How to Drain/Refill Automatic Transmission

If I can only add....the temperature to check the fluid level is between 115F and 130F

 

Correct. When do it I am under the truck and my daughter is watching the gauge.. She tells me when it reads 115 (actually something like 115.6 since its not even numbers) and I just put the plug in the overflow tube.

Takes a very long time in the driveway to get up to that temp...….

 

one thing I found that speeds things up is this fluid transfer pump.. I tried using the small plunger type you can fit right on the bottles of ATF but they take forever... And your hand gets sore..
I just pour 3.5 litres of new fluid in a clean and dry windshield 4L jug and use the one below.
Only take 4-5 pumps for a whole litre so at last count took only 15 to transfer the whole 3.5 litres.

Koehler Enterprises RA990 Multi-Use Siphon Fuel Transfer Pump Kit (for Gas Oil and Liquids), Red medium

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0181EDCZ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

About a year ago I took my 07 Taco to AAMCO Transmission shop in Webster, Texas for a flush. I have about 190k miles on it now. I felt like they'd do a good job on it but now after a drain and fill the other day I'm not sure. I drained out 4 qts, replaced it with 4.5 qts. Ran it to get temp up, used IR gun to get to 115 temp, drained excess from the overfill. Measured the overfill which was 1.5 qt. So was it a qt overfilled? I felt the shifting wasn't as smooth in the last year. Anyway I've been driving for 2 days and it feels normal. By the end of the year I'll do another drain and fill going by the 3.5 qt, that should give me back .5 qt.

 

@catchinhail you have to check your transmission fluid with your truck RUNNING! Do NOT shut it off! Again. Leave the engine running and crawl under to pull out the overflow plug to check the fluid, and the fluid MUST be between 115-130 degrees. So it's better to check it after a short drive.

One last note that's pretty important too. Anytime you check your transmission fluid, you want to leave the engine running.

I heard when you check the transmission fluid you should keep the engine running because that's the right way to do it.

Before I leave, just a reminder to leave your engine running when you check your transmission fluid.

Don't turn off that engine.

Engine must run.

Keep it running.

Engine no turn off por favor!

Keepa Da Enjun Ah Ruhnin!

Mantenere il motore acceso!

保持发动机运转!

 

So let me get this straight. I’m supposed to keep my engine running when I check my atf level?

 

Let me see if I can google something.

Edit: After hours of searching google came up with this link... https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.63851/page-79 and said to see post #1569

 

Even better yet!
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.63851/#post-1184093

 

This is exactly my setup. I have 2 windshield solvent jugs....one marked "fresh" and one marked "old". Had them for a long time. They work great.

I have a 5 quart clear plastic pan that I do the initial drain in. Then I transfer that into the "old" jug. Depending on which vehicle I'm servicing will determine how much goes in the "fresh". The Taco gets about a half a quart extra to bleed off during the temp check procedure. All the other Toyotas in the family get back the same amount I drained out.

And I also have the same transfer pump.

 

Just don't mix these up with your next batch of homemade red wine

 

Wonder which one would taste better....WS or Maxlife? They've both been in there....depending on what vehicle I was wrenchin' on.

 

Today I installed a B&M Supercooler and Derale external Trans filter. Install went kinda smoothly. Completed a trans drain and the fluid was pretty brown. I struggled to get the truck into TEMP CHECK MODE. I think I'm going to do the same as you guys and monitor trans temps with my app to make sure I'm in the 115-130 degree range.



One question though, I don't have a ScanGuage or UltraGuage, I'm using the OBD Fusion app through my iPhone and it shows two different trans temps. When driving they are off from each other about 10 degrees. Which one do you guys suppose measures pan temp? When driving uphill I see that A/T OIL TEMP 2 is always higher than A/T OIL TEMP 1.



I modified both gauges to highlight when both are in the Green (115-130 Degrees)

 

I also replied to the other thread, but I’ll put it here too in case anyone else needs to know.

 

I wasn't sure which thread was more active. Thanks again for the info.

 

Never used OBD Fusion, but these trucks only have 2 ATF temp sensors as far as I know. One is the pan temp and the other is the torque converter temp.

Pan temp is fairly constant once the truck is warm. But the T/C temp will spike up anytime the T/C unlocks like accelerating or climbing a hill. That should help you differentiate.

 

Yeah, another guy was kind enough to let me know in another thread. I modified the app to reflect as such. But thank you anyway.

 

So I have a ultra gauge on my 07 and when I’m going up a hill the torque converter temp is always the higher and climbs in temp as I’m going up hill . The pan temp is usually less

FWIW

 

woops

 

So it worked. It was much easier to just use my OBDFusion app, verify I was between 115-130 degree range and check my transmission fluid that way instead of putting the truck into TEMP CHECK MODE.

Thanks again for your guys' help!