3rd Gen Transmission Fluid level Check

If that was standard for all Toyota vehicles they'd be idling 10's of thousands of vehicles everyday for 5 hours. Common sense tells us that ludicrous and your tech is full of it.

 

Perhaps 5 minutes?

 

Add me to the list of people low on transmission fluid. I was 1.5 quarts low.

All of this is after I went to a different dealership. The first one I went to (Wesley Chapel Toyota in Tampa Bay) said that they couldn't reproduce the problem. Then, I drove with the "service manager" and he noticed the problem, but said that they could not check without permission from corporate Toyota. After arguing with him about that I was getting ready to leave and my service advisor said that they DID indeed check it and it was fine. All of this is to say that there are some shady people working at WCT, and probably many other dealerships. I got a call the next day from the actual service manager saying that everything had been checked and came back good. Why would they want you driving around in something with a potential issue for the potential to get worse? Idk.

Sun Toyota (who I bought from) said they had no problem checking the level immediately and to bring it in right away.

I have attached both of my service tickets. You can be your own judge.

 

Couldn't check without permission from Corporate?? Wow.

 

I know. You'd think they could come up with with something better than that.

 

That's what my dealer told me. If they couldn't observe the slip they won't check fluid.

I suspect this has to do with the dealer trying to get paid from Toyota for warranty work. If they can't observe a problem, they won't do anything because Toyota might question, why did they "waste" time fixing something if the dealer didn't observe the problem.

But it sounds like some dealerships have techs who know how to check fluid level on a sealed unit, while others don't. Mine, didn't because they said they have to drain the entire transmission, which we all know is BS.

 

It's sad you paid thousands of dollars on this truck. How they try and blow you off with a stupid excuse. If they gave you an excuse of well there's nothing wrong with it after test driving it or just lied about they did check it, or even go as far as saying they have to get permission from corporate office. They hope you would believe them and go away and leave them alone, until the warranties out and the transmission fails. Warranty work reimbursement which isn't much from the manufacturer, compared to a customer that's paying full retail price on parts and labor! So where is the incentive to do all the nick pick warranty checks, before & after the sale? Or after the warranty ends and it's on you wallet!

 

If you look at my first service that jet you will see that the first dealership actually noted driveability issues and STILL would not check it... Though claiming they had and not corroborating their lie was a mistake.


I agree though. It seems as tho they want it to fail and to make all of that money after the fact. Luckily I bought the 200,000 mile warranty because it's a new generation I decided to pay for it

 

To me it was a sorry day when they took the dip stick out of the transmission. The old check it when it was at operating temp. worked just fine with my '95 4 Runner.

 

If I was a salesman/mechanic and the 36 months/36K miles was up. Transmission failed due to low fluid, it's your fault for not checking or paying someone to check it!

 

That's why they took it out!

 

Sometimes I really think that! You spend thousands for a vehicle that's got an automatic that will allegedly go 100K with original fluid, and we get stories all the time that they are under filled. On top of that they make it a bitch to check.

 

It hasn't stop with the transmission, it's now the oil dipstick dispersing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YU6LtK3Ux0

 

I like that mechanics thinking.

 

This is what all of us will be installing. On these drive it until it quit trucks. DIY dipstick! http://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...K3Mu00N9bLuoR2Xk1ISLr1_oqsMYc19_X8hoCuuXw_wcB

 

I have a feeling if they were to put a dipstick on the transmission, they would screw that up as well.

As it is, I have a hard enough time reading the damn dipstick for the engine oil. The thing doesn't slide in and out smoothly, and by the time you get it out, the oil is smeared so its hard for me to get a good reading. Is it me or is there a trick to that thing?

 

Yesterday, I went to buy fluid in preparation for a self check today. Same symptoms as everyone else. The parts desk guy talked me into giving the service dept a chance, so I made an appt. I asked him specifically if they will check the level even if the can't duplicate, and he said yes. We'll see. This will actually be the second strike for this dealer service dept if they don't check it...

 

Try first thing in the morning before you start the engine. I pull it out, look at it then stick it back in. No pulling it out wiping it sticking it back in and pulling the dam thing back out!

 

I'll give that a try thanks.

 

Toyota could have simply made the drain straw the correct height for 185 + F and all would be good. But instead they created this ridiculous procedure. Because one, the expect the fluid to be correct from the factory and never toughed again. And two when they do check it, they have to either start cold and warm the engine up, or do this crazy vacuum hot procedure which they can charge quiet a bit for.


One thing in the auto industry, is the OEM's are trying to cash in on maintenance and get rid of the competition and DYI mechanics so they can make money on the service.

No we know why some dealers won't check the fluid, takes forever thus keeping techs from making money elsewhere.

As for trucks not being filled. No big surprise, trying to get them out fast as possible and cutting corners. Happens all the time in the industry. I bet when they had dipsticks, the dealers added fluids all the time during the PDI.