175k Transmission Flush

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Tundra has 175k. Don't know history. It has been 'bucking' a little when driving up
slight incline, speed between 20-25. Did some searching, some say Trans, spark plugs, improper fluid level or torque converter. Should I start with a flush at Toyota Dealer? Is there a bad type of flush system?
 
It probably has a drain plug, so all you need to do is drain from the drain plug, drive it around a little (can be anywhere from around the block to 1000 miles), and repeat 3-4x. Maxlife is great stuff
 
Before throwing parts at other things, change the fluid.

Right, you fill via the overflow/check plug, it is above the drain plug. You can use a hand pump (tedious) or some tubing and a funnel held at door-handle height (gravity is your friend).

The MaxLife is full synthetic and will give you better service and longevity than the partial WS. There is no good reason to use WS once out of warranty.

You can do a full swap in your garage or driveway with the cooler lines. Or 3 drain/fills.
 
Is that right...no WS? Interesting. Is that not a great fluid?

So not flush, go with multiple refills. I have followed the links on flushes here and
generally people don't like them. The only reason I mentioned it was on a number of searches, Tundra people said flush as a possible solution.
 
There is a lot of mythology about WS. Mostly from authoratively sounding wannabees. Do your own research, it will take time.
WS is not garbage, despite what those wannabees may shout left and right. Read up on some TSBs.

Tundra and 4R forums are full of good (and flaky) info. Temp expansion is a big factor for me, so I don't do that at home. Even at dealerships they manage to get the level off on occasion. Also, LandCrusier/LX ppl may be of help.

Again, do your own research!
 
From everything I understand about the subject, a delayed transmission flush can provoke a lot of unexpected drama out of a transmission. If I were you, I would probably add a quart of Seafoam, run around town a week or so & then do the cooler line tap & flush.

I recall learning 'almost' the hard way when I had my old Dakota's 727 hooked up to a Wynn's flush system. It very nearly couldn't flush that transmission. I had left it way too long w/o a servicing for the transmission & this flushing was recommended to me by an independent shop. While it did eventually work, it very nearly provoked a tear-down of that transmission. While it worked, I wouldn't do that again. However, I take my newer truck to a local transmission shop every 2nd summer & have them check it out as preventive maintenance. The Cummins ain't lkkely to ever let go; the transmission? Not so sure...

John.
 
Fluid first. At 175K, would not do a flush - too many stories about a late flush causing more problems - but just fresh fluid and filter. If the issue persists then have a look @ electronics.

Guy I know had a slipping trans, did a pan drop and refill. It was good for about 5k then started having issues. He did 2 more pan drop and refills over the next 15k, and the trans was good for 150k after that.

Trannies are made to run on fresh fluid....
 
If you're going to get it flushed I would recommend taking it to a Toyota dealer like you mentioned. Your truck has a pin that needs to be pushed in to allow the fluid to cycle through the tranny cooler, not every place knows about that. Toyota will - and their machine will have the WS fluid in it - unlike an independent shop that will have who knows what in it.
 
Originally Posted By: Y_K
There is a lot of mythology about WS. Mostly from authoratively sounding wannabees. Do your own research, it will take time.


A lot of those "wannabees" Y_K wants to dismiss are the engineers at Toyota and Aisin. I guess I'll take the advise of a "wannabee" vs a fanboy.
wink.gif


The technical white paper on the development of the A760E transmission discusses how WS was designed to reduce the viscosity to minimum acceptable levels in order to maximize fuerl economy. It's also NOT a fully synthetic fluid, for what that is worth. Applications shifted to it have seen earlier fluid-related performance issues vs. T-IV. WS was developed about 15 years ago and quite simply, there are now much better things on the market, andr usually for less $$.
 
What year Tundra? Not all of the Tundras take WS.

WS and T-IV both turn purple/muddy after a few thousand miles. This is normal.

Folks on this forum get too hung up about "synthetic" vs. "partial-synthetic." The type of base oil used is only one part of the overall formulation.
 
I performed a cooler line flush on her Volvo a few months ago after it started randomly slipping. I ended up using 14 quarts of the Toyota T-IV and she shifts brand new now.

Waiting until the transmission has a problem (slipping in my case) is a bad move IMO, but simply replacing old fluid with new by using the transmissions pump is the best thing you can do. It's cheap trouble shooting too.

As said, your truck should have just a drain and fill plug. Should be pretty mess free.
 
If WS was soooo bad, then why would Toyota, Lexus,Scion put it in every automatic transmission vehicle they make. I've worked at Lexus/Toyora for about 20 years & have seen no issues with WS.
 
Originally Posted By: doublebase
If you're going to get it flushed I would recommend taking it to a Toyota dealer like you mentioned. Your truck has a pin that needs to be pushed in to allow the fluid to cycle through the tranny cooler, not every place knows about that. Toyota will - and their machine will have the WS fluid in it - unlike an independent shop that will have who knows what in it.


This. And id bet its not that expensive either.
 
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