Tranny Flush at 176k+ miles? Experience, thoughts, "anecdotal facts" requested.

2009 V6 Automatic. I bought it brand new with 14 miles on it.

About 16k miles ago, I had a local shop do a drain and fill on the tranny. The tranny had never been serviced in anyway prior to that.

Lately, I've been thinking about taking it to the stealership for a flush and fill. I'm thinking this because I don't want to do repeated drains and fills and I'm not sure what that shop used. I'm not DIYing this (...probably).

Anyway, the age old debate of doing a flush on an old tranny is weighing on my mind. Now that many of our trucks are considered old now, have any of you done a flush and fill on your tranny or have general thoughts about the "debate" of doing it at all.

Thanks.

 

I’m about to do it but mainly because I use my truck for work in Seattle and there’s a lot of shifting and hard starts etc due to the hills and traffic

 

My truck had 129K on it when I bought it and I wasn't sure if the transmission was ever serviced. My dealer has a BG fluid exchange machine so at almost 141K I had it done. Shifting slightly improved in the lower gears, but I still get the occasional harsh shift into OD. Its always done that, but I'm not exactly easy on my truck, especially with the hilly and mountainous terrain around here. Would I do it again, hard to say. Truck is almost at 144K now, I'll probably do it again at 200K if the frame makes it that far.

 

We have the BG flush machine at the GM dealer I work at. It does a great job. Well, except yesterday when a valve failed and it shot atf all over the shop. Oops

 

Dealer did mine at 115k 4 years ago and shifted better and could feel the torque converter lock up (more positive than before) so I was/am happy with the results.
I towed a 6000lb trailer then a 3500 boat so it was a smart thing to do. Coming up on 165k so will do it again in the next year. Lots of opinions out there so your choice, but replacing old used fluid for all new in my view can only help.

 

Would you do it more frequently if you had a manual tacoma.

 

I did have a manual 2008 and when I changed the fluid at about 50k it looked new. However, it was so easy to do myself, I didn’t care.

 

Subbing, I have a 2010 automatic 4 cylinder with 113K. Thinking it's about time..no issues of any kind, and of course I want to keep it that way.

Is it better to drain/fill or flush/fill? I'd probably use an independent trans shop but I've done business there since the early 90s so I know it would be done right

 

This has been discussed on this forum countless times. You will receive 3 answers:

- Never change fluid
- Only do pan drains
- Flush entire system

So which story are you going to believe?

 

some people never change their trans fluid for the whole life of the vehicle so.

 

#1 buy yourself 13 quarts of OEM T-IV ATF,#2 buy yourself a replacement OEM Toyota crush washer #3 get out of bed at 7am sharp drain the ATF pan with the engine COLD #4 get a measuring device graduated in quarts/ounces at the cookware dept. at DOLLAR general. #5 measure out the COLD ATF you've just drained #6 replace the plug in the pan and use the OLD gasket! #7 replace exact amount to the ounce with genuine Toyota T-IV ATF and pour it into the tube with the AT dipstick is with a nice skinny funnel you can get at Walmart #8 take truck on highway get up to operating temp. and at high speed as to lock up the torque convertor. #9 now do this procedure 2 more days in a row every morning with the ATF COLD! at your 3rd and last drain and refill replace the old gasket with a new Toyota OEM crush washer and torque it no more than 15 ft/pds! and now Grasshopper you have completely new ATF with no mess.

 

Why does no one ever talk about changing the filter inside the transmission while they're at it?!?!

 

My '09 has 176000 km on it, the Toyota dealer did mine yesterday. They call it a fluid exchange ,it's not a flush, they end up using 12 litres. I had to go out if town to have it done, not every dealer can do it.

It's hard to put a finger on it , but it felt really good. Like new???

 

I know a coworker with an 07 4Runner with 200,000 miles on it. Original tranny fluid and gear oils. I don’t recommend this, but it runs perfect.

 

This has also been discussed in multiple threads. Many will say the filter is just screen mesh and it can be washed out. I would like to know how many of these people have actually looked at the OEM filter for the 4.0L truck and realized that it is impossible to know with certainty that washing it out gets all of the gunk out of the filter.
If you are going to service the filter - replace it.

 

Agreed; but I'm also interested in what people have actually done and what their results were/are.

 

2007 4.0 5sp auto tranny and with 120k on the clock and I just recently had a drain and fill done and my trans is a lot smoother shifting . Will def do a drain and fill again .

there is a post on here where you pump out the old fluid thru one of your trans lines, I’d do that before a flush and fill . Just my opinion

 

I’m sure everything has been discussed on this forum a hundred times , the guy just wants current opinions , if you don’t have anything constructive to add be gone

 

Current = Previous - I listed all 3 above. Nothing changes.

Take a hike yourself.

 

Like I said who cares if it has been discussed , if that was everyone’s thinking there would be no posts