Just got a 2010-Took it to shop for initial maintenance-couple Questions

Hey all, first post! I just got my first Tacoma, a 2010 SR5. First things first, here she is!



The transmission felt a bit rough when going from P to D and or R to D so I had it in the shop to have it checked out as well as have some regular tune-up type stuff done.

Based on a recommendation from a friend about buying a used 4x4 vehicle, I had the Front and Rear differential fluids changed, transfer case fluid changed, and then of course rather than a transmission fluid flush and replace, I had it opened up and inspected with filter/gasket/o-ring/fluid replaced.

The guy said that in addition to the Low Viscosity Automatic Transmission Fluid, this truck also needed a Fluid supplement to get the density just right. Does this sound correct?

They also topped off the coolant. It had orange\red stuff in there, and they put green in.. is this a problem? The shop claims they're quite compatible, but googling makes me scared about it turning to jelly.

So far the transmission does feel a bit better, though honestly not as great as I'd expect after such maintenance has been performed. Of course, my prior vehicle was a manual transmission 1995 BMW 325i, so it could simply be my unfamiliarity with Automatic Transmissions. Do these usually jump or lurch a bit when switching into Drive?

Digging my Tacoma so far, although it's so much bigger than my car it's sometimes tough to park! I've already had one Austin Powers Three-Point-Turn situation lol!

Thanks for your time!

 

Welcome to TW...I can't comment about your specific questions but it is always a good idea to replace all of the fluids in your truck. I would also recommend checking or replacing the cabin and engine air filter. Most you can do yourself, I'm not exactly mechanically inclined and I can do most of the routine stuff on my truck.

 

Thanks for the replies!

Here's a picture of the coolant sort of mixed.. I've been keeping an eye on temps in case the shop got it wrong, but it seems to be a-okay so far.



So I guess it was kinda pink vs red... oh well, here's hoping it doesn't ruin anything!!

Also, I think lurch or jump was a bit of a strong word. My brake is most certainly on when I shift, and it just feels like a sorta hard shift. As I said it's been better since I had the transmission serviced, and now this is two different shops that have given the transmission an a-okay. I'll just chalk it up to being new to Automatic Transmissions and Toyota Tacoma's as well.

What other fluids or general maintenance would you all recommend I have done to start of with a good, clean, blank slate for my truck? I want to take very good care of it!

 

You could check out your U-Joints and drive shaft center support bearing on your drive shaft going to your rear diff for any free play. I'm sure the other shops checked it for you but its pretty easy to do yourself.

 

Probably useful to share the mileage with us. Most maintenance is based on miles driven.

 

My apologies! It's currently got 75000 miles on it. The shop i just had it in pulled what they claimed was Toyota's recommended 60k maintenance, but to just check everything was like 1500 in labor lol

 

My 2010 SR5 is getting close to 80k, but the 60k service was around $200. I did the 75k service myself for less than $40 worth of filters and oil. My truck is manual transmission, so I can't relate to your description of shift harshness. Good luck, and enjoy. The MGM is an awesome color, cleans up nice

 

Either I'm color blind(and I am) or that pic of the coolant is neither red or pink.

Toyota Red is 50K coolant

Toyota Pink is 100K coolant

Looks more like someone partially drained the original fill and poured in some kind of "universal" coolant.

Don't want to get into a war about "it will damage your truck" - just making an observation.

 

Welcome aboard @chockomonkey
I would just dump the coolant and replace. Pretty easy to do and a great peace of mind for the engine too.

 

A little concerned about the mechanic stating the transmission needing a fluid supplement ?
Can you elaborate on what type of supplement he put in there ?
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...th-pics-for-second-gen-4-liter-trucks.289913/

 

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm compiling a list of things I'll try to accomplish this coming month while I have my tax return cash

I will plan on replacing the coolant with Toyota stuff. I also plan on doing breaks this weekend. Where do you guys typically purchase your OEM parts/fluids? On my prior car, I'd typically just go to Autozone and buy whatever they pulled up and had available. I've purchased through rockauto.com before too.

Also, I've asked the shop for precisely what additive they put in my transmission and will post back here when i hear back.

Oh and one last note, @Jere, I completely agree about the MGM color!! I was able to find the same model/color truck that I'd seen driving down the road a few years ago that caught my eye and made me want one. I see yours has pinstripes too.. how are they holding up? Mine are kinda coming off and I'm considering trying to remove them.

 

Congrats on the purchase and good call on changing all the fluids. I would just go to the dealership and buy a couple jugs of long life coolant, dump, and refill.

 

Heard back from the shop today. Below is the ATF and Additive they put in my AT.

ATF used was: Kendall VersaTrans LV
Additive used: Lubegard Platinum Universal ATF Protectant

Comments from the shop: "The ATF used is Kendall VersaTrans LV, it's a wide range full synthetic ATF. The spec for your vehicle is 'Toyota WS,' which our fluid specs exceed. The additive is made by 'LubeGuard,' Features and benefits: LubeGard Platinum Universal ATF Protectant prevents overheating, inhibits fluid oxidation & foaming, instantly eliminates torque converter shudders, ensures proper shifts, frees stuck valves & keeps them free.

Thoughts?

 

sounds reasonable

 

About the coolant, there are different types but there is also coolant that is universal, we use it to top off at my shop.
The stuff we use from auto zone is orange.
http://www.autozone.com/antifreeze-...reeze/autozone-antifreeze-and-coolant/367_0_0

 

Very nice truck. Just go to the shop and ask to see the coolant they used to top off your system. If you do not like what you see, have it changed out. If you have not done it already, it is a good idea to change the thermostat when changing your coolant. Enjoy your new truck!

 

Sounds to me like they duped you on the additive

 

Congratulations on your purchase! If it was my truck, I would have the cooling system flushed and thermostat replaced. That is especially true if you do not know how the previous owner maintained the truck. I clicked on the wrong tab and lost my previous post (rookie mistake). Hope you enjoy your new truck.

 

The shop that serviced your transmission knows their additives as well as their transmission fluid .
I use the same LubeGuard additive and swear by it . Also use the same transmission fluid .
The reason I questioned the additive is some shops put a seal sweller into the transmission fluid . The problem with a seal sweller ? It,s activated with heat and only effective for a short period of time ( 200 miles ). Once the swelling agent is used up , it turns to acid and destroys the rest of your new transmission fluid

 

I'm planning on doing the DIY Trans flush as per https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/ (but using the trans cooler lines) using Valvoline Full Synthetic Maxlife. I'm at 100k miles, fluid has never been changed (sorry!! ) , would it be prudent to add 10 oz. of Lubeguard Platinum while doing the flush? Would I add it toward the end of the flush so it doesn't get "flushed out" while cycling the fluid?