DIY: Full Flush for Automatic Transmission

I just did this on my 07 4wd. I cant be sure, but I'm pretty sure it was the original fluid with 77,XXX miles. Fluid was a bit dirty, but didnt smell burnt. Took me about two hours - using a drill pump helped a ton. Used 11.5 quarts of Valvoline MaxLife. Shifts super smooth and I saved a load of cash doing it myself.
Props to the OP!

 

i did this on my 2006 on saturday. pretty easy process, because i had no service records on my truck ( and 78K miles of uknown amounts of service) i took it a step further. i dropped the tranny pan and pulled off the valve body and cleaned. i replaced the valve body o-ring and pan gasket and reassembled with all new bolts and a new drain plug. my bolts and plugs were pretty crapped up with rust. to my surprise, the fluid was not all that dark, it didnt look to be in too bad of shape. but hey, i bought the 14 quarts and all the parts, i may as well finish the process. the only issue i ran into was the check plug was stripped out, i could not get my allen tool to bite into it. eventually got it out with a bolt extractor, but luckily i figured this would happen so i was able to replace it with a brand new bolt and washer. all said and done, i flushed out about 13.5 quarts through my system. i was surprised, there was a noticeable difference. my harsh 1-2 shift is gone and the downshifts are much crisper. definitely worth the 3 hours i spent on it lol, thanks to all who posted in this thread!

 

After originally planning to do a drain/refill, I eventually decided on the full flush after reading all the threads multiple times. Everything went fine but took longer than planned (~ 3 hours). The transmission feels much smoother now at the correct fill level and with the new fluid. Some observations/comments:

• My 2012 with factory towing package had 83,000 miles and was low by almost a quart. Based on the comments here regarding factory under fill contributed to my decision to do the full flush.
• The old fluid was slightly dark with no bad smell. It could have gone longer.
• I used the sprayer method at the transmission cooler with a new 1 gallon garden sprayer from Ace Hardware (+ 20% off coupon) and 3/8" ID plastic tubing. Pumping was a easy and very little spills or leaks
• The biggest spills came after disconnecting the 2 transmission cooler hoses. I stuck the hose ends in a couple of empty water bottles to stop the mess from growing.
• The most unexpected time-consuming step was removing the front grill. I struggled for around 45 minutes. Removal will be easier next time.
• Did the temperature check using an OBD2 WiFi code reader, iPad, and OBD Fusion app with custom PID. I had tried the wire temperature check method several times and could not get it consistently right.

Many thanks to mountain lion and the others here that provided the helpful details and gave me the confidence to do it

 

Same here. Finally got mine done this past week only I used drill pump. Can't hardly feel it shift.
Thanks TW!

 

What am I missing here? I've flushed twice and have never touched the front grill.

 

Easy access to trans lines at cooler if with tow package.

 

I have the tow package. Seemed pretty easy from below. Tap into the return line to push through the new fluid and catch the old stuff coming out.

 

I washed and cleaned my radiator afterwards. To each his own. Besides 2 screws and 2 clips it takes a couple minutes to Remove. I also replaced the lines to the cooler afterwards.

 

yea I left it on and was able to wedge a 1 gallon jug in there put the hose in to it. Just pumped old fluid in to it, drill pump new fluid back in. Repeat 2x = done. Except drive around a bit then pull check plug some came out. Good enough for me. It worked great. Anyhow its good to know its all flushed.

 

Where r u buying the AT fluid? couldn't find any at wally mart. too expensive at POS autopart stores.

 

I guess valvoline maxlife doesn't seem expensive at $7.40/quart anymore.

 

You can get the gallons at Walmart for ~$18.

 

Yes when in stock

 

You can buy it online and pick it up at your wallyworld with no shipping charges. The site will also tell you if your store, or a nearby wallyworld, has it in stock.

 

Gotcha, I'm buying at autozone. I'm getting $20 back after a few more purchases of $20 or more so that'll compensate.

 

You fell right into the dealer/manufacturer's trap. If the bottle/can says it's compatible with WS, it's OK to trust them. They wouldn't be in business if they made false claims; just stick with reputable name brands. In this case the known WS compatible non-Toyota brands include Valvoline, SuperTech, and Amsoil.
See https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...a-ws-atf-automaitc-transmission-fluid.373083/

 

Yup stick with the OEM stuff So when I need some Maxlife ATF it'll be on the shelves. It seems word is getting out on how good the stuff is so no more . I've put it in several vehicles all with good results. I guess I got lucky I needed 3 gal and that's all they had.

 

Did this today

 

@Rakso how many miles?