ATF Change for Automatic 2005 Corolla

[TheOak]

Additional Vehicle Details:

Miles on vehicle: 58,188
Last transmission oil change: never ... still original.

Tools used:

14mm wrench ... for transmission drain plug.
Pliers ... to get off old hose clamps
3/8 wrench ... for new hose clamps
1/4 wrench ... for new hose clamps
2 feet 5/16 automatic transmission cooler line ... for Magnefine filter.
5/16 inside diameter clear tubing ... used to drain old fluid from cooler line to container
Funnel ... to add new transmission fluid.
Drain pan ... for old transmission fluid.
Clear 1 gallon jug ... used to track how much of the old fluid I had pumped out.

Fluid used:

AMSOIL ATF 2.5 gallon

Filter used:

Magnefine 3/8 transmission filter

I have pictures, just not with me; but in the mean time, I thought I would give my initial observations for 9th generation Corolla owners out there with regards to a transmission cooler line flush.

1. The cooler line is the "lower" line that connects to the bottom of the cooler and to the passenger side of the transmission.
2. The cooler lines are 5/16 inside diamter.
3. My original plan was to simply cut the transmission cooler line in two, insert the Magnefine filter and I would be good to go. With the angle and the spacing however, this simply did not work, I had to purchase 2 feet extra of transmission cooler line (may have only used 1 foot though) to make the bends and angles smooth without kicking the hose. I originally purchased 3/8 thinking that is what I had ... way too big ... went back to the store (Napa) and got 5/16 line ... fit like a glove.
4. I really really really had to push the lines over the Magnefine filter due to the fact that Magnefine folks told me 3/8. I purchased an extra set of clamps (that is why you see the two different sizes above) just to be on the safe side so the hose did not pop off.
5. With the clear one gallon jug I actually marked cups and quarts on the side with a marker. Using the clear hose, I simply slid it over the cooler line and into the clear jug. I positioned the jug by the driver's door so I would not need a spotter and simply turned the ignition on, watched it pump out a quart, and then turned it off. Added a new quart ... and repeat.
6. When I drained, I added 3.5 quarts new back. I flushed about 5.25 quarts adding the same new back. I flushed in 1 quart increments. I then used maybe a half a quart to get it to the proper level.
7. Call me lazy, scum, lower than scum ... but I did not drop the pan. I do not have jacks or ramps so I wanted this to be as simple as possible. My Corolla just has a metal screen as a filter. I believe I read more posts than not that the screens were clean after people dropped the pan anyway. Yes, there could be stuff at the bottom of the pan and on the magnets. My thoughts were however that if that stuff did get stirred up and into the system ... that is what I have the Magnefine in there for.
8. When the car pumps out the fluid from the cooler line, it actually is quite slow. 10 to 15 seconds maybe per quart. It is not like a fire hose spurting the stuff out.

It has only been 30 miles, but it is shifting very firm and running very very smooth.

I have been running it and then checking the fluid level. I am pretty sure I got just the right amount in it ... I will continue to monitor however the next week or so to make sure. Once I am sure the level is fine, I probably won't worry about it for a good while (a year or so at least).

I might have been able to get away with 2 gallons of ATF fluid. After flushing 4 it was actually looking really good. Considering I did not drop the pan though, I thought I would flush a little extra. Plus, this was my first time doing this, so I would sooner have a little extra for "oh " moments. Thankfully ... I did not have to use those words

I have some pictures, but I will not be able to add them until after the weekend ... sorry ... going camping.

 

[caravanmike]

nice details on the poor mans flush! i do this with my vehicles.

 

[TheOak]

Poor man's flush! I like that!

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: TheOak

7. Call me lazy, scum, lower than scum ... but I did not drop the pan. I do not have jacks or ramps so I wanted this to be as simple as possible. My Corolla just has a metal screen as a filter. I believe I read more posts than not that the screens were clean after people dropped the pan anyway. Yes, there could be stuff at the bottom of the pan and on the magnets. My thoughts were however that if that stuff did get stirred up and into the system ... that is what I have the Magnefine in there for.


I'm not going to call you lazy, but it is possible to drop pan without raising the car. Also, most debris is not metallic, but rather clutch material. I know it, because I just did the ATF service in my corolla at 60000 miles. But you did better than most people who follow the manual and never service tranny.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Wow! Great write up Oak.

As you know I am going to do the same thing on my 08 Corolla Automatic (18,500 miles) this weekend.

I finally got my Magnefine I ordered 12 days ago. Too bad I got the wrong size one like you did, but it'll work.

I was looking at the bends and short runs of the AT cooler hose, and I'll be a son of a gun. Per your observation no way this is going to work without introducing extra hose.

What do you tell the auto parts store when you ask for it? Do you just tell them that you need some 5/16" ATF cooler line hose? Is it all pretty much rated the same for temps and pressure?

Oak, if you wouldn't mind, could you send me a couple pics of how it looks. That would help me big time in figuring out the best position for the filter.

Very nice write up and thank you sir!

 

[PT1]

If there is no serviceable filter in the trans forget dropping the pan. The fact you flush the trans takes the majority of crud out with the fluid. If you are reall anal flush it again in 30k and you will notice the fluid is not very dirty.

 

[pbm]

I would also appreciate pictures or at least tell me which direction the fluid is flowing (toward the radiator or toward the tranny). I also bought the 3/8" Magnafine and rather than return them I'll buy larger hose (since I bought them thru the mail). Does anybody see a problem with using a slightly laarger hose?

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: pbm
I would also appreciate pictures or at least tell me which direction the fluid is flowing (toward the radiator or toward the tranny). I also bought the 3/8" Magnafine and rather than return them I'll buy larger hose (since I bought them thru the mail). Does anybody see a problem with using a slightly laarger hose?


Hi PBM,

I just got my 3/8" Magnefine yesterday. With a drop of dishwashing soap on the nipple of the filter, I was able to slip on a 5/16" piece of AT cooler line tubing easily. It is extremely snug, but that little bit of soap had it slip on there.

With regard to the flow direction, I am putting mine with the arrow going from the bottom line (the outlet line) and will have the arrow on the filter that show flow direction pointing towards the transmission itself.

As I understand the diagrams, the fluid comes through at the top (called the inlet on the diagram) and exits from the bottom hose (called the outlet on the diagram).

Of course, you could easily disconnect the bottom hose, start the car for a second or two and confirm that fluid is exiting the hose. That will be the direction the arrow should go.

I may be wrong, so don't quote me on this.

I am going to be installing it this weekend, so I will post pics if Oak doesn't get around to posting any.

PM me if you have any questions PBM.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Toyota stopped using user serviceable filter's in their transmissions some time ago I believe. I am not sure what the cut off date was.Instead they went to a trough and slush pan type design like you would expect to see if panning for gold on a large scale. It back flush's at shut down into the trough. When they first went to this system they recommended fairly freq. fluid changes hence the reason for the built in plug. 14-16K was the normally average you saw recommended. Then for some strange reason "I believe it was for fleet sales initial cost of ownership number?" they went to life time fill.

If a person does that then their is absolutely no reason at all to have to do the above "poor mans flush" which has been detailed on here probably 100 times or more in the last few years! My Mother's Tundra fluid looks,smells and performs like new and it has never been flushed....Every 14-16K I pull the plug and I get around 4 quarts out and 4 quarts go back in. Normaly I use Mobil-1 ATF but I think I used Maxlife last time because everyone in town was out of M1 ATF. The best part is that with a drain plug a person with an IQ of 80 can drain the fluid, put the plug back in and refill my 10 year old son can do it. Why make life harder then it has to be? Even though the chance of damage is remote as long as you are not ham fisted that anything will go wrong their is still that chance especially if you do it with the engine running. With the drain and refill their is no chance of damage at all!

Also if you start doing that when new every 14-16k you stay ahead of oxidation damage. You are never chaseing varnish or trying to get bad fluid out because you are so far out in front of it!If you treat it like your engine then things go great.

I built a 700R4 and had a small block that was making 400HP at the wheels. Not only did I build that transmission much stronger then the OEM but I changed my fluid ever other time I changed my oil. When I sold that engine and transmission the mechanic I sold it too who was a transmission guy could not believe how clean and healthy that transmission was inside. He knew I built it up but he also knew I was hard on it and figured he would replace rubbers and put in a stock valve body and use it for a customer. Instead he buttoned it up and used in in his own truck. I am sure the reason that transmission did so well is because it never had bad fluid in it. Even though it required manual shifting and was behind an engine making more then 400HP at the crank the combo of high quality parts, good machining and freq. fluid changes kept it like new. Just because their are not any combustion byproducts in a transmission that does not mean they do not benifit from freq. fluid drains and refills! I was using the cheapest transmission fluid I could buy for what it is worth.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: JohnBrowning
Toyota stopped using user serviceable filter's in their transmissions some time ago I believe. I am not sure what the cut off date was.Instead they went to a trough and slush pan type design like you would expect to see if panning for gold on a large scale. It back flush's at shut down into the trough. When they first went to this system they recommended fairly freq. fluid changes hence the reason for the built in plug. 14-16K was the normally average you saw recommended. Then for some strange reason "I believe it was for fleet sales initial cost of ownership number?" they went to life time fill.

If a person does that then their is absolutely no reason at all to have to do the above "poor mans flush" which has been detailed on here probably 100 times or more in the last few years! My Mother's Tundra fluid looks,smells and performs like new and it has never been flushed....Every 14-16K I pull the plug and I get around 4 quarts out and 4 quarts go back in. Normaly I use Mobil-1 ATF but I think I used Maxlife last time because everyone in town was out of M1 ATF. The best part is that with a drain plug a person with an IQ of 80 can drain the fluid, put the plug back in and refill my 10 year old son can do it. Why make life harder then it has to be? Even though the chance of damage is remote as long as you are not ham fisted that anything will go wrong their is still that chance especially if you do it with the engine running. With the drain and refill their is no chance of damage at all!

Also if you start doing that when new every 14-16k you stay ahead of oxidation damage. You are never chaseing varnish or trying to get bad fluid out because you are so far out in front of it!If you treat it like your engine then things go great.

I built a 700R4 and had a small block that was making 400HP at the wheels. Not only did I build that transmission much stronger then the OEM but I changed my fluid ever other time I changed my oil. When I sold that engine and transmission the mechanic I sold it too who was a transmission guy could not believe how clean and healthy that transmission was inside. He knew I built it up but he also knew I was hard on it and figured he would replace rubbers and put in a stock valve body and use it for a customer. Instead he buttoned it up and used in in his own truck. I am sure the reason that transmission did so well is because it never had bad fluid in it. Even though it required manual shifting and was behind an engine making more then 400HP at the crank the combo of high quality parts, good machining and freq. fluid changes kept it like new. Just because their are not any combustion byproducts in a transmission that does not mean they do not benifit from freq. fluid drains and refills! I was using the cheapest transmission fluid I could buy for what it is worth.


+1. I got 3.994 quarts from my first ATF drain on my 08 Corolla. Got her warmed up good first and to my great surprise I got almost 4 quarts on the button.

After I get this Magnefine installed, I am going to stick with a 15K drain and fill with T-IV. About as easy or easier than an oil change. I am starting to see no reason to take off the trans pan, especially with the filtering system the way it is on the car. Seems like overkill.

Putting in 4 quarts of fresh T-IV every 15K seems like the recipe for a very long lasting and smooth shifting Corolla tranny.

 

[TheOak]

Could not figure out how to edit my original post. So here are the promised pictures ...

Here is a picture of the Magnefine filter taken apart:

Here is a picture of the make shift measuring device I used from a 1 gallon jug. I jug was an old vinegar jug. To get the measuring points I just used a measuring cup with water and a marker. There are four cups to a quart, so I would just add a cup of water, and make a dot with a marker. I would simply pump the old fluid out, and then easily tell how much (about of course) I needed to add back in.

Here is a picture of my first attempt of taking the existing ATF line and putting in the filter. Again though, the filter was simply too big for this set up as the lines would kink.

Here is the final result. I have the transmission line go around the engine block mount with the filter resting on the engine mount. I had to purchase some extra transmission cooler line to do this such that the curves on the line were smooth and did not result in kinks.

Someone asked prior if using 3/8 inch line would work. I would say NO! It is not going to fit snug over your metal tubing. Even if you clamp it down, I see it leaking. I wish I had thought of the dish soap idea suggested prior, but I eventually got it on. I would recommend only using 5/16 inch line.

To be honest, from this point forward, I see myself doing a drain and fill only every 15K - 20K miles, replacing the filter at the same time. Now that I have completely (essentially) drained all of the old fluid out, I think I will be more than good. It seems pretty consistent that these Corollas drain just under 4 quarts, so all I would need to do from this point forward is purchase a gallon of the stuff and I should be good.

I purchased the Magnefine filter via Ebay. I tried to use the site sponsor, but they were extremely slow at replying to my emails, if at all, so I took my business to someone that wanted it. I am sure I am the exception here ...

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: TheOak
Could not figure out how to edit my original post. So here are the promised pictures ...

Here is a picture of the Magnefine filter taken apart:

Here is a picture of the make shift measuring device I used from a 1 gallon jug. I jug was an old vinegar jug. To get the measuring points I just used a measuring cup with water and a marker. There are four cups to a quart, so I would just add a cup of water, and make a dot with a marker. I would simply pump the old fluid out, and then easily tell how much (about of course) I needed to add back in.

Here is a picture of my first attempt of taking the existing ATF line and putting in the filter. Again though, the filter was simply too big for this set up as the lines would kink.

Here is the final result. I have the transmission line go around the engine block mount with the filter resting on the engine mount. I had to purchase some extra transmission cooler line to do this such that the curves on the line were smooth and did not result in kinks.

Someone asked prior if using 3/8 inch line would work. I would say NO! It is not going to fit snug over your metal tubing. Even if you clamp it down, I see it leaking. I wish I had thought of the dish soap idea suggested prior, but I eventually got it on. I would recommend only using 5/16 inch line.

To be honest, from this point forward, I see myself doing a drain and fill only every 15K - 20K miles, replacing the filter at the same time. Now that I have completely (essentially) drained all of the old fluid out, I think I will be more than good. It seems pretty consistent that these Corollas drain just under 4 quarts, so all I would need to do from this point forward is purchase a gallon of the stuff and I should be good.

I purchased the Magnefine filter via Ebay. I tried to use the site sponsor, but they were extremely slow at replying to my emails, if at all, so I took my business to someone that wanted it. I am sure I am the exception here ...


Thanks much for the pics.

Regarding the ordering of my Magnefine, unfortunately I ordered it direct from them. It took entirely too long and I was simply told there were problems in the shipping department. My emails also went unanswered to their technical support team where I asked very easily answered questions of someone manufacturing trans filters. I won't make that mistake again. As site sponsors I really expected more. I even let them know that I was a loyal BITOG member and wanted to spend my money with them. But oh well.

I too Oak am going to do exactly as you did. One full flush followed by 15K drain/fills for the life of the car. I've seen the 9th gen Corollas with 150K with no problems on them where the owner didn't really do anything to the tranny, so we're ahead of the game no doubt.

Thanks again Oak. Great write up!

I'll do a pictorial/write up on how to replace a PCV valve on a Corolla along with how to figure out which one you need. It was a pain as certain Corollas have certain PCVs depending upon where they were made.

 

[TheOak]

I will add that you could put the filter behind the passenger head light where the cooler line goes into the bottom of the radiator; however, I could not get my hands easily enough to this location, so I chose the other. Basically I just pop the hood, look straight down, and there they are ... simple and pretty painless. If I had multiple jacks or stands I may have been able to get the behind the passenger head light spot to work ... FYI.

Edit: If you do try to go behind the passenger head light, you definitely will need to purchase some extra 5/16 transmission cooler line. Can't really say how much as it all depends where you decide to have it sit. Two to three feet tops I would think ...

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: TheOak
I will add that you could put the filter behind the passenger head light where the cooler line goes into the bottom of the radiator; however, I could not get my hands easily enough to this location, so I chose the other. Basically I just pop the hood, look straight down, and there they are ... simple and pretty painless. If I had multiple jacks or stands I may have been able to get the behind the passenger head light spot to work ... FYI.

Edit: If you do try to go behind the passenger head light, you definitely will need to purchase some extra 5/16 transmission cooler line. Can't really say how much as it all depends where you decide to have it sit. Two to three feet tops I would think ...


Here is a pic of how mine turned out. Through a lot of strategy, I got mine to lay quite nicely on a body rail on the car. It is hard to see in this pic, but the filter lies nearly flat on the car. I shook the heck out of it to see if it would move and drove around. It'll work right there.

Man that was a pain the butt. I had to buy a section of 5/16 hose and make a gradual bend as you can see. I did a small loop very similar to how you did yours. Anything shorter made it kink because that filter is so large.

 

[TheOak]

Hmmm, I think I like that ... next 15K service ... I might swap the hose around ... for now though ... all I can smell is transmission fluid!

I need a break from the tranny for a while

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: TheOak
Hmmm, I think I like that ... next 15K service ... I might swap the hose around ... for now though ... all I can smell is transmission fluid!

I need a break from the tranny for a while

I hear ya on that man! I made a huge mess when i did it, but nothing ever goes as planned when I pretend to be a mechanic.

 

[TheOak]

I received a PM for a better picture of how I put the tubing around the engine mount. Sorry for the slow response to those that requested it. I brought the car out into better light. Hopefully here you can see better how I did it. This resulted in the tubing having very gentle curving with no kinks.

So far, so good with the AMSOIL. MPGs have not changed. Still shifts slightly better than it did before. Its a keeper.

I think my wife, who is not mechanically inclined at all, summed it up nicely when I asked her the other night to the effect, "Now that the new transmission fluid has been in there for a while, do you notice anything?" Her response was, "Now, not any more because I am used to it, but after you first did it, it shifted very smooth."

 

[mikeg5]

Originally Posted By: PT1
If there is no serviceable filter in the trans forget dropping the pan. The fact you flush the trans takes the majority of crud out with the fluid. If you are reall anal flush it again in 30k and you will notice the fluid is not very dirty.


isnt there a metal filter in the pan? like most tacos as well. we have a 05 auto corolla and all i do is just drain and fill with T4. 135k miles and she shifts really nice.

 

[mikeg5]

how often do you change those mag filters?

 

[TheOak]

Originally Posted By: mikeg5
how often do you change those mag filters?


I think Magnefine states that you should do it every 10k miles. Personally, I see me doing it every 15K - 20K when I do a transmission drain and fill.

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
Originally Posted By: TheOak
Hmmm, I think I like that ... next 15K service ... I might swap the hose around ... for now though ... all I can smell is transmission fluid!

I need a break from the tranny for a while

I hear ya on that man! I made a huge mess when i did it, but nothing ever goes as planned when I pretend to be a mechanic.

I think I actually did pretty good as far as the mess goes this time around. Lets put it this way ... I have done worse when I have pretended to be a mechanic too