Enjoy that retirement!