How to Drain/Refill Automatic Transmission

I recently did the same thing. A new pan, gasket, and drain plug was just over $100.

I'm never using a torque wrench on a drain plug again.

 

Checked it last night and the nut definitely came loose on the pan. I'm going to pull the pan and try to weld it first using bronze if the nut isn't steel.

 

If that doesn't work, you could always weld a castle nut upside-down to the pan, and use a matching plug bolt as a new drain plug.

I'm sure you could find a metric plug/nut combination, if that is important to you.

Either way, much cheaper than buying a new pan.

 

transmission flush question...I was going to get my transmission on my 2006 OR flushed, and the dealer told me today that I have a "Sealed Transmission" and it takes more time and effort/cost to flush and refill the transmission since it has to be pumped out AFTER cooling to "room temp", and then new fluid has to be pumped in. Real? Bogus? Getting the runaround? HELP!!

 

It is just a standard flush, the fluid has to be below 86°F (iirc) per Toyota FSM before you start the temp check procedure. But now there is a SST (special service tool) which allows them to check the fluid at any temperature. They are BSing you or don't know what they're talking about. To do the standard temp check mode though it has to be cool at the beginning of the procedure.

 

Nay. It's the ATF in the transmission that needs to be at the specified temp, not the ATF in the bottles. As ATF warms up, it expands. If it warms up too much, you'll be removing too much ATF. If it doesn't warm up enough, you'll be leaving too much ATF in the tranny.

 

I called my localdealershio today and they said it would cost $165 for a flush. I'm still going to go in and talk to the service tech and see what all is involved and make sure they know what they are doing before scheduling an appointment. I also have a 2006 and I'm debating between flush and drain and fill. But I'm the second owner right at 109k miles and want to keep it going...so long story short your dealership is full of it.

 

There's so much conflicting information coming from the dealers on whether or not a trans can or should be flushed, coupled with a few dealerships under filling, that everyone should just follow the info in this thread and diy. It's not ideal, but it's doable by just about anyone with some patience and ability to follow directions

 

Read @gearcruncher thread, a transmission technician:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...be-low-on-fluid-directly-from-factory.312718/

 

The proper way and only way to service a transmission is by removing the transmission pan and inspecting the amount of debris laying in the bottom of the transmission pan and visually looking at the magnets that are placed in the pan for a reason .
Every truck will have different levels of contamination and wear . You cant base a transmission flush on what other people say .
Why ? because he or she operates the truck differently from you .He may have overheated the transmission 50 times and is basing his opinion only on what he found . If you flush without removing the pan , you are simply guessing that the bottom of the transmission pan may be clean and for many unlucky individuals ,you pay the price down a very short road
Listen to the guys who service transmissions for a living " not the dealership "
Take the pan off , check the re-usable filter , inspect the magnets and make a professional diagnosis from that point on .
If the pan is clean , magnets are clean and filter is clean , flush the rest of the fluid when you put the pan back on .
Do " not " flush the transmission without performing the above inspection

Flushing the transmission after the pan is removed eliminates the possibility of sending debris from the transmission pan through your valve body . Ask me why I know this he he ?

 

Ok so my search skills have failed me, anyone @gearcruncher have DYI link to dropping the pan and cleaning magnets and filter?
If it's in this thread I missed it

 

It's easy... remove bolts, drop pan, clean magnets. Remove bolts holding filter, clean, re- install in reverse order.

 

There is no DIY link specifically addressing the ATF filter. It really isn't difficult but if you've never changed one, I can see the apprehension. This video is good, except for the ATF refill procedure. He doesn't measure the ATF temp when refilling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FflypYGgh8

 

Thank you!! Does look fairly easy.
Another thing I noticed is that he didn't loosen fill plug before draining his pan, a big no no that Ive learned specifically from this forum.
Thanks again for the video

 

I don't use the fill plug anymore, I fill through the cooler lines with a hand pump. Some people opt to use the sprayer method as well.

 

Remind me why it's recommended to loosen the fill plug...Is it so fluid flows out easier? Shouldn't matter as all auto trannys have a breather hole/opening somewhere. I've never loosened it and had no problems draining ATF, that I recall. Only drained it once, when I replaced the ATF filter. Other times, I flush by disconnecting the radiator return lines and pump fluid into the tranny with the Milescraft drill pump.

 

There's a breather on the top of the transmission to allow for the fluid to expand and contract.

 

It's recommended to loosen all fill plugs before draining any fluid so you don't put yourself in a bind if you can't get them open after draining... It happens
Maybe this is more in reference to the diffs and tcase.

 

Never heard of stuck plug but not a bad idea. The problem with many drain plugs are the small heads, and beveled sockets don't make it easier. Which is why I grinded this extra socket.