2016 Transmission Update and Fluid Levels

I sometimes but not often, when truck is cold have experienced a thunk sound and slight jolt when shifting it has only occurred a few times over 3500 miles. I took my truck in for a fluid check and they checked it and my paperwork said fluid level is good I didn't get to talk with the guy who did it he said before they did it that they would be checking it at 95 degrees. I pretty sure that they checked it cause I put a small blob of paint on the 2 plugs the they needed to remove to check it and the paint had been come off a bit when they unfastened them and tightened them back up and you could see where a tool had left a mark. Maybe it's something else. Or maybe it was low and its in their best interest to say fluid is fine so they don't look bad.

 

No fluid needed?
Do you have the tow package?

 

Yes I do.

 

Shifting was fine but there was a slight lag from R to D when 1st cold start.
Most with tow package seem to have 1/2 qt. low so I added 20 oz. Checked level today using wire jumper & TSB AC60F.
Resulting in a 2-3 ounces coming out. Looks like I was about 1/2 quart low.

 

Got a call from the dealer. Tranny was one quart low. They also did the u-bolts and u-joints as I requested.

 

I went to the dealer yesterday for my 10k Oil change and asked them to check the transmission fluid. I have the slippage when cold and the R-D 2 second pause when cold. Of course they came back and said it was fine. The transmission shift was "normal" and they werent able to duplicate the problem. They want me to leave my truck overnight so they can replicate it..... I almost lost it when they said "normal".

Long story short I crawled up under the truck today and there are no tool marks or drips anywhere. They did the level check using the scan tool.

I am going to give them one chance to do the check correctly and then I'm running it up the flagpole, either to corporate or to regional service. They are going to have to do it while I am there now because I dont trust a word they say.

 

yea thats what i did on mine marked the bolts. They did say mine was 2qt low and topped it off but I also climbed under and looked and saw towels marks all around the overflow from wiping away excess. so made me feel better

 

Talked to a service writer today and explained that I had lag from R to D when cold. His first thought was low fluid. I also have the V6 tow package. Taking it in next week, will update when I get it back. I live on a busy street and waiting to go from R to D for 2 sec is scary at times. 2 sec does not sound like a lot of time but when the speed limit is 50 and there is just a small window to pull out of my driveway it can get hairy.

 

I do it when I turn around in my yard. Some days if I'm not paying attention I will give it gas before it catches and then it lurches when it catches. That cant be good for the transmission. I know for damn sure its not good for a hot cup of coffee in my hand.

I have had it happen that it doesnt engage at all and I have to put it back in park then back to drive to get it to engage. But according to service thats just normal transmission operation......

 

Same issue all you guys had the dealership didn't even check the levels they just drained it and filled it up. Shifts noticeably different. But time will tell in the morning. Also did the U's for me too.

 

update: gave up on the lying,cheating,stealing dealer i bought my truck from (irwin toyota laconia nh) and brought it to grappone toyota in bow nh and my trans was 1 and 1/4 qt. low. and they were the best people i have delt with in a long,long time,i will be doing business with them for now on. they checked my diffs. they were full.and greased all the zerks also.

 

Good stuff... nice to hear that a dealership has some brains and customer service..!!

Give them a BIG rating on Yelp.... Give the other one a BAD rating...!!

 

thats a big 10-4 on that. i am working on the reviews right now!. good luck to all others

 

Does anyone know of a good (service dept.) Toyota dealer in Orange Co. California.
The 2 I've tried, including the original seller, leave much to be desired.
Even the guys behind the parts counter are all condescending; I imagine a learnt behavior after dealing with all kind of owners.

 

How would this save any money though? Now instead of doing it at the factory, Toyota is going to not fill it at the factory, but instead they're going to pay a tech to check it, pay for the fluid and then also pay the dealership's markup? Not only that, but they're going to risk the reliability and reputation of the truck?

Seems unlikely.

Jeff

 

Incompetent it is then.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever been to an assembly line? I am making a guess that the tranny is already full of oil BEFORE it is installed. Then on the assembly line when the Towing Package is added, they just connect the lines and add the cooler. I have seen factory plants before, it seems a little odd that they would have an "oil pump" available to "top" off the level, and maybe stop the assembly line production if someone spilled some oil . I may be wrong, but it seems that most of the TRD OR models with towing are the common ones that have the low fluid. Maybe something is missed in a step to double check the oil at the factory.

 

Clearly it's NOT just the towing PKG. cooler that is causing the low fluid levels. If it were, they would only be about .6 QT low... So many of the trucks are WAY over that...up to 2 QTS. low.... It's just sloppy manufacturing....

I don't know where the problem is in their system,...the tranny plant....the assembly line... the dealer....!!

Does not matter to us, eh..! Yes it does... we bought this truck and want the tranny FULL when we take possession..!

Cry about it all we want... it's YOUR truck. If dealer will not check it, never talk to them again, except to say that you have changed dealers..!!

 

Mine is a 2.7L six speed auto and was 3 quarts low. No towing package.

 

Actually saw the tech info on this and believe the difference is about 1.1QTs