How to Drain/Refill Automatic Transmission

Dont do a stupid check mode, just get scnaguage II and read temps that way, it will save you time and aggravation.

 

Did you at least get the OBD jumper set correctly and saw the various gauge lights flashing?

A few tips to get it into check mode:

1. Make sure the engine is running. I saw a video posted a few pages back where a guy couldn't get it to activate, and he didn't have the engine running.
2. Once the engine is running, all the lights are flashing, and you're in PARK, put your foot on the brake and shift into Neutral. Keep your foot on the brake, and then move the shifter from N to D, D to N, N to D as quickly as you can count out loud: "one, two, three, four, five, six". Around the "six" you should see AT TEMP light up on the cluster. Then just shift into Park and let the truck idle until it warms up.
3. Just as a reminder, do this procedure on a completely cold truck.

I think most who can't get into AT TEMP mode are doing it too slow.

 

Yep, did all that 3 different times.

 

Ok, so I guess you check it like a diff.....

But I don't know anyone that would go thru all that shit, I wouldn't & not because I lack the skills, I lack the interest really & was under the belief that it was a "flush" & fill, not drain & fill like my A340F

 

It's really no different. The only thing is they got rid of the dip stick and put a procedure in the ECM so you can get the correct level.

The FJ guys with the same transmissions seem to prefer doing cooler line flush and then using the OBD jumper method to check the level. I'm in the school of thought that draining and filling 30% of the fluid each year will keep the additives strong.

 

Probably so....

 

i have no problem with Toyotas procedure to ensure a correct fill. I do have a problem as someone who takes great care of their equipment and cant check fluid level easily, say once a week. I dont see why they cant add a cheap dipstick on a $30k+ vehicle as peace of mind for people who care. If not that, even cheap generators have a low oil warning light.

 

I wish there were options. Substitute one feature for another. Get rid of the problem-plagued Entunes and give me a warning light for low transmission fluid level/temp. The stick would be nice, but I doubt they're going to resurrect it.

 

It's not done for the people that do care, its done for the people that don't care or shouldn't be messing with it . Which are in far greater numbers

 

Sub'd

 

Sub'd

 

I did it pretty slow and it worked. Went into AT TEMP on the 3rd shift. Took about half an hour to get to temp.

 

Just wanted to say THANKS to Fortech for his great instructions. I followed them exactly and had no problem.

 

Went to check atf fluid using these procedure; after 3-4 shifts from N to D, the ATF light came on for 2 seconds went off, then i shifted to park per instructions but ATF light did not come on again for the 2 seconds; then waited 15 minutes idling and no light ever came on. Once the ATF light came on during the shifts from N to P, but not when put back in P, am I in the ATF check procedure or not? Or should I have kept it idling longer than 15 minutes?

 

Some of the notes I took when putting 2015 Tacoma PreRunner V6 into temp check mode:

- Jumper OBD-II ports 4 & 13 with a small paper clip

- Turn ignition switch to first position. You should see many cluster lights blinking. If not, you did not properly jumper 4 & 13

- Start vehicle - move thru all of the gears a few times. Move to D; then back and forth between N & D for 6 secs. For the Tacoma, you should see the "A/T Temp Oil" light illuminate for 2 secs. If this occurs, shift truck into P and remove the jumper wire. Vehicle entered Temp Check Mode at 1:33pm

- 1:46pm - "A/T Oil Temp" light on solid. Truck is now at the lower part of the acceptable temp. range. IR thermometer now reads 95 degrees F at front of transmission pan and 93 degrees F at the back of the transmission pan. I took IR reading for curiosity sake. Did NOT use it to determine when the fluid temp was at desired temp.

- 2:00pm - "A/T Temp Oil" light flashing. This indicates the transmission fluid temp. is excessive. IR thermometer now reads 110 degrees F at the front of the transmission pan and 107 degrees F at the rear of the transmission pan.

 

I think I idled about 19 or 20 minutes.....

 

As a follow up: even though the ATF light did not come on when putting back in park, after another 5 minutes (the truck was already warm), the ATF light came on steady; I checked the fluid; one single drop on the overflow plug came out and that was it; turned truck off, added 16 ounces of Toyota ATF WS; went through procedure again, took only a few minutes for ATF light to again come on solid, immediately checked overflow (with engine running of course) and this time a slow but steady dripping occurred. This is a 2015 with only 1,800 miles and IT WAS LOW BY 16 OUNCES. FUCK Toyota for this "sealed" transmission making checking it cumbersome and FUCK Toyota for delivering this LOW on ATF fluid.

 

The fluid adjustment is correct EXCEPT for 1 step, & the probably the most important. After correctly entering fluid temp detection mode, you need to remove the jumper wire from DLC3. If you don't the ECU will stay in base timing & not maintain the correct idle speed & ATF cooler flow to adjust the ATF level properly. The idle will fluctuate & cause the fluid level in the pan to go up & down incorrectly while you have the check plug out, you'll let out of much. You also must have all accessories off to reduce alternator load & to maintain exactly 800 rpm.

 

What about the tranny cooler thermal valve on the model with factory tow package? Do we have to manually open it? We have to do that step on Tundra.

 

That might be done during a FLUSH. This thread covers a drain and fill. In my opinion, the most important part of this thread is understanding how to set the correct fluid level once fluid has been changed, regardless of whether you did a complete flush or just a pan drain.