Best Method for Changing Trans Oil for Auto

I have a 2002 v6 with automatic transmission and I was wondering which option is best for changing/flushing the oil.

The dealer said they offer a "flush" where the oil pan stays on but the oil is changed. Then they have another option where the pan comes off and the filter is changed and oil changed. Its about $100 more for that option.

What is the best thing to do ?

I am at 92,000 miles right now.

 

I'm wondering this as well. The general consensus I've gathered is that a flush is not recommended, especially if nothings been done for over 30k miles. I guess it can stir up gunk and cause problems after the flush. One alternative I have seen is to drain and fill and add fresh fluid over the course of 15k miles. I've searched around but am not positive just some insight

 

best would be to do it at home. Drop the pan and clean the filter.

 

I don't see how a flush could ever stir up gunk.

Flushes are usually done by either removing an input and output line from the trans and hooking them up to a machine that discards the old stuff coming out and puts fresh stuff into the inlet. There is also a method that sticks a tube down the dipstick and flushes the transmission by sucking out the old and replacing it with new many times to where the old stuff gets so diluted that most of it's gone. It sucks from the bottom of the pan so it should do a pretty good job.

The pan only holds a portion of the fluid like maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of it, so dropping it doesn't get all of the old stuff out. I personally wouldn't worry about replacing the filter unless your old fluid was way overdue for a change and like black. Either way make sure whatever fluid you put in is synthetic. Heat kills transmissions and synthetics deal with it a lot better.

 

I have done this on my current 2004 Tacoma crew cab and my old Dakota, I did the Dakota with 100k on it and again with 200k on it and it's still going strong on the original trans. I gave it to my son-in-law and he drives it everyday. I will be flushing my daughters car when she hits 100k and my sons truck also. I just think doing the tranny service extends the life.

 

Had mine done at the dealer with a coupon, look them up on the net some offer service specials. Glad I had them do it, the pan stayed on and I have no leaks.

 

A flush is moving fluid through the trans under greater pressure and with more velocity than is typical. A flush is designed to stir up shit in the trans which is fine if you have a small amount of grime and have been doing the service every 30k. If you've never done it or don't know if the previous owner did it then you might have a lot of grime that could be dislodged and get stuck in a passageway causing rough shifting.

To be safe I would drop the pan, replace the filter, fill with fluid, and then at my next two oil changes drain and fill from the plug. I would use the recomended Toyota fluid.

 

What led you to believe this? Are you just guessing how things work?

 

not to mention dropping the pan and changing the filter doesn't drain any fluid from the torque converter. this is one area where I would take it to the dealer. My wife's 4runner was like $90 for a complete tranny service. the best part was i didnt end up smelling like tranny fluid.

 

Do you know how fast a tranny flush forces oil through the tranny? If you do, let us know.

 

Transmission flushes use the transmissions own oil pump at the exact same pressure your transmission sees for hundreds of thousands of miles.