Preventative maintenance: when to replace AT fluid?

Toyota's maintenance schedule states 120,000 miles for the first replacement of ATF. I am skeptical. How far are folks actually driving before replacement?

 

Let's see, hmmm. Toyota factory engineers, Or, hmmmm. Strange people on a forum. I'll take engineers.

 

Some people change at 30K intervals if not more, some people drive 200k+ and never change it. Some people haul a lot and some people don't.

I would go buy the book.

 

I'll take strange people on the internet who want something last longer than the engineers do. I do a full fluid change of EVERYTHING every 50,000 miles (except oil which is done at 5,000 miles). Remember the engineers call it "lifetime' fluid because they want the lifetime to be 100,000 miles.

 

I do 30K mile interval between drain and fills.

 

My plan was to do a drain and fill every 30,000 miles and a filter every other. But that is what makes me sleep good at night. Been doing that to my wife 2005 RX350, and so far so good with 140,000 on it. Fluid looks great. I did small bus maintenance for a living and it seemed my customers were happy also with those intervals. It's a roll of the dice that really has no answer, but transmissions these days are treated as throw aways in my opinion. I'm old school and like to change my fluids - but don't care for a complete flush. I'm fine missing a little couch time under my vehicles, and so far haven't missed a meal on maintenance money spent. Regards Scott

 

It's a waste of money when you turn in your truck every 30,000 miles at the end of your lease.

 

Something about not changing oil for 60k

 

People will pick some arbitrary mileage number. You might as well and be as righteous as any of them. Go for it.

 

I’ll agree to disagree.

 

I flushed mine at 64,000 mi and tech said it wasn't bad at all . Now your transfer case is a different story

 

I do a drain & fill every year. 3 quarts. So every other engine oil change, i'll take an extra 15 minutes for the ATF.

 

I check the fluid condition when I do regular maintenance but unless something is happening that makes me think it need to flush or fluid change…I do it at the service interval that it was intended.

If Toyota says, 10,000 for oil…then I do oil around every 10,000. Toyota says spark plugs at 60,000…you guessed it…I replace spark plugs at or around 60,000…anything more than that is just dicking around and I don’t have time for all that.

 

I keep wondering if the do-it-yourself owners might be overfilling their trannies? Seems like most do-it-yourself owners report their trannies were underfilled from the factory by about 1/2 quart. But I worry the factory amount is actually correct and so they might be overlooking an important step when refilling that is causing them to add 1/2 quart more than they should?

 

I’d say they are actually low (in an acceptable range though) given many are doing it per the Toyota procedure. I followed it word for word and mine was a bit low too. Either way, even if overfilled by owners, no one that I’ve seen has experienced a negative outcome. At least not yet.

 

I do drain and fill every 30K

 

Unless you are towing or off-roading every day i'd say 75-100k is probably right.

 

Follow the Maintenance Schedule for your truck. If you tow or haul or fit the Severe Service group, then shorten the service interval.

My 2nd Gen recommends drain/filter change at 100,000 miles. I did the service at 105 kmiles.

And no, the tranny won't destroy itself if you go over the interval a bit. Doubtful, if it will last longer with frequent changes, but there are many opinions and anecdote on the internet.

 

I think the manual says to check/replace at 60k

 

I have seen way too many slipping or hard shifting transmissions after changing fluid. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.