I was watching a video by Chris Fix dealing with questions about changing the ATF. At this point (https://youtu.be/o690DovjDAc?list=PLvKbarVtwhUvKCEzK79P2ex9rWVRxVcTl&t=327) he talks about potential problems when changing transmission fluid when the atf is dark and hasn't been changed in a very long time (which suits the condition of my Sienna—I am pretty sure the fluid has never been changed before yesterday, and it was very dark).
Assuming this idea is correct, are these metal particles circulating freely throughout the ATF, or are they only lodged in between the clutch plates themselves? If this means anything, when I drained my ATF in the Sienna, some of it got on my fingers (both with and without a glove), and it felt very smooth, not gritty at all.
I'm suspecting that these particles are most likely only lodged in between the clutch plates--if the trans was depending on a steady stream of them flowing through the fluid, then merely a drain & fill (which would eliminate a fair amount of those particles from the fluid) would be enough to bring about slipping.
Reason why I'm asking, is that the fluid went from very black, to a dark grey, and I'm planning on another drain & fill, or even a pan drop & filter change, in a few weeks or months, to put more new fluid into the system. This is most likely the first ATF drain & fill ever for the Sienna.
Assuming this idea is correct, are these metal particles circulating freely throughout the ATF, or are they only lodged in between the clutch plates themselves? If this means anything, when I drained my ATF in the Sienna, some of it got on my fingers (both with and without a glove), and it felt very smooth, not gritty at all.
I'm suspecting that these particles are most likely only lodged in between the clutch plates--if the trans was depending on a steady stream of them flowing through the fluid, then merely a drain & fill (which would eliminate a fair amount of those particles from the fluid) would be enough to bring about slipping.
Reason why I'm asking, is that the fluid went from very black, to a dark grey, and I'm planning on another drain & fill, or even a pan drop & filter change, in a few weeks or months, to put more new fluid into the system. This is most likely the first ATF drain & fill ever for the Sienna.