Alternative to waiting for 105 - 113 Trans Temp to check fluid

Pardon me if I am re-posting something that was already posted. The trick to checking the transmission fluid in these trucks without a dipstick is that they MUST be checked at the perfect temp range of 103 - 113 degrees of transmission temperature to avoid fluid from draining out due to fluid expansion. So, some dealers make you leave the truck all day in order to get it to the recommended temp. However, some dealers may have this alternative method. It uses an adjustable tube to compensate for the heat of the fluid. Brings the time down to around 30 minutes to check vs. all day. Now, the kicker? DOES your dealer have these tools and method. It may be worth asking. Either way, good video to better understand the reasons and how to properly check your fluid. I have seen a lot of conflicting info on these groups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNcecuGzTDg&feature=youtu.be

Enjoy!

 

Woah.. gonna need to go get another degree from Weber State... are you kidding me! What's wrong with a dipstick for crying out loud. Man I'm glad I bought a manual tranny.

So the big challenge is the trans fluid expands when it's hot.. OK that's a little bit of physics that's been around... now that volume changes with air pressure .. in our case height above sea level, nothing new there either, different temps fluid expands differently... yup there's a law of physics for that.

I guess it's harder to engineer a fluid without all the changes in density with temp and pressure than it is to develop a convoluted way of checking fluid level that requires a degree in mechanical engineering ... What am I missing?

I went in to get my transmission fluid level checked and they ruined my transmission doing the check. Cross threading my trans axle fill plug now it's leaking fluid and I'm stranded with CEL and limp mode! Nice...

 

saw in some post toyota has revised the temp to 95 degrees when checking. could check it on a hot summer day...

 

Don't manuals still have a dipstick?

 

Hoping this is true, would greatly simplify the process.

Or heres one... How about make the fill hole on the side the proper fluid level. Park on flat surface, transmission cooled, remove fill plug and add fluid until it spills out. Put the plug back in a call it done.

 

automatic vehicle drivers cannot be trusted with that. that privilege is reserved for the obviously more knowledgeable manual transmission owners.

 

sub'd

 

Transmission fluid doesn't expand that much at low temps (120*). Just check it and quit trying to over complicate things

 

Why not pre-warm the fluid?

 

that's called driving it

 

A lot of cars have a section on the dash that says transmission temperature.

A decent scanner when hooked to the OBD2 system will tell you transmission fluid temperature. So you can start it from cold with the scanner hooked up, wait for it to hit proper temperature and check it. Definitely wouldn't take long. But yes it would need to cool if you just drove it to the dealership.

 

Hah! I knew I should have waited and got the manual.

 

I like the idea of a scan tool. I know the Techstream is like 2K. Are there known scan tools that offer reliable data and ease of use?

 

Guys.. it only takes like 12-15 minutes of idling (on a level surface) to bring it to Temp Chk Range... then slide under and pull the plug... It ain't Rocket Science...

 

I respectfully disagree. That check range is not very broad and I think using a scan tool to ensure you are in the range is the better way to go.

 

Sorry, buddy... I'm talking about using a piece of wire in the OB2 hookup, and getting the truck into....Tranny Temp Mode... It's part of doing it right... All I was trying to say it only takes 15 min or so, but you got to get the truck into the mode first.

I was trying to answer the scan tool idea... a 4" piece of wire will do what you want... read and learn... it's here !!

Sorry if I was not clear.. Just addressing the "time" to get to temp...issue.

 

Oh cool. No worries. I'll look into that option to then. I just trust the dealer and I've built motors for years but all my stuff had dipsticks.

 

Thanks for the video. That guy took forever. but really cool to see how they made a product to accommodate service departments and customers.

 

All this BS could have been avoided by using a simple dipstick. Talk about complicating things for nothing...Come on Toyota!!!
There's no common sense anymore.

 

Serious question... hypothetically, if I were doing a drain and fill of the transmission fluid, even if the fluid was 108 degrees when I started the process the new oil going in would be ambient. How does the inner fluid level tube account for a fluid change at say 80 degrees? Or is the expansion difference so minimal that it doesn't matter below a certain temperature?