Ripped off? Transmission fluid filter change

Okay, this is my first post here, so I'll give it swing and see how it goes. I have a 2008 double cab Prerunner TRD sport. It has 81000 miles and I bought it with 78000 miles. I've had a slight vibration when backing up and turning and when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. I don't know what maintenance has been done before I bought it, so I thought I would get the differential fluid changed and the tranny fluid and filter. I've read in other threads that the diff fluid takes a friction modifier on the LSD and I thought getting the diff fluid changed may help my vibration.

Now to the good part, I picked the truck up today and there is no indication any where that anything was done. There was no indication that any fluid ran down the diff cover or any where on the transmission. When I do my oil changes, the drain plug either falls into my drain pan, of if I catch it, I have oil/grease on my fingers when I reinstall it and is has a gloss to it afterwards, even if I wipe it off. Also, the bolt heads didn't look like there were any recent marks from a socket. Either this was the cleanest fluid change known to man or this guy didn't do a damn thing.

My question is do you think I should be worried about this and is there anyway to tell if the work has been done other than me doing all over myself.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Well you can go back and ask for a parts copy to show filter was purchased. Check and smell tranny fluid.Remove fill port on rearend and check fluid condition.

 

Did you have a dealer do the work?

 

No, I had a transmission shop here in Lexington Ky do it.

 

Is there a difference on how it runs?

 

Test the fluid. If it's old, threaten to call the cops. Works everytime.

 

I'm starting to think the explanation that makes the most sense is what Chris4x4 said. I called my brother who is a Snap-on Tool dealer, so he's in shops all day. He said the same thing, they'll spray everything down with brake cleaner to see if there are any leaks. I think I'm going to pull the diff fill plug and check the fluid condition. I still have the vibrations at the moment, but I've heard that it can take little while for the friction modifier to work its way into the diff clutch plates. I've put 5 miles on it since I picked it up.

 

In the future. I always walk by the bays to make sure they are doing the fluid change. If it is sitting on the rack, I hang out within viewing distance to see them let the fluid out. This is if I don't take it to the Stealer.

I took my 05 to Goodyear for the diff change. I couldn't get the top bolt out. So I had to waste money getting it done. I made sure they dumped the fluid.

 

The next time I also think I'm going to put "truth marks" on the bolt heads and tranny / diff housing. I've heard them called truth marks, but take a razor blade and mark both the bolt and the housing. If they all line up perfect when I get it back I got ripped off. If they don't line up, I at lease know they broke them loose.

 

I say next time, man up and do it yourself. I hate the fact that I can't trust any one to touch my vehicles, but it's because I been effed over too many times. The only things I take my rides in for is things I can't do myself like tires and alignment. It took 3 1/2 yrs to find someone I trust to do just that.

 

Texoma, I do agree, I'll do it myself next time. I usually do, but I'm in a transition mode living in an apartment with half my stuff in storage.

 

That sucks. Last apartment I lived in wanted to evict me for working on my truck, then wanted me to paint it all one color cuz they said it was an eye sore. Apartment Nazi's

 

To get back on topic.... You can do the white strip of paper to dip into the fluids to check there condition. Then since you live in an apartment and are forced to take your truck elsewhere for service you can use nail polish (bright colors being the best, I like orange) as a tamper seal on all of your nuts. Can't have any one tampering with your nuts with out you knowing about it.

 

I hate when that happens. Having my nuts tampered with, unless she's hot!

 

Great update to my story. The next day I had guys I work with that are fairly knowledgeable about cars look at the diff and tranny. They agreed nothing had been done. I also had a guy at NAPA and my father in-law look at it. All agreed nothing had been done. So I took it to the sister shop of the one that did my work. I asked to speak with the manager and told him that I had my car at a shop the day before and that I thought I had gotten ripped off. I never told him it was his other shop. He said I'll throw it on a lift and that they could tell if the pan had been removed and if the diff work had been done. So I take my phone and put on voice recorder and the comes up to me and says that there is no way that pan had been off. He said I think you got screwed. He then asked me who did the work, that's when I said your other shop down the road and handed him the receipt. Literally shit his pants. So needless to say he said he would do the work for me at no charge.

So today after work I'm going back to the original store and demand my money back, I don't want these scammers touching my truck again. Who knows how they would try to F me again. They'd probably put engine oil in it for spite.

Lesson learned, if at all possible do the work yourself.

 

bought mine with 48k and nothing was ever done to the trans,diff's,transfer.
i put WS in the trans,and amsoil in the rest.

 

Props to sticking it to em!

 

Oh that's awful. That was pretty smart of you to go to the sister store and have the guy look at it.

I'm wondering if any kind of reprimand is going to happen. I think some kind of write up on Yelp would help to warn others.