Transmission fluid change?

My 2006 4x4 V6 has hit 197k miles and I was thinking of doing a drain and fill for the automatic transmission, as i've heard that flushing it at this high of mileage can do some damage. I haven't had any issues yet with the transmission, but the fluid is very dirty and likely hasn't been changed. I'm not the original owner, so to my knowledge the fluid hasn't been changed. I've heard some people say to just leave it alone if it doesn't cause any issues, and some people say drain and fill a few times to completely change the fluid is the way to go. Any advice?

 

if it aint broke, don't fix it. but you do you ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_6BZpK3gg

Welcome to Tacoma World....hope this video answers some and maybe all your questions about a drain and fill on your transmission fluid. Given the about of miles on the truck you might want to consider a pan drop and clean and reistall with new gasket after cleaning the pan and magnets. We can get into all the information about what fluid to use and so on but first you will need to decide if its just a drain and fill or the other. To that, after you watch the video you will need to have a way to read the temperature of the fluid....I would not recommend using a infrared digital thermometer heat measuring gun or equivalent as they may be unable to give you an accurate temperature of the transmission fluid temperature. I would be my suggestion to get an OBDII devise that can accurately read the temperature.

Best of luck and keep us all posted on your thoughts

Ciao

 

Pan drop for contamination inspection .
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trans-fluid-change.647654/

 

I would be anxious to do anything but a full flush on a vehicle with that many miles. I would not do a drain and refill. Mixing old fluid and new fluid, especially if the old fluid is in poor condition just = milkshake.

The myth that flushes cause transmission issues is false. If your transmission is going to fail, it's going to fail, a flush may speed it up but it doesn't cause damage. It exposes damage.

 

My understanding is that a drain & fill is much less risky than doing a real flush... not that either of them are a serious risk anyway. I agree that neither of these will cause a failure -- if it fails, it was going to fail anyway. I would definitely do a quick & easy drain & fill, this will change out 1/4 to 1/3 of the total capacity, see how it feels and go from there.

 

Mine transmission got its first service around 175k and is now at 185k and is fine. Pan drop and replaced the filter. I wouldn’t use a machine that flushes.

 

My toyota dealer is offering a fluid change with a filter for 200 usd in vancouver? Sounds like it's worth it. Anyone else had it done at a dealer?

 

Good Afternoon Eli....welcome to TW and a warm welcome from Victoria BC.

Its not a bad deal....I've had pricing for the ATF from a dealer at about $32.00cad (4x$8.00) and $48.00cad for the gasket. There is no filter it's a screen; most folks back flush the screen with brake kleen and reinstall. So, with that been said $80.00cnd you could do it yourself if you have a OBD2 reader that can read the Trans pan temp. If you do not, just let the dealer do it for that price....

Ciao

 

If the transmission is not already compromised changing the fluid won't hurt, probably won't help either. If the transmission is already starting to go bad leaving it alone will get you another year or so down the road depending on how much, and how you drive. If there is excessive wear in the transmission changing the fluid at this point will speed up failure. Often within days of making the fluid changes.

Unless you've let the fluid overheat the factory fluid should be good for a minimum of 400,000 miles. The transmission shop that I use doesn't recommend ever changing the fluid unless you overheat it. The guys who change it regularly don't get any longer life than the guys who leave it alone. Their advice is to save the money you'd spend on changing ATF until you need to have the transmission rebuilt. The money you'd spend on changing the fluid every 50,000 miles would cover about 1/2 the cost of having it rebuilt at 400,000 miles. And it's going to need a rebuilt at about that point either way.

 

I wouldn't do a flush. I'd do a drain and fill. Drive for a little bit. Then do another drain and fill. Do this a couple times.
Takes longer, but is easier in the transmission.
A power flush may dislodge some built up material that can then travel to a valve or valve in the transmission.

Just my 2 cents

 

Golly , 400,000 miles .
Are we back in the 70,s with a cast iron valve body ? Those old transmissions use to run for a long time because they had a cast iron valve body with steel spool valves . I can understand your transmission shop making that statement regarding those old transmissions .
I can guarantee the guys who replace their fluid in an all aluminum A750E toyota transmission from 2005-2015 save their transmission from early failure . This is a well proven fact
The spool valving in these Toyota transmissions are extremely prone to wear due to their composition of mostly aluminum .
As you advance in mileage without replacing the fluid , particles are carried through the transmission filter into the valve body .
The downfall .....Our transmissions have adaptive learning as well as a computer that compensates for internal wear .
The every day driver doesnt notice anything wrong as the transmission still shifts .

 

I just flushed mine yesterday with the DIY full flush write up on here. Dropped the pan, put in a new Wix filter and gasket, the whole works. I used Valvoline Maxlife ATF.

It runs better now and shifts a lot better. At 152k I think it had been done 1 or 2 times but the difference is huge.

 

Dropping the pan is by far the most important sequence to the procedure . Awesome job

Too many members are just dropping the old fluid without removing the pan .
When they skip out on dropping the pan , you risk sediment lift .
Your old fluid worked hard all its life by carrying normal wear sediments to the bottom of the pan , the magnets and the transmission filter . Now the old fluid has depleted and the re-agents in the old fluid are no longer as powerful as new fluid
When you introduce new fluid with an extremely high detergent rating without removing the pan , the detergents lift some debris off the bottom of the pan , the magnets and filter . The debris travels through your valve body like sand paper .
Ask me how I know this ?

 

Thanks, I didn't think it was needed at every flush but there was a little bit of gunk at the bottom. Although I should be good to go for 50-60k miles before I need to do all that again.

 

13 qts at the dealer of toyota WS = $120

400000 / 50000 = 8.....

8x120 = 960 bucks over the 400k miles for transmission fluid. (half that if you go with something like Valvoline Maxlife).... find me a transmission rebuild thats 480-960 bucks and ill show you a transmission that will fail shortly after.

 

I did a full drain n replace (12ish quarts) at 60k, ill be doing a pan drop with new filter as well at 120k.

 

Valvoline Maxlife is cheaper and probably better for our trucks than WS. Not that WS is bad or Toyota wouldn't put it in their vehicles.

 

Your method is the one I’ll be doing with AMSOIL. Drain and fill several times. I was told no need to replace the transmission strainer or remover pan unless you’re having issues already with not keeping up with the maintenance intervals. Also was told that the detergents in the ATF will clean the sludge out when drain/fill with the manufacture recommended intervals