Nervous for trans fluid change...

I bought my '13 sr5 5.7L CM TRD Offroad 4x4 with 81.5k miles almost a year to the day. I currently have 91k on the ticker. I have no records of fluid changes.

I feel like the transmission is a little aggressive with the up shifts. Especially at a slow roll. (Light is red then green before complete stop.) It acts like it wants to force 1st gear and revs way up then a rapid shift to 2nd 3 seconds later. This is my first 4wd and rwd so I'm not sure what to expect as far as "slop" in the trans system.

It also is very slow to go from reverse to drive and has a small kick to it when engaging drive. 2-3 seconds at least. I can shift my manual trans car faster and smoother.

I'm considering a drain/fill but I've seen a lot of posts about negative impacts on transmission fluid changes. I've also seen a "fluid change" isn't really a fluid change until your 10th change. (Only 3.5q out of 14q drains???) I do NOT want a flush. Just drain and fill.

I'm mechanically capable of doing it myself. I just want to know if it's worth it to fix the lag or if it's just the nature of the beast?

 

Don't be nervous. Drain and fill. Plenty of easy step-by-step instructions on here.

 

A properly functioning transmission, regardless of 4x4, should not act as you describe. Seems you’re ready for some new fluid. Your miles aren’t high enough to worry about negative effects of a drain/fill, and you previously posted pictures showing some kind of fluid leak. I’d do a drain/fill with a level check.

 

https://youtu.be/fLVZSoKbyZ0

Easy money to swap all of it w/o “power flushing” it. 10 extra minutes over the 3-4 quart thing.

I did it at 75k and 150k. Still rollin’ like a hot dog at 7/11 at 185k

 

What do you mean?


I saw that video. That's a lot of work and a big risk to the trans if you don't pay attention to the fluid levels.

That "check level" is ridiculous! Jab paper clips into my obd2 and crazy shift just to get the fluid temp? What if it's not right? How do I get it to the correct temp? Over fill a bit and the drain accordingly?

 

It’s a couple extra steps over a 4 quart drain and fill.

I used copper speaker wire instead of “jabbing” a paper clip in the OBD. Run through the gears with the shifter as it warms up for a couple minutes, the gear indicator flashes, pop the drain plug and let fluid slow to a trickle. All she wrote.

If you over/under fill, you’d have to wait for the trans to get back in temp range and adjust. I haven’t needed a re-do.

But I guess if its panic inducing for ya...do the drain/refill thing a couple times and that’ll be close too.

 

Glad i found this thread, I need to replace my trans oil cooler after an accident this past weekend, the new cooler shows up next week so I will be swapping it out with the new unit, I'm assuming there will be fluid loss, (there already has been a slight leak form the cracked cooler) so I will need to drain/fill. rather then use the copper wire/paperclip in my OBD sensor, does anyone know if the FIXd OBD sensor has the feature to monitor the temp so I know when to crack the overflow? its an 08 2wd 5.7l with 132k miles, I've only had it a year so unknow service history on the fluid

 

So I dud hook up my Fixd sensor, and there is a lice data part of the app and it shows engine coolant temp, is this the same as the ATF pan temp? I monitored it this morning when I went to pick up my daughter, it was at 78 degrees when I got in and started my truck, then kicked up to 180-195 while on my way to the ex's to puck up my daughter, never really got above 198. It was around 20 miles across town and never go up to freeway speeds

 

It's those 'procedures' that cause nervousness. I got hives when I read about the 'factory' approach to forcing the vehicle to measure transmission temperature and make something blink. Neanderthal.

OP, just do what many people do here:
1) Park vehicle on a level surface
2) Open the drain bolt and catch old fluid in a container that allows measuring volume
3) Replace drain bolt
4) Open fill bolt and either pump in equivalent volume, or snake a hose from engine bay and fill from there

Done. Run through the gears and repeat several times if you want to flush out more fluid.

 

No, not the same. You need the OEM PIDs and this is the pan temp...



If that’s not available with your setup, check out this thread for info on manually programming it.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/obd-thread-pids-apps-dashboards.60459/

 

Here is an easier method. No messing with the ODB2

https://youtu.be/cutlJH5KR2Y

 

Thanks I was wondering how well a temp gun would work, the range is 95-115 right so as long as my gun is hitting 100 +- should be good?

 

Yup

 

I like this approach better. How much fluid do I need until it's mostly (enough to say it's) changed?