3rd Gen Automatic Transmission Fluid Level Check DIY

Maybe?

On TW/YouTube, seen everything from 2 qts to 3.5 qts drained...

variables:
1. Did they lift the front of the truck significantly when draining or flat/level. 2. and the most important - if you don't do a proper check using temp mode, or scan gauge and drain, etc. - you simply don't know? You could be off half quart, a whole qt? Maybe less, maybe more? I now KNOW mine came from the factory about .5 of a quart low.

I think the odds are stacked in your favor a semi "blind" drain and fill will do fine. But w/ the knowledge set forth on TW on how to check for certain, why blow it off?

 

I understand what you are saying. I honestly don't feel that Im doing anything blindly. It's just the opposite. I drained out 2 and added 3.5. And when I do it again 3.5 will come out with absolute certainly. The temp check, while it may be the prescribed method , does not give me a predictable amount of fluid. In the Soft Taco video , that seems to be the gold standard, he states that this time he got 3 quarts this drain. So what is it? This time 3, next time 3.5? I would rather know. This whole thing has snowballed, some of it good, some of it not so good. Ive said it once , I will say it again. I never should have shared what I did.

 

Said variables.
I told @Soft Taco privately that I kind of admire that you have not "bent the knee", despite being behind the 8ball on this in my view. No biggie. I think you are fine w/ your transmission. TW can be a hornets nest when you get this many folks (behind not real names no less) in one room. I made the mistake of picking at Toyota factory stuff in the OTT tune thread ( I have the tune and love it). Hell no, I'm not a gearhead geek (see gif) on this stuff, but I still stand by my thoughts (like anyone who thinks 4th gen is "fugly" - I think their taste is totally jacked up! )... but also as I told Soft Taco, I felt like basic math kid had wandered into trig class w/ some real ____ in it. Uhh, I'll shut the door on my way out, fellas....

 

Long Question: After you do a drain and fill, and follow these procedures to check the fluid level by removing the overflow plug at temperature to get the correct level, is it necessary to do the overflow check at the next drain and fill if you measure and add back what came out??

 

I'll risk an answer.... If you drain roughly the same amount again (keep a record) w/ the truck at say resting temp/same as new fluid I would think not? But since you should likely do it 30,000 to 60,000 miles from now, one may have fully recovered from all this temp mode check stress by then... why not do it again? I'm certainly more comfortable now and know what to expect in summer temps etc

 

@Amorak
I’m with you on that. Just asking to see what everyone’s opinion is. Thanks!

 

I won't reread this thread to see if it is contained here or in other similar threads, but it goes to show just why the dealers do not want to do ATF level checks. It takes way too much time and "cooling" to get an accurate reading.

 

Ha! Certainly right... IF they are doing it like us DIYers. Conspiracy theories might say they have a double secret dipstick.

 

Great info in this thread. But it all could be fixed if Toyota would have put a f@#$ing dipstick for the tranny and a simple procedure for changing fluid and filter like every other vehicle I ever owned. It worries me that the dealer won’t touch this.

 

Interested in installing steel tubing for some of my Tans oil lines through the radiator panel instead of the rubber
What type, size is this tubing?

 

Special thanks to all especially mattleg. Initially draining of my 2020 trd sport with 36k on it, only 2.5 qrts came out. Heard the stories about a possibly being underfilled, glad I checked. Had to get the timing down part down to get it to go into temp check fluid mode, but it worked after a couple of times.

 

When I did my drain/fill, I took out this much:


Put 3 qts in, did the temp check part, and it brought toal bucket up yo here (original drain plus overfill):

 

Checked my 2023 with just shy of 15k on it. Looks like it was half a quart low from the factory….. I had noticed from day one it had a little shudder here and there. Got it tuned, and I think that actually made it more pronounced at certain speeds/inclines from the lower torque curve. We’ll see if this helps.

 

23 Sport, bought in late March. I now have just under 12k for mileage. Did the trans fluid check procedure, found it to be 3/4 of a quart low.

 

Or maybe you are 3/4 quart overfilled. It's puzzling that so many owners from 2016-2023 are reporting underfilled transmissions. The factory couldn't possibly be making 8 years worth of fluid level mistakes. There must be something faulty about the fluid level checking procedure owners are following.

 

It’s entirely possible that some slip by with low fluid even 8 years later. Mine was one of them. I’m sure it’s a low percentage, but still. Mass production doesn’t equal perfection.

The procedure is hard to mess up, and it’d be almost impossible to mess it up so bad that you overfilled it by almost a quart. Also, my intermittent shudder went away after I topped mine off, so….

 

I think Toyota is penny pinching and knows exactly what they are doing by under filling. They know from experience it will make no difference on their warranty cases as the transmissions will last through the warranty. I compare Toyota to Boeing, the accountants run the companies, not the engineers.

 

I worked on aircraft for 40 years. I built turbine engines for GE. I removed and installed wings, landing gear, engines, APUs. I’ve gutted and rebuilt fuel tanks, replaced fuel pumps replaced hydraulics.

The procedure for checking the fluid on this transmission is relatively easy. It’s certainly not overfilled. It is now certainly not underfilled. I followed the procedure exactly.

you may care to think about the experience level of people before you make assumptions about an individual abilities.

 

Well I've checked the fluid level on 3 near new rental Tacoma's following the factory manual procedure and ALL were about 1/2 quart low. Hell I let the fluid warm up to a scalding 160 degrees and STILL nothing came out when I removed the overflow plug. So my "low from the factory" experience mirrors that which a ton of other 6 speed Tacoma owners owners have been finding. I've not encountered this "low from the factory" finding when I checked the level on front wheel drive Camrys and Avalons with 6 & 8 speed transmissions. Just Tacomas.

 

Apparently the fluid level drops when it crosses the border into the US from Mexico