3rd Gen Automatic Transmission Fluid Level Check DIY

yes....never thought of that!! HAHAHA

 

How many quarts should I have on hand for this variation? I like it.

 

Sorry for the late response. I can take a picture of the fill plug on the 4x4 when I get home. Its up pretty high on the passenger side of the transmission. Lots of stuff in the way of the fill plug.

 

@tcBob

any way this can be made a sticky?

Pretty sure many would refer to this along with maintenance sticky info posted.

Thanks for considering.

 

Hmmm. That is an excellent question. I'm actually not sure though. I think 5 or 6 would be more than enough.

 

Fill plug to the left of the green wire on a 4x4. (Highlighted it in Orange)

 

This is all I know.

 

Well, you might not need more than 4 then. I'd still get 5 or 6 to be safe. After the first go round, youd have an extra quart of two for the next time.

 

Here is something I was just thinking about that may or may not effect this procedure so that's why I'm asking. If you lifted or leveled your truck the transmission pan may no longer be at the same angle as it was from the factory. Could this cause too much or to little fluid if this is done and not at the correct angle? My lift ended up with about 1/2 inch more in the rear so I have a half inch more rake then it did stock. mine isn't that bad but it made me wonder if you level it would it throw the measurement off enough to matter? Has anyone with a stock taco measured the angle of their transmission pan to see if it's actually level or if it has a slight angle to it? This is probably nothing but the thought just crossed my mind and thought I would share.

 

Thanks for the write-up

 

I don't know the answer for sure, but I can't imagine 1/2" difference between front and rear axles would be significant. We are looking for a missing 1-2 quarts of fluid, not trying to be absolutely perfectly spot on at 4 quarts or whatever the capacity is. Other fluids in your truck have an acceptable high/low range to account for all sorts of variations, and I'd assume the transmission level is no different. Just get it pretty level and you will be good.

 

Thanks for this. I updated the first post with a link to your post for the 4x4 guys.

 

I decided to completely drain the pan first, and then follow the procedure so that I could mix in some fresh fluid. The fluid that drained out of the pan amounted to 2 qt, 2 oz. I added back 3-1/2 qt and ran thru the process detailed here. The only thing that threw me for a second is when you are in temp range and draining the overflow, the flow will not completely stop, but only slows to a steady trickle. I capped mine while the trickle was still steadily running, which I believe is the intention. In the end, I discovered I was about 1/2 quart low initially. Many thanks for the instructions, and I recommend this to everyone who is at least a little concerned.

 

Great write up!

 

Does anyone know what the dealers charge to do this check for peace of mind, assuming your transmission shifts fine and isn't a warranty service?

 

Wouldn't it be easier to just open the fill plug and add fluid until it starts dripping out? That's how I've done it in all my vehicles before when changing diff and tranny fluids.

 

Maybe a manual trans. but not an auto.

 

ah i forgot. This is my first automatic car lol

 

I was experiencing what I would describe as very hard downshifting on occasion, usually when going up steep grades. Turned out I was 1/2 - 3/4 quart low on transmission fluid. Haven’t had a hard downshift since I added the fluid. Thanks for the heads up on this Tacoma World!

 

Did this today for peace of mind at 600-700 miles on my 2018 V6 2WD. Thanks a lot for the write up! Pinned the thermostat and the truck took just under a 1/4 of a quart. Makes sense since I wasn’t experiencing bad shift characteristics like other members were experiencing. Will report back if there’s a noticeable difference while driving.