Automatic Tranny fluid change

[Skrillah]

Hey guys,

I was hoping someone might be able to assist me in changing my automatic tranny fluid/filter. I have a Haynes manual but its a little vague and the pictures aren't much help...

I'm hoping you guys had better advice on how to do this change effectively. I'm not really into taking my truck to the dealer for this service as my dealer is pretty crappy and I rather just make sure its done right. I'm planning to use Dex III fluid, but don't again don't really know what I"m doing. I understand a flush would do me better probably but again thats a $100 job here at my dealer and that doesn't include the filter and fluid...so....

I found a write-up from Bob on a 5spd fluid change but not on an auto...My 4runner info is below.

Thanks guys!

[xonetruthcrewx]

The problem with the auto is that 80% of the fluid is in the torque converter and you cant drain that. All you can drain is whats in the pan. A shop will have a machine that exchanges the fluid. As it spits out the old it puts new in. If you want to do it yourself, you can do this. Drain the fluid in the pan, drop the pan, change the filter. Top off the fluid with new. Drive a little bit. Drain the fluid again from the pan and fill it with new. Basically what you are doing here is diluting the fluid with new until it is mostly new fluid. You will need to run through this process 4 or 5 times. Some cars dont have a drain plug on the tranny. That will make this job a pain in the ass. What you can do if you dont have a drain plug is put one in. With the pan off, drill a hole in it. Weld a nut on the inside and istall a drain plug. Easy enough. Have fun.

[Lee]

^^^^due to this just pay to get it changed.

no need to go to the dealership

[bamachem]

you can EASILY flush it yourself.

i did. it was VERY easy. you simply take the old fluid to a super wal mart or another oil change place and they dispose of it for free.

1. Make sure the fluid is warm. Warm up the car so the transmission is at normal operating temperature. Pull the transmission dipstick (located near the firewall on the passenger side). Fresh fluid is translucent and cherry red. Some darkening is normal, but if it is reddish brown or mustard color and smells like burnt varnish, it is worn out.

2. Drain the fluid by loosening the drain bolt. Allow all the old fluid to drain out. Replace drain bolt and fill with 4 quarts of new Transmission Fluid thru the dipstick tube via a long, narrow neck funnel.

3. You now have replaced the fluid in the pan. To replace the fluid in the torque converter and oil cooler also, follow these steps.

- Step 1. Obtain the total system capacity of the vehicle from the manufacturer or AMSOIL. Have this amount readily available. An A340 holds about 16 qts total, so you'll need about 18-20 for a complete flush.

- Step 2. Disconnect the oil cooler line from the oil cooler. As you may not know which is the pressure side and which is the return side, have both directed so the stream of fluid will be directed toward a receptacle. I'm pretty sure that the driver side connection is the one you want, but do both just to be sure. I put the ends of the hoses in a 5-gallon bucket. I actually clamped a set of vice-grips on the pump discharge end to slow down the flow a little.

- Step 3. With another person, be prepared to add ATF to the fill area as it is being pumped out of the oil cooler line.

- Step 4. Start the engine, and as the old fluid is pumped out, add fresh fluid to the pan. You won't be able to add it as fast as it's pumped out. I would start w/ a full pan, start the truck, and then pour as fast as I could for about 2-min, then shut the truck off and refill the pan. Repeat - it took me about 4 or 5 times to get all the fluid in and nice new fluid coming out.

- Step 5. When either the fluid color brightens or the total capacity has been replaced, shut the engine off and re-attach the oil cooler line. All fluids has now been changed.

4. Recheck the fluid level. With the car on level ground, set the parking brake and the transmission in Park or Neutral. Let the engine idle for a few minutes. Shift the transmission into different positions before returning the lever to Park or Neutral. Check the fluid level again and check for leaks.


total cost for regular, non-syn fluid is about $40 (20 quarts at $2/qt) and it takes about 20 minutes for the whole process. the trans takes 16 quarts total, but you need to run a little more than that to completely flush it and you will want some left over to top it off.

[Skrillah]

You guys are awesome, thanks for the tips! I'm going to get everything together this week and tackle it next week...maybe I'll do a write up...as you bamachem describe.

[reggie 00]

Are you having problems or just being maintenance conscious?

Problem with a flush, if its an older tranny you can actually cause problems.

Changing your fluid is pretty easy.

Get all you parts and materials handy.

Fluid, gasket or FIP, brake cleaner, drain pan, tools.

Warms things up. i have always gotten the tranny to operating temp. I usually drove around the block or something.

Park it and secure it.

Time to drain.

If you are not fortunate enough to a drain plug. It can get a bit messy.
Starting at the end that is at the more "downward angle" remove the pan bolts.

Keep removing the pan bolts till you get to the opposite end of the pan. Leave these in for a moment.

Now position your catch pan. Start slowly turn at a time loosening those end bolts you left in place.

The pan should start to dip down. If it isn't take a scraper and slide it between the pan and tranny and break the seal. (make sure you have only loosened those back bolts a turn or two)

Once the pan "dips" loosen those back bolts a turn or so at a time to continue to lower the pan and drain the fluid.

Once everything has drained out pop off those bolts if they havent come off already. Leave the catch pan there as this thing will continue to drip for sometime.

Clean out the pan inside and out. Sometimes there will be magnets inside to catch gunk. Clean em and make sure to put em back in. Usually you will find a fine paste of metal. Unless it is real chunky with big bits of metal just clean it up.

Pop off the filter. most likely all you will have to do is spray it out with some cleaner. If it has physical damage you will have to replace it.

Put everything back together.

On the pan you can use a gasket or just lay a bead of FIP.

when you tighten the bolts back up make sure you do it in a back and forth pattern. You will also need to make sure you only tighten them down to the recommended torque. If you over tighten you can breech the gasket or warp the pan. Both will cause leaks.

fill it back up according to the specs.

Check for obvious leaks then start it up.

Cycle the tranny thru the gears after it has reached operating temp and check the level. top off as necessary.


hopefully that helps ya, i have messed around a lot of autos, rebuilt ones and serviced others. Alot of the above is just personal preference mixed into the recommended stuff.

[Lee]

damn, andy, never seen those steps before...

[reggie 00]

I want to say i saw my uncle at his shop do something similar. He dropped the return side in a 5 gallon of new fluid and had the cooler input side dumping out the old in a catch can.

[Skrillah]

Andy, according to your directions...I shouldn't change out the filter or actually drop the pan???

Reggie, thanks for the input. I'm not having any troubles just trying to be maint. conscious as my truck is very close to 140k miles and I don't know that a its ever been done (or at least not in the 20k miles i've owned it). The fluid color is a darker red/maroon but not burnt smelling, which is good, I've heard if it is that signifies the tranny has been overheated.

modify: I do have a drain plug so it should be pretty painless I imagine.

Like I said it runs like a top in every aspect and I just want to make sure it stays that way. I should clarify that I debated on selling and am still on the teter-totter a little but pricing out the newer models, it just doesn't seem logical to spend $11-12k for a truck with 100k miles just to get the bigger 3.4L, not to mention my 4runner is paid for and already mildly built. I'm gonna open it up with a bigger exhaust, get some of these little maint. things taken care of and it'll last every bit as long as that newer 4runner I was gonna buy. Maybe a re-gear too.

[MTL_4runner]

Andy, according to your directions...I shouldn't change out the filter or actually drop the pan???

Reggie, thanks for the input. I'm not having any troubles just trying to be maint. conscious as my truck is very close to 140k miles and I don't know that a its ever been done (or at least not in the 20k miles i've owned it). The fluid color is a darker red/maroon but not burnt smelling, which is good, I've heard if it is that signifies the tranny has been overheated.

modify: I do have a drain plug so it should be pretty painless I imagine.

Like I said it runs like a top in every aspect and I just want to make sure it stays that way. I should clarify that I debated on selling and am still on the teter-totter a little but pricing out the newer models, it just doesn't seem logical to spend $11-12k for a truck with 100k miles just to get the bigger 3.4L, not to mention my 4runner is paid for and already mildly built. I'm gonna open it up with a bigger exhaust, get some of these little maint. things taken care of and it'll last every bit as long as that newer 4runner I was gonna buy. Maybe a re-gear too.


Andy's method of flushing is the easiest for the DIY'er and is also the most through at changing all the fluid. You can also just keep draining the pan but again you're just diluting old fluid with new. I would suggest to use the cooler flush method and then drop the pan and clean the filter. I wouldn't skip that step either because with that many miles I think you'd be surprised how much crap you'll find in that filter.

[Skrillah]

Andy, according to your directions...I shouldn't change out the filter or actually drop the pan???

Reggie, thanks for the input. I'm not having any troubles just trying to be maint. conscious as my truck is very close to 140k miles and I don't know that a its ever been done (or at least not in the 20k miles i've owned it). The fluid color is a darker red/maroon but not burnt smelling, which is good, I've heard if it is that signifies the tranny has been overheated.

modify: I do have a drain plug so it should be pretty painless I imagine.

Like I said it runs like a top in every aspect and I just want to make sure it stays that way. I should clarify that I debated on selling and am still on the teter-totter a little but pricing out the newer models, it just doesn't seem logical to spend $11-12k for a truck with 100k miles just to get the bigger 3.4L, not to mention my 4runner is paid for and already mildly built. I'm gonna open it up with a bigger exhaust, get some of these little maint. things taken care of and it'll last every bit as long as that newer 4runner I was gonna buy. Maybe a re-gear too.


Andy's method of flushing is the easiest for the DIY'er and is also the most through at changing all the fluid. You can also just keep draining the pan but again you're just diluting old fluid with new. I would suggest to use the cooler flush method and then drop the pan and clean the filter. I wouldn't skip that step either because with that many miles I think you'd be surprised how much crap you'll find in that filter.


Thanks Jamie, the flush doesn't seem bad at all and I definitely agree that just doing the pan wouldn't do any good. Where does dropping the pan and doing the filter come in to the steps that Andy provided?

edit: Flush it first and then drain the pan one last time?

[04 Rocko Taco]

IMHO... I would drain it, clean the pan and asket, and change the filter, then do the flush, but thats just me....

the little bit of crud that might get into the filter during the flush isnt worh wasting that 20% of brand new fluid to drop the pan again after the flush to me...

Let us know how it goes.

[MTL_4runner]

Thanks Jamie, the flush doesn't seem bad at all and I definitely agree that just doing the pan wouldn't do any good. Where does dropping the pan and doing the filter come in to the steps that Andy provided?

edit: Flush it first and then drain the pan one last time?


Flush it first, then pull the pan to clean the filter and bottom of the pan, reinstall and refill. I see Chris' point on wasting fluid, but it's really relatively cheap and flushing will waste quite a bit anyway so I don't really think it's that big of a deal IMHO.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Thanks Jamie, your right of course, flushing first is the CORRECT way to clean it all out. I'm lazy and am more of the school of thought of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' so I'm a little different than most, the way you have it figured, is the better and more thorough way to do it, no doubt about that. I suppose if your gonna go through all the trouble, you might as well do ti the right way. :)

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[Skrillah]

Thanks guys, yeah I'll keep you posted on how it goes and what the filter and pan look like after all these miles. Although, it probably won't get done until later this week but maybe this evening...

Is it absolutely neccessary that I have a new filter and gasket handy? If so, would Toyota parts be the best way to go or could a Napa or similar product work? It may be the weekend if I have to get these parts together.

edit: actually the above might be a stupid question, that is, having "the filter/gasket handy" part. Having extra of something never hurts, except for the whole money in your wallet part... :shake:

[MTL_4runner]

Is it absolutely neccessary that I have a new filter and gasket handy? If so, would Toyota parts be the best way to go or could a Napa or similar product work? It may be the weekend if I have to get these parts together.

The filter is reuseable, just wash out with brake cleaner and air dry.
The "gasket" is called FIPG (essentially an RTV like gasket maker) available at the dealer.

[xonetruthcrewx]

For sealing the tranny pan, dont use the gasket. There is this stuff called "The Right Stuff", use that. It is a gasket maker and it is probably the best gasket maker ever. You can get it a NAPA or AutoZone. Probably the other parts stores too.

[reggie 00]

the filter is reusable, but if you drop everything and find out the PO or something else damaged it i hope you have a second mode of transportation.

Also you are doing the change at around the best time. They recommend you change you tranny fluid right before summer months. That way you have nice fresh fluid that can handle the warmer temps.


Have fun.

and kitty litter is a cheap easy clean up. and make sure you dont try to wash you cloths in the washer after a big spill. you dont want to know the after effects.

[baloo]

Having similar miles to Skrillah, and living in a climate that goes to both extremes over the course of a year (Currently at -15 with wind chill), I have been considering changing to a synthetic in my '01 Taco. After reading this flush method, along with the new filter I have sitting here in a box, I think now it is just a matter of deciding on the right synthetic and taking the leap.

Already went with syn in the engine about a month ago and was getting ready to do the transfer cases and diffs. With the tranny, guess I will be spending one of these colder days at my shop swapping out fluids. :clap:

[Skrillah]

Having similar miles to Skrillah, and living in a climate that goes to both extremes over the course of a year (Currently at -15 with wind chill), I have been considering changing to a synthetic in my '01 Taco. After reading this flush method, along with the new filter I have sitting here in a box, I think now it is just a matter of deciding on the right synthetic and taking the leap.

Already went with syn in the engine about a month ago and was getting ready to do the transfer cases and diffs. With the tranny, guess I will be spending one of these colder days at my shop swapping out fluids. :clap:


Coo man, for the diffs you can just go with any 75-90 weight synthetic, I don't remember the brand I used when I switched over, I got it a napa though. Good luck with the front diff drain plug, it can be bear to get off. Depending on the year of your truck and it looks a little newer, you'll need a 10mm allen wrench (hex). I don't know about the fill plug though. On my '97 I believe it was a 12mm for the drain and a 10mm for the fill.

I don't know a whole lot about synthetic tranny fluid...maybe someone will chime in with more info on that...I was probably just going to go with a DEX III fluid. Although, i could be easily persuaded....