Transmission Fluid

Hi, I'm about to purchase a 2015 tacoma automatic with about 70k miles on it. I saw on the maintainence guide, it should be changed every 50-100k.

My question is, that's quite a big range in mileage to perform it...so how do you know when it's the right time? And also how do I know if I should do a drain and fill or a full flush?
Thanks!

 

Full flush would be a good start and then a drain and fill every 25-30K miles.

 

Everyone says to do and not to do it.
because xyz. I was forced to change my mini coopers (60,000km) at my works parking lot. The plastic drain plug went missing (yeah I don’t know either) she still works until I sold her at 72,000km for the Tacoma.

I drain and fill mine when I got my truck (333,000km) she still works. Then in 20,000km I will do a full flush.
I want the old and new fluid to mix first.

 

Range is based on how it's used in those miles.

Drain and fill is a safe bet. If it appears worse than expected just repeat again in 1k or so

 

I don't change mine at all. Never have. I've been driving 50 years now and have never once changed transmission fluid in any vehicle. The only transmission issues I've ever had were electrical problems. There is over 1/2 million combined miles sitting in the driveway with the factory transmission fluid in them. Almost 240,000 of those miles are on my Tacoma. Thats several million combined miles over the last 50 years. If I have to put a new transmission in one of my vehicles next week I'm way ahead financially.

It's just not economically feasible. Most vehicles end up in the scrap yard for other reasons before the transmission dies anyway. And even if you religiously change it every 30-50K you MIGHT get a few thousand miles more out of it, but you'll also end up spending almost as much on servicing the transmission as it will cost to rebuild it. They all die at about the same mileage regardless. In the meantime, I'll save my money for a new one if it ever happens.

Toyota tried to tell drivers they were wasting their money and simply stated that the fluid never needed to be changed for a few years. Consumers didn't want to believe them, so they now tell drivers to change it. The main reason they do that is to be able to deny warranty claims. Toyota knows damn well the transmissions should last at least 400,000 miles on the factory fluid. But if they turn out a dud they can use the excuse that you didn't change the fluid to deny a warranty claim.

 

Dealer recommended it at 60k for me so I just went ahead and had them flush mine at 65k and the shifts feel a little smoother to me. I would at least do a drain and fill because my thinking is that fluid can't be as good as it was 8 years ago... and Oils breakdown with time and all the heat cycles they go through. I'm no expert but that's my thinking

 

Do the full flush OP, do it yourself though, not with a machine and you’ll be fine, also, while you’re at it, replace the transmission filter/screen, and clean the magnets off in the pan.
It’s an easy DIY.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/

 

I say drain and fill at 60k or sooner.
Pan drop, clean, and filter @100k or sooner.
Sooner will be better for sure.

If you want to make the the best decision.
I’d recommend reading the information in the link below.
The guy that wrote it is a transmission guy. He works on them for a living.
He had nothing to gain by by posting his knowledge and opinion. If anything, he had more to loose.
Thanks again @gearcruncher

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...e-get-it-out-of-your-transmission-now.331521/

 

Well my 2015 was low from the factory by 3/4 qt. During the winter there was a slight hesitation when going from dead stop. When I read that many were reporting under filled with trans coolers, I checked mine. Bingo!
So I would suggest, at least check it at a minimum. But if you’re checking it, you need some to top it off if low.
So at the minimum buy 1 qt. and practice the temp check mode before you do anything.

 

I have seen the consensus to be trans services, starting from new, every 40k and continuing from there
services are cheaper than replacing major components
that's how I do it. You can do it how you want

Am not going to take advice from an owner's manual written by a manufacturer whose main goal is to have the truck be neglected into the ground and forced into buying another one, but newer worse and more expensive

the only hard part about that is if you buy a vehicle used with over 100k mi without indication previous owner did what they were supposed to do; now the fluid is older, dirtier, with more debris and contaminants potentially settling their way around the trans

For that reasons many manufacturers do drain and fills, not flushes. ATF suspends debris. If it works right now, it works. Filters catch some. So do pan magnets.
If you drain and re-fill, nothing is being kicked around.
If you start using pressure to flush fluid in an out, things get kicked around without knowing where they will land.
Drain and fills also happen to be easier and faster to do, and can be done more than once, if your goal is to remove as much dirty fluid and replace with clean as possible.

 

I did a full fluid exchange at 100 000km and will do it again at 200 000. Shifts like a dream.

 

Did you use the OEM toyota WS ATF fluid?

 

X2
I've driven Toyota trucks since 87. Never changed transmission fluid never a problem. My last 95 went almost 400k rust took it before transmission went.
I asked my dealer at 100k (10 years of driving) on my 2013 bought new. Service Mgr. He didn't push the service at all. Shifts like a dream at 120k still. Again rust is my #1 concern.

 

I did.

 

Yep

 

Yes: Flush and fill at 100,000. (no service history available on this particular maintenance/service item, but going by other things, like the coolant, brake fluid, diffs and xfer case oil condition, I believe the truck was maintained as per Toyota recommendations.)

It shifts/feels no differently after the service. Sometimes I can feel the converter lock when it's cold, but I could also feel it before the change and it's very subtle.

 

This is great advise.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jJr30r6RRgw&feature=share7

 

2011 tacoma 4x4, 189,000 miles, what type of transmission oil for the truck. Thanks, and have a great day

 

Automatic or manual?

If it’s Auto.
Toyota WS or Valvoline MaxLife

MaxLife is better. But I don’t like to mix fluids.
So I stuck with WS.

If you do a full evacuation through the trans cooler, I’d definitely go with MaxLife.
You will probably be fine if you did mix the two. I just don’t like to myself.