2015 Toyota Highlander V6 100k miles

[caprice_2nv]

Originally Posted by HangFire
Toyota dealer tried to sell me a "power back flush" of my transmission. I asked him to repeat that, then dropped a bit of BITOG wisdom, "transmission internal pump only runs in one direction".


They need better trained service people obviously lol. Sounds like he thought they took a pressure washer and blasted the internals with it to clean it out.

Every flush machine I saw at the dealerships used the transmission pump to flush the system. So I do the same thing without the expensive machine and flush it with my cooler lines for the price of the fluid.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Change the ATF. Maxlife and Castrol Full Synthetic are both good choices

For the coolant, Zerex Asian red/pink is the best choice. Walmart has it at a good price.

If you change the spark plugs, get the NGK ruthenium. They last longer than iridium, which is important because getting to the back of a transverse V6 is often impossible, and you do NOT want to do it again. You should also replace the valve cover gaskets and also any other gaskets you have to remove when trying to get to the back of the engine. The good news is that you can probably wait until after you finish grad school (Toyota recommends 120k interval for the OE iridium)

Since you won't be doing it yourself, you will be charged a TON of money

Transverse V6 is an inherently poor design, but Toyota makes it even worse

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by clinebarger
It's only a flush when you add solvents, BG & others push that crap!

The machine itself just exchanges the fluid via the cooler line. Nothing inherently wrong with it & you're able to exchange close to 100% of the fluid.

I've exchanged ATF on hundreds of units via a machine without issue, Then change the sump filter, Clean the Magnet/s, & the bottom of the pan.

The cooler circuit naturally has pressure, And that's what you see on the machine pressure & flow gauges.

Is that why ZF and others are saying no flush whatsoever?
Sure, not adding solvents etc. is safer, but let's say just exchanging fluid using machine is 100% safe, how does he know that dealer or whoever is actually doing exactly that?
And then we come to the fact that transmission manufacturers are not recommending anything involving machine flush, solvents or not.



Ford & FCA approve the use of machines to exchange 100% of the ATF at one time. Both manufactures use ZF transmissions.

 

[bbhero]

Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by clinebarger
It's only a flush when you add solvents, BG & others push that crap!

The machine itself just exchanges the fluid via the cooler line. Nothing inherently wrong with it & you're able to exchange close to 100% of the fluid.

I've exchanged ATF on hundreds of units via a machine without issue, Then change the sump filter, Clean the Magnet/s, & the bottom of the pan.

The cooler circuit naturally has pressure, And that's what you see on the machine pressure & flow gauges.

Is that why ZF and others are saying no flush whatsoever?
Sure, not adding solvents etc. is safer, but let's say just exchanging fluid using machine is 100% safe, how does he know that dealer or whoever is actually doing exactly that?
And then we come to the fact that transmission manufacturers are not recommending anything involving machine flush, solvents or not.



I'm with you on this ^^^^

The justification for using a machine is because the dealerships have bought them to be used... Not just sit around... And it is faster... Equals more $. Have to use them because they have to be paid for...

Sometimes machines are not the best way to go with at all times. Or that the machines supposedly never have problems... We had a patient at the hospital I worked at... Darn near died instantly... IV Dilaudid Patient Controlled Machine failed... Emptied the ENTIRE 100 mL bag of Dilaudid IV into that person.... The hospital emptied the ENTIRE hospital (except the newborn intensive Care unit) of Narcan to bring that person back....

 

[clinebarger]

I'm not trying to change anyone's stance on using a machine to exchange ATF. Though I haven't heard any compelling FACTS on how they would damage a transmission.

Straight ATF isn't going to dislodge debris....Not that any large amount would be present in a good working unit.

 

[bbhero]

I agree with you that a good working unit should not have hardly any debris in it... So in using a machine it should be fine.

I would just rather have it done the old fashioned way... Thus... Why I do that myself. Or if absolutely needed I could take my car to someone else who would do it the same way I would.


Now in all seriousness... If I were ever to have someone use a machine to do it... I would have you, Trav or The Critic use the machine... I would trust you guys...

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by clinebarger
It's only a flush when you add solvents, BG & others push that crap!

The machine itself just exchanges the fluid via the cooler line. Nothing inherently wrong with it & you're able to exchange close to 100% of the fluid.

I've exchanged ATF on hundreds of units via a machine without issue, Then change the sump filter, Clean the Magnet/s, & the bottom of the pan.

The cooler circuit naturally has pressure, And that's what you see on the machine pressure & flow gauges.

Is that why ZF and others are saying no flush whatsoever?
Sure, not adding solvents etc. is safer, but let's say just exchanging fluid using machine is 100% safe, how does he know that dealer or whoever is actually doing exactly that?
And then we come to the fact that transmission manufacturers are not recommending anything involving machine flush, solvents or not.



Ford & FCA approve the use of machines to exchange 100% of the ATF at one time. Both manufactures use ZF transmissions.

Good for FORD, ZF specifically says NO FLUSH, strictly drain an fill. But in this case, FORD knows better I guess.
Also, ZF says that lifetime fluid does not exists, however, most ZF customers claim it is lifetime.