ATF change???

good luck man......hopefully it wont toast the synchros.

 

why you say that???

 

if it doesnt have the correct additives in it.........that'll be a costly mistake for a lil smoother shifting. i'd go with the amsoil thats "compatible" before i even thought about the m1 atf.

 

M1 is also compatible with T4. I was just looking at them both (Amsoil & M1) and they both say T4 Compatible. But If you think the Amsoil would be better, I will go with that.

 

go with whichever one you wanna try.......i didnt know that the m1 was supposedly compatible as well. its just me....but i'd add some seafoam transmission stuff to the t4 and see if that helps. it'd be alot cheaper. like i said tho...thats just me.

 

Alright man, I see what your saying... Thanks alot for the help, Im ganna do some more research and what not, and think about my descition. Thanks!

 

let us know what you end up doing.

 

Will do!

 

But first check if you need dextron 2 or 3 or T4. You will first have to check your dipstick and see what to use. I just called toyota and they said that they put different series transmissions in some of the tacomas. I just checked my 02 and it said dex 2 or 3.

 

i agree, this is very important as you can SOL ur tranny.

 

Please excuse my ignorance - but - why do you advise not doing a flush? I'm just trying to understand.

BTW, the very first thing I do after getting a "new" car/truck/whatever is change every single fluid in the machine with the best quality synthetic I can obtain .....

 

Why doesn't anyone ever use what Toyota says to use in the manual?

I got 140K and use what Toyota says to use in the owners manual and never had any problems and it shifts like the day I got it

 

hmmmm............mine calls for toyota t-iv...and this is what i use for all my changes.

 

because technically....you could "clean" the valve bodies too much and cause your tranny to slip real bad and lead to transmission failure. there is no guarantee that it will happen...but then again...why chance it?

 

I must agree, just check your tranny dip stick and it will say what to put in, or you can call toyota with your vin#. I did both and both said to change with dex 2 oe 3. I did it and I can actually notice a difference. I did not think I would being that my 2002 only has 30k miles.

My dad dad never recommends a flush for the tranny. He has been a mechanic for 30 years plus and only recommends exacyly what tacomaman06 did to his.

I figure If you drain and fill5 or 6 times you will get all of the old fluid out.

 

A reputable tranny shop will tell you not to do a tranny flush on a Tacoma. You're just supposed to do a drain/fill every 30K miles. I found out the hard way that you just need to drain/fill it regularly. I bought my "Certified Used" Taco with 40k from the dealership assuming they had done all the regular maintenance. When it hit 70K miles, the transmission started acting up by not shifting into gear smoothly. I did the drain/fill procedure and the fluid was REALLY dirty. I don't think it had ever been changed. I did the drain/fill (you only get about half the fluid out, cause most of it is in the torque converter) and drove it about 100 miles and did it again two more times. After this, everything seems to be working fine. I am, however, gonna change the filter screen as soon as the weather gets nice for a few day and I have time to do it (I don't have a garage). The filter screen is around $30 from any auto parts store. You just have to drop the transmission pan.
I talked to my Toyota dealerships mechanic and he said any Dex III fluid is fine to use in the transmission. I asked because I only use Toyota specified fluids in my truck. I used Valvoline MaxLife AT fluid and it works just fine. I haven't heard a lot of feedback of people using synthetics, so I didn't try it. I do, however, run Royal Purple Synthetic oils in my motor and differentials.

 

Yeah my manual on my 01 says Dexron II or Dexron III

 

What a guy!!!

 

Years ago I bought a 96 T100 with 3.4 and 4spd auto and 140 k. Was on a loaded trip in rain hammering against a headwind and tranny heat light came on. Dropped fluid later on and looked like brown gravy. Changed it a couple times over the next few years and continued to look and SMELL nasty. Also started slipping. Finally a found a home flush guide someone uploaded using cooling lines to drain while running through new fluid with engine running and filled with Mobil 1 synth atf. Also the screen had some ultra fine sawdust stuff I hadn't noticed in previous drain and fills which I usually did with pan off. I cleaned and cleaned with brake cleaner and compressed air. All this was probably around 210k. I got 255k miles on it now and haven't missed a beat since. I regularly load the old beast heaping high with firewood until axle and frame smashing rubber bumpers and continues to shift like a dream. So just my 2 bits on synth atf. I'm a believer.

 

I resently drained and filled with M1 syn. ATF. and am about to do it again to get more of the old stuff out. Haven't noticed a difference but I do hope my shifting becomes smoother.