Toyota uses a automatic fluid that is a lifetime fluid. There are people in the Toyota forums that have well over 250k miles on the original. I still change mine every 50k miles.
One theory, I suspect there are quite a few manual transmissions and gearboxes on the road that have the same fluid in them for the life of the vehicle, with no obvious ill effects. That would probably be less common for automatic transmissions.
I wonder how my old GM pickup tranny would hold up to that abuse. Unlike most manual transmissions that used gear oil…GM used Dexron-III.
@Dem_Beta. They care becasue of their experience. Obviously, civilians messing around with checking a transmission have caused problems, lots of them. This is a warranty problem. It’s different then checking your oil and I firmly believe they don’t want you " in the engine compartment " with the motor running. I think it’s really that simple. They are treating now like the differentials. The average person doesn’t know how to use an auto dipstick. Trans fluids are VERY. Particular too.
Yeah it seems odd to me that he is doing them at a dealership. I’m still vetting the guy, told him I want to meet maybe after he gets off work one day and go over the repairs and what not.
I would imagine a dealership owner would be worried about liability for things they aren’t even receiving a profit for. I’m not sure if this guy just has a key to get in on Sundays or if they have some program worked out there with their techs.
Then again, if he does solid work and is risking his job, it isn’t really my problem.
Not buying it. So they don’t want people servicing their own transmissions, but I suppose people should have known how to replace ignition switches to prevent loss of control and fiery death. Manufactures don’t think about these things, they think about profit, even if that means substandard products and/or stupid designs.
Toyota uses a automatic fluid that is a lifetime fluid. There are people in the Toyota forums
that have well over 250k miles on the original.
When I asked two Toyota dealerships and a longtime transmission shop when to replace the fluid in our Toyota (no dipstick, WS fluid), all three said to wait till 100,000 miles.
The two Toyota dealers are normally hungry for service business. If they said wait till 100K miles, I can’t help but think that their experience is indicating the WS fluid and supposedly cooler fluid temps in the transmissions are better than what it replaced.
What infuriates me about Toyota is that for years the owner’s manual doesn’t mention the dipstick, and it states the transmission is sealed and has lifetime fluid
The picture in the book that shows the engine bay, with the hood open, does NOT show the trans dipstick
Yet when you pop the hood, and carefully look, you’ll see the dipstick. And the pan even has a drain plug
Pure lies and marketing BS
By the way, my neighbor has a 2005 GM truck. His owner’s manual stated the atf didn’t have to be changed under normal conditions. His trans bit the dust at 70K
i agree. you can be too safe sometimes. lots of people tow things with their pickups and suvs. those folks certainly should change out at 30-50K. but for my passenger vehicles, i also think 100K is a good number.
i also have experience on a passenger vehicle that made it past 300K w/o a single change. (don’t recommend that, but it can be done)
What infuriates me about Toyota is that for years the owner's manual doesn't mention the dipstick, and it states the transmission is sealed and has lifetime fluid
The picture in the book that shows the engine bay, with the hood open, does NOT show the trans dipstick
Yet when you pop the hood, and carefully look, you’ll see the dipstick. And the pan even has a drain plug
My 05 4runner, wifes 07 Lexus and my 14 Highlander…non of them have a tranny dipstick.
“sealed” is a term often used by Toyota for their recent transmissions. It may be a marketing term, but their TSB does caution that the WS fluid must be stored in sealed containers that aren’t exposed to the atmosphere where they can absorb moisture.
Toyota 5-speed transmissions up through 2010 had a dipstick and drainplug. Their 6-speed transmissions do not.
Here’s a google doc of a Toyota TSB (T-SB-0006-11) describing some of it:
To me, it is just bad advice, to claim that any atf is lifetime fluid
Many vehicle owners will beg to differ
And the idea that at 100k, you inspect the fluid is laughable
So let’s say you really don’t have a dipstick or drain plug . . .
Is the idea to remove the pan and drain the atf into a clean tub, inspect it, decide it’s okay, then reuse it . . . ?!
If you’re going to that much trouble, just service the fluid and be done with it
The idea of inspecting the fluid and reusing is about as funny as the idea of removing a thermostat, testing its operation, then putting it back into service
I was shopping for S Series Saturns a few weeks ago and noticed they have a screw on AT filter.
Any downsides to such a design?
I would imagine that a simple drain plug and screw on filter could lead to getting a lot more life out of ATs because the fluid service wouldn’t cost more than 30 bucks and/or could easily be done at home.
@Demo_Beta
. You and I may have an opinion on what we would like to see in a car, bu tthe majority rules and most people are incapable of getting a true reading on many autos that require special routines.
Your motor compartment is filled with other owner checks and they are all, marked, plastic see through containers and a dip stick for motor oil, used with the motor off. There is usually a sticker warning you not to be anywhere near the fan/ radiator with the motor running. At the same time, you have to lean over these areas, possibly not dressed for it, to get to a dip stick with the motor running to check the transmission. Now, I can see some liability and safety issues going on here and a desire to simply move the checking , like a differential, to some one more qualified. Read the manual and all the safety suggestions in performing these checks and see how it contradicts checking some auto transmission with dip sticks,
IMho, “sealed” is just a term that applies to the owner and not the qualified techs at a shop. I get that many who have routinly done this, are more qualified then a “dipstick” at some “fast food” car maintenance place, but cars are not built with us in mind first. We are a minority.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not in favor of this crap of eliminating a dip stick, I could have lost the fluid in a car I had service at the dealers, who didn’t adequacy tighten the drain plug. Only by frequent checking did I discover it.
Btw, where in the manual does it show you how to replace an ignition switch ? I don’t get the analogy.