What would you do?

Okay I know I have been lax on changing my ATF. Bought new TRD Off Road in April 2009. Still have it and just under 140,000 miles.
Have seen you tube videos suggesting it's too late to change the fluid out. Can I ignore that and maybe at least do a drain and fill? Can I do a pan drop and refill?
What do people do in this scenario?. Thanks
While I'm confessing I don't remember ever doing a coolant flush, rear diff fluid either. I am good at engine oil and filter , air filter schedules at least. Truck still runs and drives great.

 

Too late? Why? Id just change it.

 

Had over 200k on my '01 when I traded it in. Never changed ATF.
I would be one to leave it be.

 

YouTube is all about shock and awe for views.

it’s not too late, the reason for the myth is changing fluid on a trans that is already failing.

I work on Toyotas for a living and have never seen one fail due to servicing.

On top of that, Tacoma transmissions have a very low rate of failure.

change it, flush it, whatever, just do it.

 

I’d drop the pan and service it. that’s why it has a pan.

Coolant replacement
Diff oil replacement

then write down or remember when you did it so you know when to do the next one.
You can even write on the pan and whatnot mile and date you did it with a paint marker. Then next time around spray that off with brake cleaner. Or keep a tiny book record in the glovebox.

have serviced ATs on interval. And after interval. Post interval “late” ATs were at incorrect level, and drove better after doing it.

Mercedes 722.6 5AT is another bulletproof 5AT. People still service them. It has a pan to drop, gasket that eventually leaks to replace, filter to replace, and magnets to clean. None of that is accessible without dropping the pan.

another one people service is the ZF 01V 5AT which is probably different in the B6 A4 1.8T which does better than the ones bolted to V6’s like 2.7T and 3.0L which eventually throw a TQ converter code no matter what you do.

 

Ive had mostly positive and one negative doing the atf. The one negative, I think it was a 700r transmission. Shortly after it slipped horribly, needed rebuilding.

 

Well 4 out of 5 replies suggest I should do something proactive. Think I'll do a pan drop when I get a good weather day here in NH. Then I'll go after the diff fluids as well.
Thanks.

 

I did mine around 120,000 did not drop pan, did drain and refill with friend using computer to get it up to temp for refill and followed instructions on TW to do it correct. Also did rear ends and transfer case. All fluid looked good. My coolant still looks good, have not checked with hydrometer this year. I talked with several techs and all strongly suggested NOT to do a transmission flush. Truck runs good and just do oil changes at 5k. This truck doesn't owe me a dime! Good luck! Just a note mine does not have dipstick for trans.

 

when you do a flush you may send debris into places. Draining does not.

look at a damaged motor. It’s running (barely) circulating crap inside. That gets to other places causing issues.

Taking a part off to clean it is different. In those cases “flush” is required under warranty. For example said bad motor, replacing long block but re using other still functioning components; cleaning out turbo lines is required. To remove the contaminants. Done on a bench by hand.

factory requires dealers of any brand to have certain tools to be authorized. Including pump to fill trans. Vacuum tool to fill coolant. Pressure bleeder for brakes.
“AT flush” isn’t one.

Jiffy Lube is the industry leader of vehicle damage, not repair.

 

Seriously, drain and fill and don't over think it.

 

it's probably got a filter. Only accessed with a pan drop.
Not that different from an engine oil filter. That people change.

Don't know for sure though. Driving 6spd manual just doing gear oil changes when needed.

 

You’ll probably be fine doing it. In my case it was a 31 year old transmission that probably was never serviced. Even worse, the day after I got it back I smashed it into a new Mercedes.

 

I'd drive it until the transmission dies then rebuild/replace it. Chances are very good the truck will end up in a scrap yard for something else long before the transmission dies with the factory fluid in it. It is cheaper to drive it till it dies than ever service it. I've been driving 50 years, never serviced a transmission. Never had an issue. I'm getting close to 700,000 combined miles on my driveway between 4 vehicles. 243,000 on my Tacoma, 230,000 on a Honda, 141,000 on a F150, and 66,000 on an Explorer. All with the factory fluid. If the transmission dies in one of them tomorrow, I'm way ahead financially by never paying to service a transmission over the last 50 years.

As long as the transmission isn't compromised in the 1st place changing the fluid won't hurt, or help, anything. But if the transmission is already compromised keeping the old fluid in there will buy you some time. Maybe a year or 2. Putting new fluid in a compromised transmission usually results in it failing within days. The only way to know if it is damaged is to tear it down.

That is why a shop won't touch it. They don't want customers coming back a week later claiming the shop damaged their transmission which was working perfectly when they brought it in.

 

If the NH in your signature stands for Hew Hampshire, Drain & Fill.
If you fell like going the extra mile, drop the pan and do the "filter" and magnets.
Then drive it until the frame rust out from under it. The transmissions seem to last longer than the frames do up north.
I'd be more focused on the trans cooler lines. If they rust through and dump your fluid, you got big problems.

 

Mine was never changed until 226k miles. I’m on 314k now. Just do it.


EDIT 1/13/24
- I did multiple drain and fills initially at 226k. I did a single drain and fill around 290k.

 

“a shop” is pretty vague.
Doing it right requires tools specific to that trans not every shop wants.
independent shops have the unique ability that dealerships don’t have, to pick and choose what they want to do such as gravy work or what they have the tools for.
It’s also not a quick job. You park the vehicle outside overnight to cool the ATF first. Or leave it on the rack starting end of day.

At the dealer, if you don’t have the tool, doesn’t matter. Still have to do it and either get the tool or make one.
If it’s a pain fix under warranty, you have to do it.
If every other shop can’t figure it out, it ends up with you.

At specialists and dealers I’ve done trans services in and out of warranty. A service is cheaper than a trans.

generally, trans service was customers who gave a shit as opposed to ones that didn’t
Or making a used trade in good.

no, chances are not these trucks will be scrapped. Armor protects from collisions and the rest of the truck is reliable. High mile examples prove it. That’s kind of why people buy old Toyotas. To have something that doesn’t morph into scrap.

service is also done as part of a repair or diagnosing to look inside, or first response to issues in hopes that a service fixes it. Which is not proactive.

manufacturers have written procedures in their repair manuals on how to do it.

if you put a cooler that changes fluid level, which you probably should
Guess what that means. Service.

old ATF can evaporate, leak, discolor, burn, and suspend contaminants.
If someone is changing a valve body. Replacing an electrical connector O-ring. Etc. They’re doing a service.
Replacing a transmission under warranty? It ships dry. Guess what. You’re doing a service. If you don’t, headquarters sees no data log of it and the claim is denied.
Replacing radiator on an automatic vehicle that shares cooling pathway for AT? Guess what. Service.

 

I have an 09 as well, mine has 97,000 miles, I just had Toyota service my transmission this summer at 95,000, no issues. I did change my differential fluids about the same time

 

At 160K (with zero service prior & no issues) I dropped the pan, replaced the strainer and added factory ATF. Have done 3 drain & fills since then. Tranny still performing great at 190K.

 

I work at an independent shop and have worked at dealers. I always service every component that has fluid at recommended intervals or even sooner. Its dirt cheap since i pay cost +10% for parts/fluids etc. I have never had an issue with my truck or any other vehicle i have owned in the last 17 years of being a tech and then a service writer.

 

Yes New Hampshire but I have had it undercoated every year and have no frame rust!