Does anyone have actual experience with tranny fluid change?

I have read multiple posts and it seems confusing. The stealership says dont change tranny fluid ever, especially if ypu have high mileage because WS fluid has detergent and will cause your tranny to clog. Others say you should absolutely change it. I have 97k on the clock and just finished towing a 1200 lb trailer loaded with about 1000 lb of shit 5000 miles. I really want to change the fluid because I am sure that tow beat the crap out of the old fluid but i dont want it to possibly clog my tranny and cause spendy repairs. What say the crowd?

 

I have done a full flush, dropped the pan and replaced filter, gasket and have also done several drain and fills.

Read this thread. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/

The flush I did through the transmission cooler line. @gearcruncher is also a great resource.

 

I had a tech explain it to me along time ago something like if you start changing it at 30k and you keep changing it every 30k your good but if you have super high mileage on original fluid your better to leave it cause your gears get used to the old fluid or some shit.

 

After all the reading I’ve done it seemed the most common response was every 50k or not at all.

Just did mine at 50k along with Diffs and transfer case ..

All smooth so far.

Have 1000 miles since change .. she’s loving life

 

The old fluid issues that people always bring up is when you do a forced flush like they do at a lube shop with a pump machine as it will stir up sediment.

If you do it the proper way by running the truck and using the pump of the trans to pump old fluid out via the trans cooler lines you will replace old worn-out fluid with new stuff.

 

So since i have 97k, I shouldnt ever change it? Why does that make me think I will be buying a new tranny in 50k more miles?

 

Some say yes, some say no, others say maybe.

Plenty of guys on here have done transmission fluid changes with many more miles then yours, whole others havent touched the fluid and their trucks shift like new.

You'll be fine if decide to change. I say go for it.

 

On another vehicle we flushed it at 124,000. The next day the transmission worked awfully- dropping out of gear mostly.

Took it in, replaced the valve body. Never had a single issue before we sold it, 100,000 mi later.

I say flush it regularly.

 

I'm wondering the same thing. Wanna do a flush for maintenance sake but i'm at 76k, not sure if its "too late" or not

 

Just some background. My father in law, 2008 Tacoma got rid of in 2017 with 511K miles. Never once changed the tranny fluid. Not joke. It ran solid till its final days.

 

I’ve been doing an annual drain and fill with Valvoline MaxLife since ~45k miles. About $17 a gal from Walmart.

 

Nope i havent done it on my tacoma yet

 

Read the thread I posted, you can do a full flush through the transmission cooler lines.

 

mine is a 6 speed manual so not sure how it compares but i found shifting into 3rd to be a little grindy at times. replaced fluid with MT-90 at around 50k and shifts great now. probably do it again at 100k miles.

 

Thanks, but i have the same concerns as OP

 

Unfounded

 

I’m also torn about this. I’ve got a little over 112k miles on my truck and have owned it since 46k. Doubt the transmission fluid has ever been touched, I know I haven’t done it. And after towing a 3000+ pound trailer over 1000 miles round trip this past weekend, I’m debating if I should change/flush my fluid with my next oil change at 115k?

The truck seems to shift just fine but on the flip side, I feel like all fluids need to be replaced or I’m just asking for trouble down the road...

 

I did a full flush at 125K, first time the fluid was ever messed with. Old fluid was dirty, I noticed smoother shifting when the flush was done. I dropped the pan and cleaned the magnets, and also replaced the filter. No issues. I even later installed a magnafine magnetic filter on the return line from the cooler to the tranny to help keep gunk out of the new fluid. Will do an annual drain and fill going forward, probably a full flush again at 185k.

I'd say at least drop the pan, clean the magnets, replace the filter and add back fresh fluid to replace what was in the pan.

 

I did a couple of 750 mile - one way trips (lots of hills) pulling a 6x12 uhaul trailer fully loaded along with the bed and cab of my truck. Then after a couple of trips to AZ pulling a smaller uhaul trailer with dirt bikes and about 80,000 miles on my 07 truck, I started thinking about changing my tranny fluid. I debated on a flushing or dropping the pan. After talking to a couple of long time mechanic friends of mine, (one of which has been working on Toyota's for 25 years) they both said, do not flush. They suggested that I drain the pan, add what was drained, drive for a few hundred miles and do they same thing. Then after a few hundred miles, drop the pan, change the filter (or the "screen" as it's refered to) and refill with Toyota's ATF.

So that's what I did. (And got all the parts at their price!) While there I cleaned the pan, the magnets and replaced the pan gasket. I also used the "bring to temp to check the level" method to ensure I had the correct amount of ATF. The old fluid looked a lot like the picture "RNISH" posted. I'm at about 96,000 miles now and the transmission shifts just fine, not that there was any problem before.

 

I'm at 201,000 on the factory fluid. I tow 3000-3500 lbs about a dozen times a year for the last 12 years. My fluid still looks bright pink and I have no intention of fixing what ain't broke. Everything still drives and shifts like new. Lots of guys with 300K-400K on factory fluid. It is not miles, but heat that hurts the fluid. Don't let it get too hot and it doesn't need replacing. Let it get too hot and the transmission is probably toast anyway.

The transmissions in these trucks are generally good for 300K-400K and I've seen no evidence that changing the fluid extends that life expectancy. If there is not any excessive wear inside the transmission changing the fluid won't hurt. Won't help either. But if you do have excessive wear changing to new fluid will accelerate the failure. It isn't unusual at all for vehicles over 100K to fail shortly after having the fluid changed. Of course you don't know until after you change the fluid. I'm gonna save the money I'd have spent on transmission fluid changes and apply it to having it rebuilt in another 5-10 years or so. I've already saved enough to pay about 1/2 the cost of a rebuild by just leaving everything alone.