Transmission fluid change again ?

#1
Hi,
I have a 2010 Corolla with about 65k miles on it, bought used about 5k miles ago.

Toyota dealership told me that my transmission fluid is old and has to be changed, which I thought it was odd since Toyota maintenance said it is a lifetime fluid.

So I decided to change it myself, with a regular drain and fill.
After draining I noticed the old fluid was very black. I refilled with almost 3 QT of new fluid.
After driving a few miles, the oil looks dirty again from the dipstick, all the old fluid mixed with the new one.

So what should I do now ?
- Do 2-3 more drain-and-fill again within 1-2 months until the fluid looks cleaner ?
- Flush the liquid and refill with new one by disconnecting the hose from the radiator (heavy and a little risky procedure)

I don't feel confident removing the transmission pan to clean it up now, I am thinking to do it at 100k miles.

Thanks for your advice
 
#2
GM

Sorry to hear about this dilemma, I would take it to a ( Toyota Serv. ) or any place of youre choice, and have them do a
Transmission Flush, what that does, they do a COMPLETE flush of that NICE transmissin and gets the black stuff that youre seen !
Hapy trails
Good luck, keep us updated !

3ddie @
 
#3
By black, do you mean burnt? Pull the dip stick and smell it and compare it to the new fluid in the bottle. No foul odor no problem. If by black you mean dark red all you need is a change and that is no big deal. put some on a white paper towel it should be pink or darker red. Pulling the pan is not a big job and something one must learn sometime. There are plenty of instructions on youtube so I won't labor it here. My suggestion, even though I hate dealers, is to use an OEM filter and Gasket. It seems that the aftermarket stuff is always a little too big or small so the extra money for OEM is worth it. and besides, it is a tranny and you want it done right. One thing to keep in mind, there is about 11 or 12 quarts of fluid in the system and a change with filter will only get, at most, four or five out., so it will look dark when mixed. Your goal should be pink to light red. I never flushed an automatic transmission, just done regular fluid and filter changes and I have never had a transmission failure. If you do want to replace most of it I wouldn't power flush, it pushes debris into the bearings and other components . The radiator line system will work, but before you put in the new fluid drop and clean the pan and change the filter before the refill. And always make sure you are using the right fluid for the model of transmission. My brother has a camry (bought new) with over 240,000 miles on it. He did regular transmission service himself, and it shifts like a new one
 
#4
The fluid is black, and it smells a little strong. It doesn't smell burnt, it just smell old oil. The new oil doesn't smell compared to it.
I don't know what the previous owner did with the car.

Toyota service wants to charge me $277 for this, so I prefer doing it myself, and I learn at the same time.
If I do a flush just by disconnecting the hose from the radiator, it should not be pushing debris I think. I will follow some tutorials online.

At this time I think flushing is more important than removing the pan. I can remove the pan but I am not sure if it is worth the risk (many screws, risk of leak if not tight enough (they say to not tight too much, so its hard to find between not enough and too tight), oil mess all over the garage, etc.)
If I do a flush at Toyota, I am not sure they will remove the pan to clean it up, most likely just flush from the hoses I suppose.
 
#5
All of your fluid goes through the filter and if that blocks up your tranny is toast. I agree the radiator flush won't kick up too much debris, but why is it black? Is it shifting ok, is there any slippage? It isn't that hard to drop the pan and change the filter. watch a few on youtube and buy or borrow a torque wrench. An independent garage will do it a lot cheaper than the dealer if you tell them what you want. I would change the filter to be safe. If it turns black again something else is wrong
 
#6
Oh, buy the way, if you are going with a total change get synthetic fluid. Check your owners manual Valvoline makes great fluids at a fraction of what Toyota charges. with a flush and filter you will probably need about 15 quarts. I would welcome comments here from others
 
#7
The filter on the Corolla just need cleaning, not to be replaced, it is a thin piece of metal with holes. I will clean it too then.
I only put genuine Toyota ATF WS inside, nothing else.

Transmission is shifting alright.
 
#8
This is my first Toyota so I'm not familiar with the filter. If there is no paper or fabric on the internal side of the holes then a cleaning is fine. If it is shifting and not slipping than the black color is probably due to age. Yes it will happen. The previous owner probably never changed it so it's time. Toyota fluid is fine, but in reality it's repackaged something else. I doubt they have their own refinery. Good luck and keep us posted. Happy motoring
 
#9
I have done a complete flush, it was necessary indeed.
I opened the oil pan, cleaned it, and discovered the oil filter was a paper one and very dirty. I went straight to autozone to buy a new one, then put back the pan, and started the flush.
I had to remove the aluminum washer on the drain, even with a new one it kept leaking. I put a standard rubber ring for oil drain from autozone, and it worked.
 
#10
And I think this is really irresponsible to call them lifetime filter and oil, it should be part of the scheduled maintenance every 60k miles or so
 
#11
There is a lot of joy and money to be saved by doing routine maintence yourself. Usually most people do the flush first then change the filter, clean the pan and top it off. It does take an extra 4-5 qts of fluid but I'm sure it is fine the way it was done. Also, if you have a steel based pan why not put a magnet on the outside (or on the inside the next time you change filters) you will be shocked at how much metal debris they capture and keep out of your fluid and filter.
 
#12
I have a 2001 sienna. 230k miles and transmission runs perfect. I drain what is in the pan once a year and replace what I drain with valvoline synthetic ATF. The transmission fluid on the dip stick looks pink and new with this schedule. I’ve never taken the pan off or replaced the filter.
 
#13
The fluid is black, and it smells a little strong. It doesn't smell burnt, it just smell old oil. The new oil doesn't smell compared to it.
I don't know what the previous owner did with the car.

Toyota service wants to charge me $277 for this, so I prefer doing it myself, and I learn at the same time.
If I do a flush just by disconnecting the hose from the radiator, it should not be pushing debris I think. I will follow some tutorials online.

At this time I think flushing is more important than removing the pan. I can remove the pan but I am not sure if it is worth the risk (many screws, risk of leak if not tight enough (they say to not tight too much, so its hard to find between not enough and too tight), oil mess all over the garage, etc.)
If I do a flush at Toyota, I am not sure they will remove the pan to clean it up, most likely just flush from the hoses I suppose.

I'd pay Toyota.... $277 is worth it in the long run, their flush cleans the entire system, just tell them what you want them to do... if theres any issues they'll let you know... if your not 100% comfortable with what your doing, the money you saved could be the money you got to put up and then some for something that you may have screwed up... Used cares can be a b!tch sometimes, i've bought some used cars and i'd flush everything and start my ownership fresh.... plus if they screw it up, they fix it (IF THEY ADMIT IT) Good luck
 
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