2010 Sienna "lifetime" transmission fluid plan- WS

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 30, 2015
Messages
869
Location
Wisconsin
Our 2010 Sienna was the last year of its body style. Toyota was transitioning to sealed transmissions but ours still has the dipstick. Toyota recommends in the owners manual to change it only if the van is used for towing. At 140k miles, it still shifts acceptably, but not as well as it used to, particularly when cold. I stopped at the dealer and asked what they charge to change ATF. He said that it wasn't anything that they do unless the car has transmission issues. And he wouldn't give me a price. (The transmission uses Toyota WS- world standard fluid)

So, what to do?

-Change 3 quarts via dipstick tube (I did this on my Buick successfully)

-take it to an independent shop and have it changed or flushed

-do nothing and keep driving

(We'll have the van for another many years and thousands of miles)
 
I've 'siphoned and filled' my 2005 Chevy 4L60e several times over the years. It just tripped 190,000 miles and shifts like butta. YMMV, but this method has worked for me.
 
Lol. They don't change it unless the trans has issues? That's exactly when it shouldn't be changed. Like fireproofing a house after its on fire.

Do some suction changes through the dipstick. I don't trust a flush place to actually perform the flush.
 
Just try a different dealer. The sheep behind the counter will believe anything Toyota/Lexus tells them. I'd do a drain and fill twice, during your next two oil changes.
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
I've 'siphoned and filled' my 2005 Chevy 4L60e several times over the years. It just tripped 190,000 miles and shifts like butta. YMMV, but this method has worked for me.

+1
thumbsup2.gif
 
Call another dealer.

Often dealers get squirrely on "high mileage" ATs without established maintenance, this was the case even in the old days... Its easy to get a dissatisfied customer who brought in a never maintained AT in a big, heavy vehicle, when the fluid change releases something, clogs something, etc.

I would have been more proactive about it much earlier on, so that any failure point would be relatively established to not be due to fluid issues. Cant change that now, so IMO if the vehicle was something I was planning to keep for 100k or more beyond what is on it, Id get the fluid changed (is there an integrated or inline filter?), and accept that it may cause operating issues on the AT. This way youve baselined the fluid and AT (may want to change some fluid a few times since it has been so long), and if anything fails down the line, it was likely destined for it anyway. But if you were planning to get rid of the van in the next 10-50k miles, Id probably live with it.
 
Your van should have a drain plug. Might need a allen head tool to take it off.

Do a drain and fill now and then at your next oil change do it again. I use valvoline maxlife in Toyotas with great results. Much better than the Toyota fluid.
 
Does it have a drain plug? Many Toyotas do. On my 2010 Vibe (Matrix clone) a trans drain and fill is easier than an engine oil change.

A drain plug would let you at least do a few drain & fills, and makes a pan drop easier if you decide to change the filter.

WS can be found at the dealership and some parts stores. I got a lot of it reasonably priced from a Toyota dealer in Kalamazoo that sells parts online. A lot of people use Maxlife as a substitute. Be sure to get a few crush washers that fit your drain plug.
 
I would look for a drainplug. Good chance it has one. If you don't see one, the siphon method works too. I would also consider changing it again in a few weeks as well.
 
Personally, I just drain and fill. Having the dipstick helps to fill and confirm levels. There's always a drain hole, usually with an 10 mm allen key.

My 07 4Runner is "sealed" unit. No dip stick. Uses computer to put tranny into check mode (by temperature) to correctly test ATF full level. 3 drain and fill's completed with Maxlife ATF with the last 3 oil changes. Currently at 156k.

Wife's 11 Rav4 has the dip stick like your van before they fully committed to removing the dip stick. 2 drain and fills completed. 1st time was with WS since still under warranty. Last was on Maxlife ATF. Currently at 91k.

I like to measure what I get out and put the same amount back in. Crude way, but hasn't given me problems yet. Just make sure the tranny pan and ATF bottles are at the same ambient temperature so there's no discrepancy with ATF expansion when doing the measuring. Checking before/after with the dip stick provides peace of mind too.
 
I do a lot of desert driving and towing with my 03 V8 4Runner and I just drain and refill with Red Line D4. This cycles about 4 quarts back into the system. At 165+ there have been no problems and it shifts like it always shifts. When towing the trailer at between 3K/5K pounds on unimproved dirt roads the transmission spends a lot of time shifting back and forth in the lower gears so it's getting worked. If this kind of maintenance with D4 was not up to the job I think I would have experienced some kind of problem by now.
 
Toyota changed ATF from T-IV to WS around 03/04 years IIRC.

OP should stick to WS or WS alternative/compatible ATF.
 
Originally Posted By: ZebRuaj
Toyota changed ATF from T-IV to WS around 03/04 years IIRC.

OP should stick to WS or WS alternative/compatible ATF.

My parent's 05 still used T-IV, it was when the 3MZ-FE was dropped in favor of the 2GR-FE, probably in 06/07. Toyota does things including fluid spec changes as part of a "minor/major update".

If you got a dipstick, do a drain/fill with WS, MaxLife or Castrol FSIMV. Wouldn't hurt to drop the pan and swap the filter out, which is a doable DIY job but there are 2 PITA bolts close to the subframe that can be stripped if you're not careful.
 
Originally Posted By: TmanP
Our 2010 Sienna was the last year of its body style. Toyota was transitioning to sealed transmissions but ours still has the dipstick. Toyota recommends in the owners manual to change it only if the van is used for towing. At 140k miles, it still shifts acceptably, but not as well as it used to, particularly when cold. I stopped at the dealer and asked what they charge to change ATF. He said that it wasn't anything that they do unless the car has transmission issues. And he wouldn't give me a price. (The transmission uses Toyota WS- world standard fluid)
So, what to do?
-Change 3 quarts via dipstick tube (I did this on my Buick successfully)
-take it to an independent shop and have it changed or flushed
(We'll have the van for another many years and thousands of miles)


You should have changed it at 60K, but since we are here at 140K I would not do a flush/exchange by machine, but a drop & fill, much less likely to cause problems. You're lucky to have a dipstick, makes the whole thing easier. I would, as others have said, change the filter as well and would only use a WS approved fluid.
 
Last edited:
might shift ok now, but might shift better with a fluid exchange;

i did a d+f of a tundra with ML and my friend noticed a difference; the D+F was 4 qts and the transmission holds 12, so even a 1/3 fluid replacement was beneficial.

I certainly would not be held hostage to WS; getting rid of it was my second maintenance activity when I acquired my prius.
 
Last edited:
Just drain what you can out of the drain plug when cold. Measure how much drained out when cold and add the same amount of new back. I'd do this 3 times over the next 3000 Miles. Then do it every 20-30K from that point on. I would use either RL or Amsoil WS. Lot of people here love Maxlife as well. If I didn't use RL or Amsoil, I'd probably stick with Toyota fluid.
 
I would do the "drain 3 quarts through the dipstick tube" (unless it has a drainplug) and then in a month or two I'd do it once or twice again.....this way you're replacing a lot of the fluid gradually....Fresh fluid is always better than 140K mile fluid....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top