Missing Transmission cooler.

Mine is a 2019 and the cooler doesn't look nothing like what you guys have. Mine look like the 05-11 one pictured below.

 

I read the installation manual, and it seems like you just buy the oil cooler, pull out the transmission cooling lines from the radiator and run them to the new oil cooler.

 

if it hasent been posted yet:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-automatic-transmission-fluid-level-check-diy.547455/

 

The 2005-2020 cooler all look pretty close.

2005-2011:


2002-2015:


2016-early 2020:


Jeff

 

Is there a reason why 2020 onward models will no longer have the auxillary transmission cooler?

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Kaizen

 

Perfect answer.

Hopefully I am not repeating another post here but I would assume that all of the data that Toyota has collected from vehicles on the road led them to remove the external secondary cooler in the name of cost reduction. 2-3 years of on the road data along with in house testing and one day the Kanban card for the external cooler just says 'stop'.

 

Jeff, since you're in Canada, what would be the pricing for the parts + labour to have this installed at a Canadian Toyota dealer. Obviously, each dealer would be a little different but I'm hoping to work with my dealer on getting this installed as it was explicitly mentioned by the salesman and sales manager as part of my sale.

 

You’re way better off buying a nice aftermarket one. They are 3x the size and superior quality. Can’t remember the name of them, tru-cool maybe.

 

I would estimate about $1200 for parts and labour to install at Canadian retail pricing.

Jeff

 

Yeah, that's what I'm considering. However, I'm working with my dealer on a resolution to this issue and they'll likely only install OEM. If they're not going to play ball, then I'll go aftermarket for sure. I installed an aftermarket one in my previous vehicle (Forester XT) and it is really an easy job.

 

While I don't play a lawyer on TV, I might be one IRL. From that perspective, it seems to me that the deletion of the ATF cooler assembly mid way through the 2020 model year and without notice to the buyer would be a breach of contract and actionable by a self-represented litigant in small claims court.

A valid contract has three components: offer, acceptance and payment.

The offer is what is included in the sales brochure and online marketing materials. Other documentation and evidence may help to interpret disagreements or ambiguities as to the details of offer, such as the Owner's Manual. The offer is not limited to what is printed on the window sticker, VIN decode, and the purchase and sale agreement (though I will need to read that carefully when it is presented to me and double check that fine print before I sign, or hand write in my expectation that the agreement includes the ATF cooler before signing). Never be shy about adding your own text to a preprinted contract if you want to be clear about your expectations and the terms of the agreement.

There are several references to the ATF cooler in the Toyota marketing materials:

The brochure, current to yesterday, at the end in both the Safety and Convenience details and in the Towing details identifies the ATF cooler as standard equipment on all 2020 Tacoma models.
https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/2020/tacoma_ebrochure.pdf

The online marketing info, also current to yesterday, says the same.
https://www.toyota.com/tacoma/features/weights_capacities/7566/7568/7170

I have saved copies of these documents offline, since they could disappear from the Toyota website any day.

The Owner's Manual on page 541 includes information that vehicles equipped with the tow package require 10.8 quarts of AT fluid, as opposed to 10.6 for those without a tow package, again suggesting the presence of the ATF cooler assembly.

The Parts manual also identifies the ATF cooler assembly for 2020 models.

At the dealership, I specifically inquired about my interest in the "tow package" and was assured that it was included as standard equipment.

Other 2020 models on the lot back in May when I made the deal, and some of the 2020 models on the lot today include the ATF cooler.

So, pretty clearly what Toyota is offering in the Tacoma 2020 model year is a truck which includes the ATF cooler assembly. That's the truck I have agreed to buy. I have accepted the offer of a 2020 Tacoma as described in the brochure and online materials, made a non-refundable deposit and will be meeting with the dealer this week or next to finalize the paperwork. I plan to express my expectation that the vehicle I receive will include the ATF cooler assembly, or that they add one at Toyota's expense.

Hopefully we will resolve this problem amicably, if the ATF cooler is missing from my truck, which I anticipate it will be since I ordered it in May 2020.

So far the dealer has been all smiles and good humor. If that changes and they decline to do the right thing, it appears to me that some relatively elementary and well understood legal principles are in my favour.

From my perspective, there is nothing in the fine print that I have read that would be interpreted to permit Toyota to only partially assemble the car they offered. Even if I am incorrect about that, I will be happy to play a few rounds of BS poker with the dealer to get the bargain we agreed to. Nobody wants to have to drag this into court to resolve, especially the dealer since they would likely require legal counsel to represent them and since the equities of the dispute would be so stacked against them. So I'm pretty confident that it will work out. I'll keep you posted.

 

I am pretty sure all the brochures say something along the lines of "Subject To Change".

 

I will be adding a B&M cooler, pretty easy job.

 

If you don’t want or need to install 1/2 inch NPT fittings on your cooler, you can purchase a TruCool cooler by Long Manufacturing and save some money.
Long Mfg makes the B&M coolers. I’ve purchased B&M and they had Long Manufacturing stamped on them.
The B&M and TruCool coolers are of the same construction. Tru-Cool stacked plate cooler:

 

Thanks for the info.!

 

Seeing as you're in Canada, have you found any concrete evidence from Toyota Canada? The links you posted are for USA vehicles and the Canadian site doesn't include ATF cooler at all in their brochure.

I'm still working with my dealer on this, and I'm hoping they come up with a solution. I bought with the understanding (and explicit mention) that an ATF cooler was standard equipment included in the tow package. My truck was ordered at the end of March and built in 03/2020. They had not yet received any 03/2020 Tacomas and were likely unaware of the change. My dealer has "escalated" this concern to Toyota Canada but I've yet to hear anything. I don't want them to sweep my concerns under the rug. This needs to be addressed for me and future owners. I'm not a big fan of forking out $$ on something that was standard equipment a month prior (and standard on EVERY single Tacoma on the lot).

 

I'm not a lawyer in real life or on TV, but the information you posted is for Toyota USA and would not apply to purchases made in Canada. Toyota (in Canada and the USA) makes changes to equipment throughout the year all the time, in addition marketing materials always include disclaimers about their validity, such as in the one you linked to:

Even excluding that, unless your bill of sale says "auxiliary air to liquid ATF cooler," the brochure is not wrong. All 2020 Tacomas still have ATF coolers, they're in the radiator. They just has one ATF cooler instead of two like the earlier production models.

Here's the Canadian brochure:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/toyota.sit...s/20-tacoma-brochure-en.pdf?ck=07212020105810

There is no mention of an ATF cooler in the brochure or on the Toyota.ca website.

That's probably your best bet as for any sort of "proof" that it should come with it. Is that the owner's manual for your specific truck? Toyota often updates the owners manuals throughout the year as well.

Not if the truck was made after March, the parts catalog is based on month of production, not model year.

Jeff

 

Honestly, I think the best course of action is to just talk to your dealer. I text the sales manager all the time and he's been great to work with. We have yet to come up with a concrete solution but he told me to hold off on going aftermarket for now, as he's hoping to rectify the situation. If they were to just cover the labour to install an OEM one, I'd probably gun for it.

All that being said, I think Toyota should do a better job of rolling out mid-model year changes to dealers so they can relay that information to customers. Communication goes a LONG way to making a customer satisfied. This whole ordeal has definitely left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth seeing as this is the first time I've ever bought a vehicle new.

Also, huge thanks to Jeff for all the information from his side.