Just dropped her off for trans issues.

Rambeaux is correct , dont take my word in stone .
As mentioned , I do not have a 2016 in front of me and rely on you guys for information .
How is the cooler filled when checking the transmission fluid ?
Seems to be a couple inconsistencies within the check fluid procedure .
Some dealers are pinning the thermostat , others are not ? This is what we are trying to hack out .
I do not have the procedure for a 2016 but I do have the Tundra procedure from a few years ago . 4x4 trucks with the tow package pinned the thermostat . 2 wheel drive trucks without the thermostat had no thermostat and no need to pin anything .
This PDF for the 5 speed auto showing the thermostat . I beleive its close to the same in the 2016 .
You needed to bypass the thermostat when checking the fluid with the tow package on the early tundras . If you skip that step in the fill procedure , your transmission cooler didnt get filled .
The thermostat is mechanical meaning it would be closed at low temperature . In order to get a proper fluid level check you want to make sure your transmission cooler is going to be filled , bypassing the thermostat with a pin is the only way I can see this being performed Unless the thermostat is electrical in 2016 and uses computer controls to bypass ?
http://www.toyotatundraforum.com/pdf/A750E.pdf

 

It uses a mechanical wax actuated poppet type valve to redirect the atf.

I'll add this from my previous post:

Another interesting tidbit, for trucks with towing package the ATF routing does not change. Meaning, it flows from the trans, to the warmer, to the radiator cooler, to the air cooler, through the thermostat, and back to the trans at all times. I don't believe the manual is incorrect but who knows?

 

I am at the Toyota dealer getting my fluid checked,I will post tomorrow on shifting results.It was clunking going to drive this morning at 27 degrees out.I have a very good dealer here{southeast}Will be back soon.

 

I read that earlier .
If you have a mechanical heat spring actuated poppet valve ( thermostat ) it will open and close to change the direction of fluid .
With this said , the thermostat may allow a trickle of fluid to flow through the air cooler but i doubt that ?
I believe that thermostat will only open completely once trans temp goes above 180 degrees .
The check fluid procedure never goes that high , it would be too hot to work on the truck .
When you get a chance , try pushing your thermostat in and check the fluid level again .

 

I just took mine in for this very issue last week. Sure enough, my fluid was 5/8 qt low! I havent noticed irregular shifting since. Mine is a 2nd gen though.

 

I was not having or was not overly concerned with any of the hesitation shifting from R to D but, I was bothered by the reluctance of the truck to shift back into 6th on the highway after it had downshifted to go up a hill. This issue and knowing so many trucks are low on ATF was my primary reason for asking the dealer to check the ATF level when I took the truck in for its 5k service. They are supposed to check the level as part of the service anyway.

Of course they said they checked it and it was fine. Of course I didn't believe them. I did it myself last weekend at after adding about 7/8 quart before warming it up, I got about 1/8 quart to drip out when doing the fluid check. So I was somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 quart low. I find it a little hard to believe, maybe out of ignorance of automatic transmission that 2/3 quart would make much of a difference in performance in a system that has a capacity of 10.7 quarts. That being said the transmission seems to be working better now. I'll have a better idea after a short road trip this weekend but, so far the difference seems noticeable.

 

I have one question.
If these are brand new trucks and we're going in stating theres a problem, then why on earth are dealerships giving us such a hard time just to check the fluid. That should be their duty considering we bought the truck new from them.
I have an appointment on friday and i already feel agitated because of all the people on here theyve sent home.
I really dont want to get upset at the dealership but if they deny me too, i dont know whats going to happen.

 

I had to pay for the dealer to check and top off the fluid. I bought the truck 2 months ago! I already have an open case with Toyota on the matter.

 

The more Toyota hears about this issue, the more likely they'll do something!
Very disappointed with Toyota on this issue, don't get me started on spring and frame issues...

 

having to pay for it sounds pretty fuked up.

 

We have at least one resident Toyota Tech who posts here on the forums and has a 2016 Tacoma. Not sure if he cares to comment but could probably provide some insight and guidance into the process of DIY fluid checks. Perhaps he doesn't care to stick his neck out on this thread and if so I wouldn't blame him.

 

yeah its jacked. I wasn't going to argue with the service manager for $88 but I contacted Toyota on the matter to see if they would reimburse me. I was hesitant to pay and told him I believe that I shouldnt pay but he gave me some bullshit about hooking up the computer and then his tech had to drive it and yada yada yada.

 

I'd tell them to put in writing that the customer requested they check the fluid and that they refused to do it. Then tell them that in the future if the truck breaks down because of a failure in the sealed component (Trans) due to low fluid, you will have yourself covered that it was requested at XXX miles they check and refused to. Then you can hold it over them in court if/when the trans is found to be damaged or fails due to low fluid.

 

This is exactly the approach I take. Good post.

Still bs man. Do the work, it's a brand new freakin vehicle and then send the bill
to Toyota. This just says its much easier to stick it to the buyer than to take
the correct route and bill it back to Toyota.

 

Taking mime I Friday. My friend who is a shop Forman at a local Toyota dealership said he will check for TSB tomorrow. But also said that to make sure you go in because Toyota wants to know everything that is wrong with these new Toyota since Alot of its new.

 

Its thrid gen forum so I would let them do whatever they want.
I know checking fluid level on "sealed:" Toyota transmission with thermostat in the warmer, with out locking said locking thermostat in open position is simply utterly stupid. Because that is checking level with couple feet of line empty.
If your truck has thermostat in transmission warmer than always you need to lock it/pinned in open position to check fluid level... no exceptions. And..... you need to check fluid after atleast a minute of running, to allow cooler to fill with oil. So no start engine, jump under, unscrew fluid level bolt.

 

I would make a deal with the service advisor...you get to stand there and watch as they check it. If it is full, you pay the fee to have it checked. If it is low, Toyota does it for free.

 

sometimes when i am breaking and slow down to like 5 MPH then traffic moves and i give it gas that's when it slams into gear. now i say "into gear" it is already in that gear just some kind of slack develops from breaking to giving it gas.

 

is that the type of issue low atf fluid presents? any light on the dash?

 

Yes , its low on fluid