Transmission fluid change or leave it alone!?

Hello beautiful community,
So my 2007 Tacoma has 196k miles automatic transmission and don’t have history of transmission fluid changed, today I went to the shop, and I was recommended not to touch, and they’ll will not change it, due to liability unless I authorize it. My transmission shifts smooth. What should I do?

 

leave it alone! changing the fluid may actually weaken parts of the clutches in there currently being reinforced by debris. I know it sounds counterintuitive but that’s the consensus. If it’s
not giving you any trouble i’d keep on keep’n on.

 

Drain a bit of fluid and see what it looks like, if it's black and/or smells burnt leave it. If it still has some red color and smells ok I wouldn't be too afraid to drop the pan, change the filter, and refill it.

 

If it was 75k since a change I would do it. With that many miles I would leave it alone.

 

Yes fluid is pink and smells normal

 

It’s automatic transmission, and my fluid color is pink and smells normal

 

Is been 100k since it was last changed

 

Drain and fill ONLY.

 

Drive it and save your money. If the transmission is in good shape, you'll get another 200,000 out of it with the fluid that's in there. Changing it now won't make it last any longer. If your transmission is starting to go bad leaving the old fluid in there will buy you some time before it dies, maybe a year or more. Putting new fluid into a compromised transmission will lead to failure within weeks or days after you change it.

That is why they won't change it. They don't want you coming back 2 weeks later with a dead transmission blaming them.

My Tacoma is at 244,000 miles on the factory fluid and I have no doubts I'll get 400,000 out of the transmission without ever changing it. Change every 30,000 miles and I'll spend more on servicing it than it will cost me to just have the transmission rebuilt. And I'll still have to have it rebuilt at about 400,000 even if I did change it every 30,000.

 

I want to know where everybody can get these transmissions new and installed for the price of several transmission services. Please let us know. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Drain and refill is totally fine with a new filter . If the fluid is still decent . It’s when your fluid is black and smells burnt and your trans is shifting funny is the issue . Otherwise you are good to go. In general no shops want to change fluid on the trans because most people try and get it done when they are having issues , then when they change it the customer will try and put the shop on the hook .

 

Leave it. You do run a risk changing it at this point.

 

I swear he copy and pastes that same response every time. I've seen him claim he knows a shop that can rebuild a transmission for $1,000

Like it's still 1988 or something..

 

Ya I’m in the camp of just do it. Change it, pan drop, flush it. Just do it.

my biggest issue is who knows if the fluid level is correct for 15 years. Services clean out the system and then ensure the level is set correctly.

 

This topic is so convoluted. There are two camps:

1: Leave it alone, you will make it worse
2: Change the fluid

I am firmly in the change the fluid camp, if it gets worse then your transmission was already F'kd. The Taco trans is not known for being weak or otherwise problematic. Drain and fill only.