Replacing/Servicing transmission fluids?

My mechanic tells me there is NO transmission dip sticks, no way to refill the fluids . My son’s 2016 Tacoma TRD just reach 100,000 miles, we wanted the transmission fluids replace.

Every Toyota dealer has a special machine the hooks up to the transmission to change the transmission fluids.

This was a surprise to us. Our mechanic it’s says better to have the Toyota dealer do this service. ( another way Toyota / and other brands forcing people ) to have to go to a Car
dealer, paying higher labor cost, plus the fluids .

Please let’s us know is this true and is there another way?

My mechanic will be replacing the brakes fluids ,radiator fluids, front & rear diffs , plus tranfer case. Serpentine belt. Spark plugs and brakes shoes.
Serpentine belts is also recommended every 70,000 miles and maybe the pulley wheels too.

 

Cue the transmission fluid replacement vs. the drain/fill debate......

 

Mostly true. You can get a small hand pump and pump in the fluid yourself but the transmission is suppose to be at a specific temp when you top it off. So you would need a scan tool that reads tranny temp

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-automatic-transmission-fluid-level-check-diy.547455/
give this a read, no need for a special machine.

 

I think your mechanic is talking about a fluid exchange machine

 

Thank you. And the dealer early mentions the transmission needs to be a certain temperature too.
My mechanic wants to pass on this and maybe it maybe better to have the Toyota dealer do this procedure for us.
No one wants a transmission failure if it was improperly done. $$$?
Thanks again..

 

As finicky as modern transmissions are, and as much as this one shifts I think that's your best bet. I do mine every 60k at the dealer. 5.29s got everything spinning pretty fast imo

 

I was thinking having steeler do the transmission and the other gear boxes. I wonder if there’s a filter that can be replaced like other cars

 

What is the standard cost for that service

 

Before you head to the dealer, check out YouTube. There are dozens of videos of the drain and fill. I have done it on my 2019, easy project. I used a 4 quart measuring container and saw that I drained exactly 72 ounces out, so I put exactly 72 ounces back in with a simple hand pump that screws into the top of the quart bottle. No need to check temperature if you put back what you took out.

 

Absolutely DO NOT flush the system. You must leave a good portion of the clutch byproduct in a well used transmission. Drain and fill is the answer but it should have been done way back around 60k. You'll get the important info the deeper you look into it but a complete flush will bring big troubles much sooner.

 

Do not flush. Drain and refill only.

 

Don't know about that, did a full fluid replacement on mine at 90k with 6 drain and fills and it works great. Why is clutch byproduct required?

 

No reputable dealer will touch your transmission at this point. My local shop will only service transmissions at 30,000 mile intervals. Go over that and they say let it go. I'd just keep driving it. There are tons of vehicles out there with 400,000+ miles on the factory fluid. I have almost 1/2 million combined miles currently sitting on my driveway all with the factory fluid. Been driving nearly 50 years and never changed the transmission fluid on any vehicle I've owned.

I've yet to see any proof that changing the fluid adds life to a transmission. And you'll spend more servicing it every 30,000 miles than it will cost to replace it. That is why most of them no longer come with dip sticks and they don't recommend changing the fluid.

 

So you didn't "flush" yours by evacuating the system and pumping it full of new fluid till it ran clear? That's a typical Jippy Lube process. If you're just doing multiple drain and fills then the likelihood is leaving some of the "contaminants" behind. As I understand it, as they stack up the miles, the clutch residue assists in providing necessary friction on clutches. To much of the material and no drain & fill, solenoids can get gunked up and stick and other components can begin to falter. Total flush on a very long overdue drain & fill will eliminate the beneficial residue and worn clutches will begin to slip wearing even faster. As alluded in another post, if you don't service and go a long time, you're likely better off just driving it with no service. If you intend to service, it seems the suggested interval is somewhere around 45k with just a drain and fill.

I can see and have seen the long haul drivers that spend hella time on the freeway travelling with super high miles in a controlled environment going "forever" and never having tranny issues. I think where that changes is for those of us that tow frequently or even just do hordes of stop and go travel which relates to "severe use" and the chance or likelihood of overheating the tranny which will not only cause excessive wear materials but also break down the fluid so it's no longer providing what the fluid specifications are designed.

 

I can't believe that a simple DIY drain & fill every 30k would amount to anywhere close to the average transmission replacement cost in a modern rig going north of $5-6,000 bucks! Even if a shop is doing the deed.

 

How are we doin'?

 

Its new fluid, pulled the pan cleaned it, new filter. After 6 changes (4 quarts each) its less than 5% old fluid and cherry red. Clutch byproducts have the exact same friction (as they are the same material) as the clutches so it wouldn't alter the friction at all. The clutch's are still the same material, with the same friction, as a new clutch, so why does in need extra or different friction modifiers in it than a new unit? The risk with a flush is that supposedly it can break varnish deposits and clog the ports in the shift control mechanisms.

 

For fluid replacement, the service manual instructs you to drain and refill 3 times with a gear cycling procedure between each; followed by a temp mode fluid check.

 

Seriously? Whats that about? So, if its not done at 30k, then dont ever do it? That seems excessive. Im kind of piggybacking on this thread and only have 500 miles on my 22, but I like to be in the know. Im not debating you, Im just curious why or how this can be true? Please explain.

Btw, Im way off from needing service, but I got overly confused by all the replace vs flush/fill debate. Ill revisit at some point, just not for a couple years.