Transmission flush advice.

I've read a few threads and opinions on the subject. I am having some hard shifting at times in my 2012 v6 automatic. I tow often and am debating having Toyota do a trans fluid flush. Its not cheap and was wondering if anyone had this done/ what improvements were noted after having new fluid put in, If you found it worth the cost.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/unread

 

Do it yourself...there are some real good threads that show you how. Here is one below.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/

 

Owner's manual doesn't refer to changing transmission fluid... unless you tow a lot. Which I think goes to show how important fluid changes in the tranny are if you tow. Puts a lot more strain on the transmission.

 

we need to know how many miles since last AT oil change and what shape the existing oil is in before we can say anything of value

 

If you hire a dealer to do it, they'll likely do nothing more than a pan drain.

You can do that yourself.

Having read 100s of posts on the issue of WS replacement both here and elsewhere, I've come to the conclusion that dealers do not like performing this task. It's a job that's easy to do if you are conscientious, but given the hurry-up-get-um-in-get-um-out mindset that exists in car dealership service departments, you're far less likely to get the job done right.

Again - you can do this yourself. There are 2 threads here that cover the process. I've done it twice. Nothing to it.

 

My guess is 'never' and my question is when you have no dipstick, how do you really know?

If I towed, I'd be in the 30k drain/fill club. And have an SCII installed that allowed me to monitor trans temps. And maybe an upgraded trans cooler depending on the temp readings.

 

Definitely do it yourself. I forget how many hundreds of dollars they wanted to do mine at my stealership, but it only took about $40 and a little bit of time. Absolutely not worth the cost at the dealership, and if the fluid change doesn't fix your shifting issue you're only out the $40 rather than $X00.

 

Remove Lg Drain Plug from Tranny Pan,Drain good ,about 3.2 qts will come out.Put drain Plug Back in. Remove Fill Plug near tailstock on Passenger side, pump 3.2 Qts WS Fluid back in. do this same proceddure each week for 4 weeks . I Advise AMSOIL Signature Series Blue Cap Low Visc ATF Rated for WS Toyota Fluid. Repeat in 3-6 Months and should be Much Better . Most Fluid should be replaced with New Fluid by Then! Go To AMSOIL SITE !For Fluids Rec. Type and amount to add !

 

Another option rather than a dealer service is going with a reputable transmission shop for your trans service and free diagnostic .
Dealerships simply remove and replace transmissions with a new unit when in most cases , your harsh shifting can be addressed with a proper diagnostic and possibly some quality aftermarket parts
Personally , I would never let the dealer touch my A750E
Go to the guys who know how to fix them considering you are trying to fix a harsh shift by replacing the fluid .
There may be more involved than an oil change .
If the transmission is shifting fine , but occasionally has a harsh shift , there may be more involved than just a flush .
Read here ...this thread will help you break your harsh shifting down to a specific problem .
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...th-pics-for-second-gen-4-liter-trucks.289913/

A lot of guys with their 2012 Tacomas had the TSB performed and it fixed a lot of concerns
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/t-sb-0044-14-feedback-engine-ecm-reprogram-pinging.337705/

Can you explain your rough shifting symptoms in detail ?

 

I would recommend a Drain and Fill first before you flush, just to see what your fluid looks like. Here is a link to a great procedure.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.63851/

 

I have done a drain and fill about 20k or so ago (got about 3 quarts out of it), filled it with Toyota atf. I notice it's more harsh on down shifts.
I tow an aluminum car trailer and full bed of tires 200-300 miles, mostly hills. More gauging opinions on preventative maintenance. I spoke with the stealership but none of the people I talked to know what I'm talking about most of the time.

With TSB, are those covered by toyota or an out of pocket expense.

Ive drain/ replaced the AT filter on a Ford E series van I owned and it made towing/ shifting much smoother. Seeing if anyone has had similar results with doing this on a Tacoma.

 

Just one drain and fill isn't going to make a lot of difference, you need to do at least three before over half of the fluid is exchanged. I used Maxlife full synthetic in both of my Toyotas with the a750 transmission, not a huge difference in my Taco (shifted fine already), but it made the clunky shifts in my Tundra buttery smooth.

 

289.00 is the cost at the dealer I work at, BG machine runs a cleaner through existing fluid and exchanges the old fluid with new, done through transmission line.

Majority of that cost is the fluid itself.

None of our local transmission shops will do any internal work on a Toyota trans

 

The TSB pointed out in the above link is to notify technicians that if the customer comes in with a complaint with symptoms similar to yours , the technician should consider this fix first .
You need to go into the dealership and scream warranty to have them install the new calibration , however , that bulletin does not effect a harsh downshift .
Are you using a scan gauge to watch your transmission temps ?
You have a factory after cooler on the Sport but as far as i am concerned , they are too small to effectively cool the various sizes of trailers that Tacoma owners pull around .
There were a couple links provided above . Did you read through them yet ?

 

@gearcruncher what are your thoughts on the belief to not flush the AT if you have a high mileage vehicle that has never changed AT fluid?

Thank you

 

Dont flush it .
Perform the service correctly by visibly inspecting for contaminants first . Most shops take chances by not following the proper procedures
Pull the pan off and inspect the magnets and look inside the re-usable filter for contamination .
If the magnets are full of metal , chances are all the valve body bores are full of metal
If the magnets and filter are fairly clean , simply clean the magnets and filter , install a new pan gasket and fresh fluid .

If your magnets and filter were in good condition showing little signs of contamination , feel free to flush the transmission once the pan gasket is back on .

 

appreciate the info. 300-400 is what I was quoted for the job locally.
I get the drain and replace method, but was wondering if the machine that "filters" the fluid or cycles new fluid in is something that would be more beneficial.

and no trans fluid in my coolant, got it

 

Would you agree that one should not leave trans fluid untouched for high mileages leading to this issue? ie do routine flushes? Or just drains and refils?

 

My plan is to drain the pan, remove and measure the volume. clean the filter and inspect magnets. As Im sure the dealership wont drop the pan when flushing the fluid.