I have a 2016 Camry Se (2.5 L engine) with 59k miles. I bought it 8 months ago with 45k miles on it. I heard some cars you can check the transmission fluid but on mine it’s sealed. Should I consider changing if i want to get the most out of my car, or is it too late?
Checked the maintenance log. Every 30k miles, it says, “Inspect Automatic transmission for signs of leakage.” But on the footnotes at the back of the maintenance log, it says , “Inspect or replace at specified intervals.” It doesn’t explicit say to change it?
It depends on who you ask. My knuckle-head, complete idiot (but w/no skin in the game) diy’er opinion is that as long as the job is done correctly, replacing the trans fluid will only help, not harm. If I owned that make/model, I’d replace the trans fluid every 30k miles.
Changing your fluid cannot cause any damage by itself, if everything is fine inside the transmission… The issues start to appear when you change the fluid if your clutches are already worn or damaged from use. If you go and replace the fluid after they are already worn out. this can cause slipping…
As long as you done have a CEL on with any transmission codes then you should not have any issues changing out the transmission fluid (ATF)…
Your U760E 6 speed transmission does have a lower removable pan with a replaceable filter… Your pan should also have a drain plug so you can also just do a basic drain and fill, if the fluid looks pretty good from draining it, no need to replace the filter, you can do a drain and fill every 30K (edit 60K) (starting now, but maybe replace the filter at 120K mark depending on the condition of the ATF…
MAKE SURE to use Toyota’s approved ATF for your transmission, Toyota ATF and other fluids are pretty good priced… Do NOT use universal ATF’s…
Don’t forget to replace the oil (ATF) drain plug gasket/washer…
It is recommended to have a pro do the work, but DIYers can do it also as long as you do it correctly, like car has to be level etc etc…
EDITed to say, do a drain and fill every 60K miles… And it uses Toyota ATF WS…
I love what this guy has to say about Toyota/Lexus transmissions and servicing and it carry’s over to other manufactures as well…
He nails it on high mileage never serviced transmissions… As I have said many times…
I don’t 100% agree with the flush part, depending on miles…
He added this to his comments:
1- this is the same recommendations for CVT transmissions except the fluid is different.
2- This does NOT apply to hybrids. Hybrid ECVT transmissions don’t have clutches and a valve body, you can change it at any time. A good interval is between 60k-90k miles.
3- ECVT hybrid transmissions use WS fluid
Once you put ATF back in it (with the stand pipe installed) and start warming the fluid back up (engine running), you need to run through the gears on the shift lever to fill all the cavities, then wait for proper temp and top off if needed (but should be dripping by now) and install the drain plug and fill plug…
ATF expands at a much greater rate then other fluids with heat, that is why the temp of the fluid is so critical…
I’ve seen many of his videos. He’s really good. Use to be a master mechanic at a Toyota/Lexus dealership but then he opened his own shop. In most cases he’ll recommend Toyota parts/fluids but he also says to save some money by buying aftermarket parts that are just as good. He specifically points out Oil (made by Mobil One) and sparkplugs (made by Denso or NGK).
Watched video on Camry fluid change. There is a fill port on side of trans you reach thru wheelwell. Seems easy drain 2qts fluid. Measure it. Put that amount back. Do it 2-3 times over summer.
What if it was already low pts?? then all you are doing is leaving it low…
Always check the level per manufactures specs, and no need to change it multiple times in a row on the Toyota’s…
The OP’s transmission wear issues is in the valve body bores that causes loss of proper pressure and that causes clutch fabric wear, so leaving some grit in the fluid helps the clutch packs not to slip…
Cuz, if it was low then it would not drain 2 qts.
I drained 8+ equinox trans. 6 had 3.8 qts. 1 had 3.5 qts. And 1 had 5 qts.
If video shows 2 qts draining then I figure 2 qts is what you should get.
These transmissions without a dipstick and tube . . . A lot of guys service and refill them incorrectly
So you shouldn’t assume what drained out was the right amount, or even the correct fluid type, imo
Also . . . To do a proper fluid level check, it needs to be at a specific temperature, which can vary significantly, depending on the vehicle and transmission manufacturer
My experience is that I took the advice from the guys here on CarTalk and went with a transmission flush ( exchange ) performed by a Toyota dealership at 67,000 miles, and the result so far is beyond amazing.
My car is now at 70,000 miles and running great.
My brother, however, thinks I might have ruined the transmission with the flush for the following reasons:
The car is very responsive compared to when the transmission fluid wasn’t flushed.
The car feels faster than before ( like it gains more torque ).
The gears shift incredibly smooth.
I love the way the car feels now since I got the transmission fluid exchanged, but my brother thinks the car will soon blow up, despite that he also loves the responsiveness of the transmission.
