TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE ON 2ND GEN TACO 4.0L AUTOMATIC

I have owned the truck for like 5 months at this point and i love it, i want to do an a\t fluild change to put fresh fluid in it. truck has 119,000 now but i got it at 117,500 but have no clue if the old owner hauled with it. should i do it as maintenance or would i harm the transmission?
and if i do it what kind of tanny fluid should i use

 

Opening the can of worms with Transmission talks. Do a quick search to head off the opinions coming.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/search/19341609/?q=transmission+flush&o=date&c[node]=5

 

I did mine at 202k, may have been the first on the truck. I am now at 218k with no issues. Links below are some resources for doing a drain and fill or a DIY flush. I went the DIY flush route with a pan drop, strainer change, and refilled with Toyota WS series fluid.
Drain and Fill
DIY Flush

 

My first change was at 102000 miles and added trans cooler, full pump out and fill not pan drop drain/fill, Toyota WS fluid.
Then again at 303297 miles just a pan drop/drain/fill with new screen, Valvoline Maxlife.

 

You can't hurt a transmission buy changing the fluid.
Not unless you use the wrong fluid, or do the "change" wrong.

What's damaged, is already damaged.
The new fluid isn't what damages the transmission.

If you want to play it safe. Do a drain and fill with WS fluid.
Then again in 15k, and once more in 15k.
Then call it good for another 60K.

Personally, at 115k, I'd feel just fine doing a full flush and switch to MaxLife ATF.
It's better than WS by far.

 

The opposite popular opinion is that you certainly can by way of blocking passages when gunk is loosened up. Never say never.

 

I vote drain and fill... peace of mind.

 

I don't see a difference, one method you dump out some and replace it, the other you repeat that same process multiple times the difference being your draining from a different location. If one is going to cause an issue likely ether method has that same potential. Autos have been drained and filled since they came out, is there a chance it screws up, yes but that also exists with ether method.

 

I just did mine recently with 217k and it was more than likely the first time it was done. No issues now, but i highly recommend dropping the pan and cleaning it out, and not just doing a drain and refill. Mine had a decent amount of material in the bottom of the pan. I am glad I got that out of there.

 

If you flush the fluid through the valve body, yeah.
That's why not all "flushes" are the same.
Those $199 specials are the reason flushes get a bad rap.

 

I bought my truck with about 87,000 miles on it and did a change of all the fluids to include the transmission, so I had I starting point regardless of the service done before. I did a pan drop and strainer replacement and then did a flush using the coolant lines to the aux cooler (mine had the towing package). I’m at about 125,000 and everything has been great. When I did the the pan drop and flush, I switched over to MaxLife. I’ve done a pan drop since then and added a bottle of lubegard:

$15 Lubegard 63010 Platinum Automatic Transmission Fluid Protectant, 10 oz.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MB57UI

 

Some claim the fresh detergents in the new fluid are to blame for knocking gunk loose that get clogged

 

The biggest reason to do it: It 100% ensures the fluid is set. There is no dipstick and checking is a pain, so much that you may as well change it first.

I've never subscribed to "dont do it when its old"

I'm team "Just do it"

 

We are on the same team.

Team - Do it.