How to Drain/Refill Automatic Transmission

Do you get alarms sounding when climbing hills or offroading. Mine occationally thinks I hit over 300* and starts blaring at me. I have installed a tranny cooler but still occasionally get the alarms. It seems that it reads the extreme temperature long enough to trigger the alarm but not show it on a readout.

 

Alright so I suspect my tranny is low. Correct me if I am wrong but...

Go out and short the wires
Go through steps to to get AT Temp Light on
Once on, remove overflow plug
If fluid comes out, I have enough fluid
If fluid doesn't come out, I need more fluid

Last, if fluid doesn't come out, how do I figure out how much to put in? Drain the tranny, measure how much came out and put that much back in?

 

Has never been that hot. I also tow a 16" trailer with a crawler on top of it

 

Ok, I've read over almost all of the posts and have just one question. I know the truck has to be level. If it is not level, should I jack it up and literally use a level to make sure it is level and not sloping? Am I being too particular or would this be best practice? I'm a little nervous about doing this, but just changed spark plugs, front brake pads, and changed the oil (without draining the transmission fluid, woo hoo!) all today so I'm sure I can handle this one if I can do the others. Thanks in advance!

 

If its on a significant incline, I'd level it or move to a better location.

Excellent post for answering the guy's question.

 

I would. With some of them coming for the facory low, I would want it level and know its right.

 

Okay, I've found the proper bolt torque value of 39in-lbs, but the remaining questions are still unanswered:

What's the proper torque pattern on the xmsn oil pan bolts?

Do I need a new pan gasket or can I reuse the old one?

Is the fluid "filter" a metal mesh-type strainer that I can clean and reuse, or is it paper and requires me to spend the $56 at the dealer to replace it?

Thanks!

 

Monkeyproof
What bluetooth adapter should I purchase?
I see 3 different brands on ebay
I also read the torque app wont work with my htc one because of no menu button. Something about not being able to toggle through parameters?

Thanks for any info

 

OP thanks

 

X2 on this. If nothing comes out or doesn't come out at the suggested rate, I assume just add it until it does. Correct? I would not think you'd have to go through this entire process just to bring it up to the correct level. Seems excessive.

 

I am no tranny expert or claim to be just going by what I have read online.

IMO, I believe it's got to do with the Temperature of the transmission because the fluid changes viscosity as temperature changes and you could have the wrong level reading, but in your case I believe you're already very close to the correct temperature not to make a difference when you turn the engine off, add a little more fluid and recheck level.

 

I wish I read this earlier . Stealership just charged me $184 for trans flush and fill and $230 to install my Hayden Hi -Per. trans cooler .

 

The only place I could find the trans pan is in the valve body replacement, doesn't show any pattern, in the Toyota repair manual.

This is the torque pattern for a 2001 4runners trans pan, I just did a few weeks ago. You can probably do something similar if you like.

Did half the torque on the first go around and then full torque on the second.

 

PS here is what I bought

$37 Beck/Arnley 044-0345 Auto Trans Filter Kit

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DUKIH6/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_RTP9tb18QMSC3

 

Yep, those are the exact diagrams I ended up using. Since our pan has one extra bolt than is depicted in that 4Runner pan diagram (20 instead of 19), I added it at the end of the torque sequence between #s 11 and 4. I also replaced the pan gasket and the o-ring on the fluid strainer. I didn't buy a new strainer; I simply used brake cleaner to flush mine out since it's a reusable steel mesh filter.

 

One of the best descriptions and pics I have seen. I did the shunt procedure and it worked! I also immediately checked the pan with a precise digital thermometer that registered 99.3F. Just be aware that after performing this, your tranny fluid will still be 75% "dirty". If you did this, drove around the block, again and again for five total times, your fluid will still be 23% dirty.... So, those 20 qts of WS would be pushing $200.00. I am a DIYer but my Chattanoga dealer does the entire flush and fill giving me close to 100% clean fluid for $189 plus tax. The dealer in Cleveland Tn wants $279 for the flush. We need to figure out how to flush the oil cooler and the torque converter at home.......

 

Do you mean the ATF cooler that's included with the towing package? If so, ask and you shall receive: DIY: Full Flush for Automatic Transmission

 

I just finished up with this DIY and everything went well. Its a little bit of a pain in the ass when compared to a dip stick but it works. I did have problems putting my truck in temp mode. I found out that I was pausing to long when shifting from nuetral to drive and back. For mine to go into temp mode I had to shift fast and not stop in either location until the AT Temp light flashed.

RJM

 

Thanks. Unlike you fancy 4x4's or 5spd autos, I'm pretty sure the base is more like the car trans. It uses the type-iv and doesn't have an overfill plug. It says on the dipstick that it doesn't need changing, but I can tell after the nearly 100k that I've put on it that its not as smooth as it could be. I understand the level check procedure and I did check it after 30 mi trip home from work at the gas station and saw that the level is spot on in the middle of the tick marks at operating temperature.

I just found that I'm going to be changing my water pump this weekend as many of the 2.7 have had failures by 60k and feel fortunate I've made it to 94 without even knowing the thing was weeping in silence....

I plan on doing a simple drain/refill moreso to clean the magnet and get some fresh atf in there and then do it again a week later. I'm going to be doing my plugs and rear shoes too since I've had the parts on the counter for six months lol. I'll probably wait a week and do another drain/fill but I'll be doing it while cool (or at least the same temp of the fluid that's going in as coming out) to not have to play games with guessing expansion rates of the fluid. I _believe_ what you're seeing is not only expansion but the introduction of gasses into the fluid because it operates under hydraulic pressure in the valve bodies to become as much of a static liquid as possible when operating mechanisms in the transmission. Unlike motor or gear oil (manual trans) which is only there for lubrication, a hydraulic fluid acts like a cable or rod and has to have a predictable compression rate to move things at the other end of a tube. I'm not a materials science expert, but I do often drive past a holiday inn express omw home from work. Its just was makes sense to me. Too much or little and the "cable" length is out of balance.
Putting a liquid under pressure will introduce gas, like the carbonation effect of bottle conditioning with life yeasts in a homebrew beer.....mmm....beer...

Will I need 4 or 5 qts? My concern is that if I put a room temperature fluid into a trans based on measurement of the drain having been run at temp, it will overfill it.

J