Trans flush: DIY or Dealer

Ok yall, I've read up on doing the self flush for autos and I think I'd be fine tackling it. I'm just getting lazy and considering taking to stealership along with my own Amsoil or Redline ATF. I just worry that I'll get some dooshbag tech who won't do it right. I did this on my old T100 that was both slipping and getting hot and the syth juice was a miracle cure (260k now and no issues 6 yrs. later). Having to check the fluid at a certain temp without the proper computer gizmo, yada yada is a bit intimidating. But 112$ to have it done sounds pretty reasonable. Please weigh in with pros and cons and any personal experiences. 104,000 miles now.
Anybody know techs at FT.Scott KS or Joplin MO dealerships?

 

i say do it yourself.

 

I let the dealership do it. Is that $112 just labor or fluid included? Mine was a little over $200 with fluid/labor. Fluid is expensive and it takes a lot of it.

 

That price was with me supplying fluid. 220 was quote with Toyota supplying ATF.

 

If you have all the tools to flush the torque convertor, I say do it yourself. Otherwise, dealership or trusted mechanic.

 

I'm not sure if you already know this but these trans. take World Standard fluid and each quart runs about $8 at the dealership. I've seen too many do-it-yourselfers bring me there tacomas when it doesn't shift right or bangs into gear after they do their trans fluid services. For the money I'd say leave it up to the dealer just in case something goes wrong

 

I don't trust any of the flush machines out there.

Given that, unless you are having problems, I would just drain the pan and refill it according to the temp process, then do it again in 10, 15, 20K miles. The tranny is a closed system, so the fluid doesn't get exposed to all those nasty by-products of combustion. Replenishing 30-40% of the fluid periodically should work out just fine.

 

Curious, how come you don't trust the flush machines out there?

 

Heard of enough problems (various other boards over the years) that I am leary of them. Although, to be fair, most of those cases were for back-flushing the tranny, and I don't think many of the current flush devices back flush any longer.

Also, don't see enough need given what I said above about just draining the pan and replenishing with that amount. Only flush that I would consider is the self-flush by removing one of the tranny cooler lines and pumping the old out while refilling with new.

Just my opinion though, it should be worth twice what you paid for it!

 

I have seen people doing a self-flush where they disconnect the fluid line from the tranny cooler and pipe it to a drain pan, then idle the engine and let it run out replacing it as it goes until it runs bright fresh red. Actually I did the same on my Maxima and it worked out great.

Anyone heard of doing anything similar with the Tacoma?

A couple questions I'd like to know before attempting it: how heavy is the flow in the cooler line and would it work to connect the return line to funnel to pour the fresh stuff in there since there's no fill port on this tranny?

Alternatively, if there is good enough suction on the return line I could see dipping it in a gallon jug of the new stuff and letting it suck it up at the same rate it's running it out. The big pluses of this is it's really a lot easier than it sounds so long as you set up right and it gets ALL the old fluid.

You'd still have to to the temp-check thing to set level right after, I guess, if it's that critical.

One thing though is I would only use Toyota fluid. It works great, lasts a really long time. No reason to go experimenting.

 

Do a search and mountain lion has a great technique write up and claims amsoil and redline d6 are compatible. DIY: Full Flush for Automatic Transmission

 

Here you go


http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/68462-diy-full-flush-automatic-transmission.html

 

why you want a trans flush now? Been reading a lot of window ads or are they recommending these things now a days. Never heard a legitimate mechanic recommending it without extreme cause.

Nm.. just went back and read the original post again. I can't argue with acts of God.

 

I wouldn't do an entire flush if you have 104,000 miles and it's never been done. I would just drain the 3 quarts from the pan and put 3 quarts of new WS fluid back in.

I drain my trans pan into a clear bucket that has measured quart marks on the side of it

Then I just put the same exact amount of WS fluid back in using a hand pump that screws onto the WS bottles

Pretty Simple I do it once a year

 

Drain 3 put 3 back in waste of money, flush it and do it right, had mine flushed at the dealer 16qts, labor and parts $149.00 out the door, no leaks no problems!

 

I don't trust cutting the cooling lines and forcing new fluid into the transmission. When I worked on automatics we always dropped the pan and actually changed the filter. There was always bits of stuff in the filter and pan botton. I have not looked at the Toyota Tacoma yet to see if it has a filter, but to me changing that out if there would be preferrable to just forcing the old fluid out with now.

 

For me I did it myself using the how to on here and it worked great. And I would not trust the dealerships, wherever you guys go you must have some awesome dealerships everytime the dealership did sometime to my truck and something went wrong it was never fixed FOR FREE they always said i did something and they dont work for free so.

 

I did Mountain Lions flush a few months ago and used Amsoil ATL. Procedure went great and no problems. Seems to be shifting smoothly. The level check procedure was a little tricky, but nevertheless kind of a fun little challenge.

 

really? So I open up the service manual for a given transmission it will be telling me to flush it.. Cause last time I owned an automatic, .. around 2000... it just said drop the pan change the filter.

Flush is something that direct marketing would tell me I need not my maintenance manual.

Just checked the internet.. as of 2006 no manufacturer recommended flushing. According to the almighty internet.

I don't get what people think its accomplishing.
Fluid is already pumped all through that thing in the same way a flush does it. So its not going to "dislodge" anything, and probably the best thing that dislodged stuff could do.. if it existed, was clog your valve body.

Just do the filter and be done with it. It'll need clutches sooner or later, probably sooner based on some of the numbers I've seen in these flush threads; if you're paranoid, have the torque converter replaced with your transmission rebuild.

Sounds like snake oil to me.

 

My truck had 102,000 miles on the original ATF, so I changed it. There is no filter to replace, just a fine mesh/membrane/screen that looked perfect upon visual inspection. So we'll refer to it as a fluid "change" not "flush." I think the technique of doing the drain and refill ~3qts. periodically would be fine as well. I just did this due to bad past experience with my 96 T100.