low automatic transmission fluid

I bought my truck last year and I noticed that it wasn't driving all that well. I suspected that it was something with the transmission. I went it for my 5k, 10k, 15k maintenance and told the dealership that the transmission wasn't performing correctly and said they will check on it, they came back and told me that everything was performing normally.

( this was in 2020 )

This year I decided to change the transmission fluid and to my surprise, only 3-4 quarts came out of the drain plug. So basically I have been driving for a year with low transmission fluid that was only less than half filled. Tacomas require at least 9 quarts of transmission fluid.

How many people experience this problem? how did you deal with it?

 

Should have done a lot more reading before draining the fluid...
The pan only holds a portion of the fluid. Refill takes a special procedure where the transmission fluid is brought to a prescribed temperature, then the level plug is pulled to drain excess fluid.
Hope you put back in exactly what you had taken out. Good luck.

 

You have lots of reading to do, welcome aboard!

This is a good thread to start with:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...be-low-on-fluid-directly-from-factory.405642/

 

A 'drain' does not empty the transmission.

Of course it's possible the trans was low from the factory. There were some problems with that in the early 3rd gens, have not heard of same in recent years. Your 'feel' may have well been more software related. Some service departments are good about such things, some not so much.

Hope you refill it properly and properly check the level. It's not 'hard', but it is a bit tricky for the average driveway user. And be sure to use the correct fluid so you don't introduce any future warranty issues.

 

Yep, from what i've been told, just adding a qt too much atf in these transmissions can severely damage them.

 

There’s a reason manufacturers have removed the dipstick. Instances like this are a prime example.

And now I can see the need to seal the pan and the fill plug in a way that it can only be opened via tech-stream software with a solenoid that would allow it.

Moreover, this would save $$ millions over the years in warranty claims. And btw, there’s no patent on this idea yet and TOYOTA is free to use and patent it. And yes, you’re welcomed TOYOTA

 

Future Lt. Dangle is gonna enjoy the hell out of all the tranny problem threads with owners blaming Toyota and not themselves for not properly understanding their vehicle and how to service it.

 

It’s a complicated procedure, but now it’s something you absolutely have to do to correct your mistake. As long as you follow the instructions you are fine.

check this thread for exact instructions:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-automatic-transmission-fluid-level-check-diy.547455/

The “low AT fluid made my truck drive poorly” is mostly myth building and placebo affect around here. Guys who claim their transmission was down 1/4 of a quart and this explains their bad shifting have zero idea how an automatic transmission works. It’s not low AT that makes these trucks drive the way they do. It’s all Toyota.

 

This used to be a thing, this low trans fluid, when the 3rd gen first came out, dealers couldn't even check the level right, now it's a crime???

The crime is all manufactures making it so things aren't user serviceable, have to take the truck to the dealership for air, nitrogen, in the tires..... Ha, WTF.

 

There is a lot of reasonable reasons they eliminated the transmission dipstick across almost all vehicles. The Tacoma has not had one since the 1st gen so this is nothing new. The F150, which outsells the Tacoma by hundreds of thousands doesn’t have one either, no does any other car or truck, save a couple, released in the last 10 years. It’s not just cost cutting, it actually improves the long term reliability of the transmission.

 

I respectfully disagree, if you can't check it easily, you won't check it. Low fluid builds extra heat, heat is the number 1 killer of auto tranny's.

 

You can check it. It’s easy enough if you have the patience and know-how.

If you show me a thread here discussing a leaking Automatic Transmission that needs to be topped up (is there one?) I’ll show you 20 threads where the guy goofed up the fill process.

The #1 killer of automatic transmissions is owners adding the wrong fluid and oxidization of the oil, hence the move to sealed transmissions that cannot be easily messed with by “shade tree mechanics” who swear it just needs another quart because they are “towing”.

 

This is all absolutely correct, BUT... the point is, you, as the end-user are not supposed to check it. This is now meant to be a service centre only function. And, if a transmission is sealed, there's really no opportunity for the fluid to get low.

 

The instructions referenced by post 9 above are relevant.
NOTE: you don't use a jumper on 2020 and 2021 models.
Just follow the instructions but you do not have to jump the ODBC pins to get into temp check mode.

 

Todays transmissions are so very dependable, it usually is something someone has done to it. Fluids are much better and longer lasting today, but just being able to see if there's enough fluid in the thing is reassuring to old farts.

 

I agree.......but are these same old farts pulling their differential dipstick? their transfer case dipstick? How about the dipstick on their manual transmission?

The only error was ever giving people an automatic transmission dipstick in the 1st place. Now they still expect to see it, even though it been long-gone on almost all cars for a decade or more, and we are fine with other critical fluids having no dipstick.

 

I see a disaster in the making

 

I like that analogy, good point.
I think my 2012 Sport had a dip stick on the trans, but my 2015 OR I know didn't have one.

 

How do you get into temp check mode in the latest models?