Another Quart of Dex III for PS Fluid?

Howdy,

I bought 1 quart of Dex III to do a drain and fill for the power steering on my 2019 Tacoma at 38k miles. I see that some people are using 2 quarts of fluid. Should I grab another quart?

Thanks

 

Are you sure it's Dex III? - they have not made that for almost a decade now. Everything got switched to Dex VI. Not that it matters for the power steering system.

 

Yeah, this is what I got.

 

Ah, the proper Toyota stuff. Good work. Then it probably is proper Dex III.

Looks like when people buy 2 quarts they are using one of them to flush the system, and the other to fill.

If I were you I would buy some cheap DEX based ATF and do a flush, then fill with the toyota stuff.

 

Carmakers haven't spec'd Dex 3 in transmissions for decades, but the fluid is widely available. Dealers in my area sell Mobil ATF D+M if you ask for Dex 3.

 

All subsequent Dex versions are backwards compatible. So if at a parts house, you won't find anything but the current spec.

Just like engine oil. What shows in the manual for a 20 yo car in terms of API you won't find on the shelf today. It's ok, the new stuff will work fine.

In this case, since Toyota doesn't make fluids, that's someone else's product with their branding.

The good news is that you know, regardless of supplier, it should be to Toyota specs.

 

Good to know. I realized this when a lot of the name brand fluids said Dex III compatible on the back. But that was after I already bought the Toyota fluid.

 

Depends on how you do it. I suck fluid out of the reservoir with a suction gun while cycling the steering with the truck on jacks and the engine off. Then I fill the reservoir, cycle the steering, and top up. Repeat after a week. One quart is sufficient for this.

 

The newer formulations are available. If you want true Dex 3 you have to buy Allison/Castrol Transynd, which is 5x more expensive than anything else. I have a Early 2000s GM truck with an Allison and Dex 6 is not the best for it's seals (apparently)

That being said, the tacoma power steering system is very simple, I'd put just about any ATF in there and not worry about it. **EDIT: Any Dex* compatible fluid**

 

^And you think your steering rack seals aren't susceptible to leaks? Best to budget for a new rack every 100k.

Mobil ATF D/M is Mobil's version of Dex 3, 7.2 CSt at 100C: https://www.mobil.com/en-ca/passenger-vehicle-lube/pds/io-ca-mobil-atf-dm
Mobil Dex 6 is 5.8 CSt at 100C: https://www.mobil.com/en-ca/passenger-vehicle-lube/pds/io-ca-mobil-dexronvi-atf

Note ATF D/M's datasheet specifically says "This product meets or exceeds the requirements of Toyota ATF D-III."