How to Drain/Refill Automatic Transmission

4 foot length of what diameter hose? Looks like it inserts nicely into the fill hole and takes the funnel nicely too. Thanks for posting!

 

I honestly don’t even know. I used a bolt the same size as the fill bolt and took it to the hardware store. And yes, it done fit snug into the hole so it’s not accidentally pulled out during the full process.

 

I want to thank the OP for this write-up and also ask if anyone else has had this problem. I live in South Florida where the low is around 80 degrees in summer. Got into temp check mode no issue, just as described by the OP, and the red AT temp light blinks constantly until turning off the truck like it's too hot already. I haven't driven the truck for almost 5 hours and just tried now. Anyone live in a hot climate with the same issue? I'm wondering if I can even get into temp check mode in summer here even if I didn't drive the truck for weeks. I remember seeing another guy's post that lived in Orlando with this issue but was able to do it in the morning or night. Maybe it was a different time of year...

 

How bout a 10lb bag o' ice pressed up against the pan until it cools off?

In Colorado with my bigger tranny cooler, I have the opposite: just idling, the tranny won't get warm enough. I have to go drive around for a few minutes and pay attention to my Scan Gauge that I don't go too far.

 

I did a drain and fill the other day and found that a longer breaker bar with a short socket worked great for the fill plug on the transmission. My fluid looked good and hadn’t been changed since my frame was replaced about 5 years(15k) miles ago. I’ll be doing a drain and fill once a year from here on out. Easy job.

 

You only drive it 3k per year? Criminal!!

 

Yeah, it’s my second vehicle and I’m saving it for my son to drive. I love it though!
And truth be told it’s probably closer to 20-25k as I don’t recall the exact mileage. But it isn’t much lol.

 

Not sure if this is mentioned in the thread, but if you decide to drop the pan and change filter you will need 5L/qt of transmission fluid. Transmission oil pan actually holds a bit more oil than you can drain just using the screw.

Bought 4 bottles and had to go back to dealership for another after realizing that nothing is coming out. Was short about 500ml.

 

Thanks to everyone for the info in this thread, I finally did my trans flush today. The truck had hauled us and our 21-foot Winnie travel trailer almost 8000 miles this summer- over and back across the Rockies. We kept it in 4th 95+% of the time, almost no overdrive, but coming back on 70 through Colorado those three mountain passes were brutal. Down to around 20 in 2nd gear- tough going. Other than that she did very well hauling us around.

So I felt I owed her fresh fluid. All went pretty well, the only tough "nut to crack" was the 5mm hex for the level check. This is salt country and it didn't want to turn, started to strip out the hex, so I was able to get my smallest pipe wrench on the head and break it loose. I used my Torque app to read the temp. When it was over 120 I checked the level and got a few seconds of steady flow before it started trickling, so this wasn't one of the underfilled transmissions. When I drained I only got about 2.6 quarts out (?), but I put 3 in and ran it for a few minutes, ran through the gears. I checked the level again before I shut it off and almost a half quart drained out. Repeated a second flush with exactly the same results. When I did the final level check (another 12 ounces or so drained out) the fluid looked pretty good so that's where I stopped- see photo.

One thing that I noticed- the WS fluid smells exactly like plasticizer. I used to work in the vinyl flooring industry and I know what plasticizer smells like from vinyl floor manufacturing lines- and this was the same smell. Interesting.

In the photo fresh fluid is on the left, what I drained out next, then first flush, then from the overflow of the second flush after running up to temp.

 

Supposed to let the fluid come to a trickle with the truck running. You don't turn it off, until you have put the plug back in.

 

Yup- that's what I did (and what I said I did).

"I checked the level again before I shut it off and almost a half quart drained out."

 

this is a great write up and tutorial, but does this method of flush really clean out all the dirty ATF that's in the Torque convertor? or does it really just flush out the Trans. lines and Trans. cooler/Radiator. It seems that your removing whats in the pan 2.75-3 qts. and then letting the pump push out that same amount into a catch pan, then refilling new with same amount of new, its hard to figure out if the majority of dirty fluid in the Torque convertor is also being pushed out thru the in and out lines.

 

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

 

yes I reviewed that flush I think im going to try it on my 4 cylinder truck

 

I did mine in Orlando last week. Truck hadnt been running in hours other than for the start and shut down to pump fluid. Went in to temp check mode and immediately the light stayed on, indicating it was already at temp? Pan was pretty cool. Just ran with it but definitely going to check again once the truck has been idle all day, to make sure the level is correct.

 

I had the same thing happen to me just a couple weeks ago. I had put the trans fluid out in the sun just to make it flow easier and had driven the truck a couple hours earlier. As soon as I put it in temp check mode I had a solid light. I even did the temp check again to make sure.

In previous changes I had used a graduated milk jug to see how much I drained each time, its a little under 3 qt. So each change I put 3 qt in, get to temp check mode and drain the remainder out of the check port. I then pour that into the graduated milk jug and it goes to 3 qt as a double check. The same process got me to 3 qt this time as well using a new graduated milk jug.

 

on the 4 cylinder 2.7l engine they have a dipstick for refill so thank god I wouldn't have to temp check the overfill, im trying to figure out which is the return line to tap my drain hose into, theres 2 inlet/outlet hoses go directly into the radiator on the drivers side an upper and a lower from what I can find the lower hose is the outlet. can anybody verify that?

 

Sub'd

 

Has anyone here been unable to get into the temp check mode? I've tried probably 20 times but it never gives the flash after the sixth shift into neutral. Other dash lights are flashing like the instructions say. Truck is a 2006 Tacoma TRD Off Road with towing package. I know the light works as it comes on during the normal start procedure.

 

https://youtu.be/vpGIBJPnJX4