When to drain and fill ATF for Toyota

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Hello everyone,

I bought my first Toyota this past week. My Toyota is a used 2013 Highlander 4WD V6 (non-hybrid) Limited. The original owner bought it in Oct 2013. So the 2013 Highlander and the ATF is over six years old with total mileage of 19,800 miles. There is no trailer hitch.

I plan on using the Highlander as a second vehicle that will run 4,000 miles per year. That will bring me to 24,000 miles in the next 12 months. I know that the service manual says 60,000 miles for fluid change if doing towing. I won't be towing.

But because the age will approach seven years old after the coming summer and the fact that WS fluid is not synthetic, should I do two rounds of drain and fill in the summer? Or can the transmission safely continue with the old fluid for an additional 2.5 years without having any abnormal damage until it approaches 30,000 miles at which point the fluid will be approaching nine years old

thanks
 
Highly doubt you would have any issues leaving it well enough alone. You could swap it, but id do just 1 drain and fill.
 
Originally Posted by Rolla07
Highly doubt you would have any issues leaving it well enough alone. You could swap it, but id do just 1 drain and fill.

I agree. Transmissions don't get contaminated with combustion byproducts so time matters less. I would d&f as soon as you can and then get back to schedule.
 
If I were to do it again and depending on your usage I would do a simple (well relatively) drain and fill every 30 K miles. This is only ~ 3 qts drained and replaced. You will need a way to monitor the transmission temperature to set the fluid level correctly. I use a cheap ODB2 code reader and a torque pro app or equivalent to do this. make sure the truck is on level ground not a inclined garage or driveway.

once you get that part done, go at it. Remember to be clean when you do it so you don't get dirt in the transmission. One of the motivations to remove the dipstick was that was where a lot of the dirt was getting into the transmission. I'm sure there were more business decisions for that but that technical reason is one i would buy as one of the few advantages of a sealed transmission.

It is more difficult to service properly though that is for sure.
 
Originally Posted by danez_yoda
If I were to do it again and depending on your usage I would do a simple (well relatively) drain and fill every 30 K miles. This is only ~ 3 qts drained and replaced. You will need a way to monitor the transmission temperature to set the fluid level correctly. I use a cheap ODB2 code reader and a torque pro app or equivalent to do this. make sure the truck is on level ground not a inclined garage or driveway.
You don't need to check the temperature for a drain and fill.

I would do a D&F with Maxlife right now because it's not that cold in Toronto. Lubegard Red optional, but encouraged.

Forget about the age of the fluid, it has 19k km on it. This is the perfect time to change the transmission fluid and get all the break in junk out of it.
 
Stick with Toyota fluid. Not sure why you would put some "universal" fluid in your transmission to save a few bucks. I would do a drain and fill every 25k miles.
 
Originally Posted by NH73
It is OK to use Valvoline Maxlife ATF as well.


If you want to save $10-$20 in fluid on a part that would cost $3-4,000 to replace, go right ahead.
 
Only you can decide if it is worth it to you to change now or later (or not at all).
I do an initial change (drain and fill) @ 30,000 miles, then @ 50,000 do a filter change if it has one, then every 25,000 miles after that do a drain and fill.
Why, because that is what I feel works for me. I have no proof except my vehicles are still working, but they may have been if I had done nothing either.
Originally Posted by 2010Civic
... Not sure why you would put some "universal" fluid in your transmission to save a few bucks. ...

Because it works and may even be better for less?
 
Originally Posted by 2010Civic
Stick with Toyota fluid. Not sure why you would put some "universal" fluid in your transmission to save a few bucks. I would do a drain and fill every 25k miles.


Yeah if you read the specs for Maxlife ATF, it works for Mercon V, LV, Dextron, I, III and VI and many more. I would just get the one that it's speced for. The only reason for Maxlife is so a shop doesn't have to stock so many fluids. It actually isn't even certified by many manufacturers to meet the spec which is why the list of fluids says recommended, not approved.

https://sharena21.springcm.com/Publ...bd3/3fa3136a-09bd-e711-9c12-ac162d889bd1
 
[align:left][/align]As someone else said you don't have to worry about the transmission temperature for a D & F, but you must make sure that the temp of the fluid coming out is the same as that going in so that you have an equal amount of volume. I'd stick to OEM fluid.
 
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You are asking a tough question and will get many opinions. Time is more important than mileage in coolant and brake fluid changing. ATF is not subject to combustion leftovers. Your ATF has only been run 7 years and 20K miles.

First thing I would do is try and get service records from Toyota if that is where the Highlander was serviced. My son has an '09 Highlander and it has an AT dipstick and I don't know 100% if yours has a dipstick or not. I'm 90% sure you do have an AT dipstick.

If it were my Highlander, I would do a D&F now and again at 30 and again at 40...It's easy to do an drain and fill with a dipstick. AND I would only use Toyota WS. It was made specifically for your transmission. There are other multi-vehicle ATF's that some people and shops use in their transmissions. Toyota makes a T-IV and a WS. 2 different ATF's. Some multi-vehicle ATFs say their ATF works in both transmissions. My question is, "How can this be?" How can a multi-vehicle ATF fill the bill on 2 different specs? Not being a jerk at all. I just don't understand how that is possible.
 
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" How can a multi-vehicle ATF fill the bill on 2 different specs? Not being a jerk at all. I just don't understand how that is possible.


You assume the different specs are mutually exclusive, which for LV type fluids probably aren't.

You appear to be using SN rated oil in your 4Runner; odd since SL rated is what the manual says.... One performance spec may exceed another's
 
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Originally Posted by Gebo

If it were my Highlander, I would do a D&F now and again at 30 and again at 40...It's easy to do an drain and fill with a dipstick. AND I would only use Toyota WS.


I (mostly) agree with this. I use the "what if it were mine" and apply my knowledge and care at that level.

I would do a d/f mainly to get break-in material out. Serious studies have shown that helps, though it's ideal to do it to systems much earlier on.
I wold do one now with MaxLife or Lubegard ATF (both better than WS, though WS is factory...). I would add Lubegard Red if not using Lubegard ATF (that ATF is a little harder to find, but Amazon has it and it's not pricey).

Critically, I would drive and take careful note of transmission performance/response/shift points before i did the D/F. then do the same afterwards. You know have a metric of "is 20k a good interval?" If you feel a noticeable difference, then stay on that interval. If no difference, do the next one at 50k and repeat. If a difference, then shorten to 25k for the next one. Honestly though, given the low annual usage, this is unlikely to work practically...
wink.gif


Using the above technique, I have set 30k interals on our Lexus with a robust Aisin 5 speed, and 20k intervals on my SUV with a weaker and less reliable GM transmission.
 
A relative just had the transmission fail on their 2004 Camry V6 at 248K. No known transmission service had been performed. Now they are looking at $500 for a used transmission plus labor to install. I wonder if the transmission would have failed if the fluid was drained and filled 8 times.
 
Originally Posted by 2010Civic
Stick with Toyota fluid. Not sure why you would put some "universal" fluid in your transmission to save a few bucks. I would do a drain and fill every 25k miles.


Totally agree. I used Maxlife in my 2012 Rav4 and the shift quality was not the same as Toyota fluid.
 
I am gonna service our GS350 F Sport soon.
I am using Idemitsu WS equiavlent; WS is OK but I like synthetic fluids.
I have used Maxlife extensively in older dipstick Toyota transmissions, it's really good stuff.
I would use it in the GS before I used WS; again I like synthetics.

You can do a spill and fill measuring what came out and probably be OK.
But I would do the proper procedure and monitor transmission temp. It ain't that hard...

Toyota sez WS is a lifetime fluid. I guess it must be superman stuff?
 
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Pennzoil, Havoline (Chevron) make multi fluids too. They get the test specs and meet those specs. Idemitsu does it better IMO and makes a whole boat load of specific car fluids. That's the best way.. They explain why they go through all the trouble on their website.
You got a jewel of a used car with those miles, lucky. Actually I would have Toyota service it at 30k and pay the fee. The theory being don't fix what isn't broke.Don't tinker and make it worse.
 
Originally Posted by HeritageHighRoof
A relative just had the transmission fail on their 2004 Camry V6 at 248K. No known transmission service had been performed. Now they are looking at $500 for a used transmission plus labor to install. I wonder if the transmission would have failed if the fluid was drained and filled 8 times.


You're probably right. At the rate the OP drives they will only get another 50 years out of their transmission instead of maybe 60 or 70 years.
 
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