2010 Toyota Camry Transmission

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Hey everyone its been a while since I've been on here. I recently sold my old truck and the wife and I bought a Highlander for her. I inherited the Camry she has been driving. She has owned the car since new but it now has 203k miles on it. We have been together for a couple years and in that time I have changed the oil but that is it.

I have always heard that changing transmission fluid on a vehicle with a lot of miles is not a good idea but I've never understood why. I'm assuming this transmission is running the factory fill, she doesn't remember it being changed. I don't like the idea of lifetime fluids of any kind in a vehicle and I know that's what the owners manual says. I think I am going to replace 2-3qts at a time until I get most of the old fluid out. I believe they recommend Toyota WS, but from what I've read it seems like Maxlife would be a good choice as well.

Thanks,
Joey
 
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I've heard of not changing it all at once, so as to not "shock" the transmission. IMO it's all myths. I mean, let's say you went over on an engine oil change. Would you then not change the oil because the new oil might be too slippery?

I'd change it all at once, that is what I did. If it breaks then it probably was worn out anyhow.

I did my '99 Camry in '16 when it had 140k on the clock; the stuff that came out wasn't very good looking. My '10 Tundra was changed at the 80k mark and it wasn't that bad looking. Both got Maxlife. The Camry did kinda need another change as there was so much stuff in there that after 10k the oil had darkened up a bit, just from whatever was in nooks and crannies. Probably never needs to be changed again.

You could always just check and see what the oil looks like.
 
As long as the transmission is behaving properly with no slipping etc. then it's fine to change the fluid... I've done too many to prove this.

If the transmission were slipping etc. I would leave it untouched and be happy with whatever time you have left before it finally goes.
 
It acts pretty good, but it does have a little flare sometimes on the 1-2 only when it's cold. I always thought the changing old fluid was a myth. Maybe not I just didn't know what the reasoning was behind it.
 
I think your plan is the best you can do. Gradual change is fine.
 
Originally Posted by JFortner5
It acts pretty good, but it does have a little flare sometimes on the 1-2 only when it's cold. I always thought the changing old fluid was a myth. Maybe not I just didn't know what the reasoning was behind it.



I was once told by a long time shop owner that all the accumulated grit in the fluid actually provides more grip for really tired clutches / bands. Take that grit away, and tired stuff starts to slip ...

No idea if it has any truth to it ... but it seems to sort of make sense.

My personal experience consists of exactly one high mileage automatic fluid change, at about 150 000 miles ... and the transmission
seemed to work much better after change ! Car / transmission was solid for a couple of more years before I sold it.
 
You're probably fine. When my daughter inherited her 2002 Trailblazer from my parents it was 12 years old, had around 150K miles on it and the ATF had never been changed. I dropped the pan/changed the filter and fluid. A few months later, I changed out more of the fluid. It is still going strong. Yeah, that's just one case but I definitely think you're better off changing than not if it is shifting correctly.
 
How much did you get for the truck and the wife you sold?

Just wondering...

wink.gif
 
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You're probably fine. When my daughter inherited her 2002 Trailblazer from my parents it was 12 years old, had around 150K miles on it and the ATF had never been changed. I dropped the pan/changed the filter and fluid. A few months later, I changed out more of the fluid. It is still going strong. Yeah, that's just one case but I definitely think you're better off changing than not if it is shifting correctly.
 
Originally Posted by Astro14
How much did you get for the truck and the wife you sold?

Just wondering...

wink.gif



🤣
 
Originally Posted by dave1251
I would do a drain and fill. Then repeat every oil change for the next 2-3 times.



+1. When near the final drain and fill I would drop the pan and clean it and replace the filter/strainer (whatever it has in the pan).
 
I've only changed a couple quarts of ATF in my Rav4 and it got worse when I did. It's black like old oil now. Hardly slips at all.
 
Originally Posted by geeman789
Originally Posted by JFortner5
It acts pretty good, but it does have a little flare sometimes on the 1-2 only when it's cold. I always thought the changing old fluid was a myth. Maybe not I just didn't know what the reasoning was behind it.



I was once told by a long time shop owner that all the accumulated grit in the fluid actually provides more grip for really tired clutches / bands. Take that grit away, and tired stuff starts to slip ...

No idea if it has any truth to it ... but it seems to sort of make sense.

My personal experience consists of exactly one high mileage automatic fluid change, at about 150 000 miles ... and the transmission
seemed to work much better after change ! Car / transmission was solid for a couple of more years before I sold it.

Worn out transmissions fail. Shocking!!!

Never mind that most of these people don't think about changing the fluid until the transmission is acting funny.
 
Originally Posted by JFortner5
...I believe they recommend Toyota WS, but from what I've read it seems like Maxlife would be a good choice as well.

Thanks,
Joey



WS would not be a good choice. This is a Toyota T-IV Fluid transmission.
 
Your investment is best served by dropping the pan and getting new magnets from the dealer and gasket.

The hard part is the dance to get the amount right - if your vehicle has no dipstick then it has a straw thingy to level the fluid and a tango dance to get the amount right.

You can drop the pan on a cold day and refill the amount you got out. Your investment will go a lot further by doing this first and then a complete return line flush on a cold day on a cold engine
 
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