Thank you, the poor little Corolla never had its transmission oil changed by the previous owner (she put about 150K miles on it). Super easy to replace this fluid at the same time you replace the motor oil. The transmission fluid was darker than the used oil changed at the same time. The little Corolla runs great at 215K, and I got it for my son as his first car.
My 2003 corolla has 600k km and I have never touched the transmission fluid, I'm not saying it's right but so far everything is running like new. Maybe that 'life' rating for the fluid is true?
@@nigeljoiner I’m wondering this as well. My 2018 Corolla service manual doesn’t mention changing the transmission fluid. My service advisor at the dealership has told me that I will have to change it soon but not sure if he’s just trying to make more $
@@christopherllamas5706 yes. If you can read on the dipstick it reads that it doesn't need to be replaced under normal driving conditions. So I think for most people they done need to replace it for the entirety of the car's lifetime
@@nigeljoiner Nothing lasts forever..at 600K i'd say it wouldn't hurt changing it once..just drain and refill (no flush). Over time and heat cycles, every oil (even the best) will eventually break down and offer less protection
You are very helpful and informative , sir . I changed my transmission fluid today (my 2007 Toyota Corolla sport was at 135.000 miles when it got changed ) now she runs good , I can feel the difference . Cheers from California.
No need to replace..ha haha...When. I changed the fluid in my 92 Camry, it looked the color of coffee! cleaned and refilled with Dexron as specified..still going strong at 632000 kilometers.
@mohammed lastman keep doing it till it's clean, change then drive it a couple miles so it mixes in your torque converter (if you have one) till it's clean
Thank you Peter I’m one of those women afraid to do these things on my own, but thanks to you I do my own oil changes and transmission fluid changes , the only thing I haven’t done yet is engine coolant change 💙
Excellent, just don't bother with a flush. Just do a drain & fill. 1st off, flushing doesn't get all the old fluid anyway. It's a little more, but not worth the cost. (You're not even going to have that equipment anyway unless you run a shop.) 2nd, experts will tell you that flushing can push dirty particles into the complex chambers of the transmission.
You are awesome sir! Not to get sappy but my father died years ago so i have a number of RU-vid dads to teach me man stuff haha. Thanks man! Subscribed
I appreciate this man not suggesting any after market ATF. Other ATF types like the "Valvoline Max like Dex/Merc" will NOT work well with earlier Corollas, Especially ones from the early 2000s and late 90s. Those aftermarket ATF types are all usually low viscosity, and claim to be "backwards compatible" with anything that uses Dexron II or III. And people tend to believe that Dexron III is okay to use as a substitute for T-IV, but it is NOT GOOD. T-IV is pretty hihg viscosity, and replacing it for Dexron 3 on an aged transmission will not mix well, believe me I've done it. Just thought I should post this since information is scarce regarding these transmissions.
I generally know how to change transmission fluid but I wanted to make sure it's similar to most procedures since my girlfriend actually has a 2004 Corolla LE, white also in fact. It's only got about 53k on the clock but I think the fluid should be changed just to keep it going. She loves the car and wants to keep it going as long as possible. So your video was definitely very helpful to me. Thanks!
I prefer a drain and exchange (just like you are showing) more so then a "power flush". A sealed transmission of course is a little more labor intensive but can easily be done. Keep up the good work my friend.
You don't do a flush you drop the pan change the filter and put new fluid in. Doing a flush can cause the dirt if there's any in the fluid to go into small channels in the transmission and cause damage to your transmission. Always drop the pan and change the fluid .
I just bought my first Toyota, it's a 2014 4 runner. Would you please move to pennsylvania where I live so you can do all of my service work? You are an incredibility honest man and you care about people! I hope you are as blessed as I am in this great country!
... "MAX-LIFE" Valvoline Full-Synthetic Transmission Fluid meets the "WS" World-Standard requirements of Toyota, and is the only alternative that I have found for the Toyota transmission fluid....I have used "Max-Life" on 3-fluid-changes for my 2010-Corolla...it is great, and less than half-the-cost of the Toyota fluid ... $18.00-per-gallon at Walmart ...
@@thomascampbell5633 He is saying that it is the only less expensive after market fluid that you can use as an alternative to going with the expensive Toyota branded WS fluid.
Many many many people swear by it on online forums. So many that I tried twice. Both 10 plus year old trans mated to V6 engines. Both afterwards shifted sluggishly on cold start or after the car sat. Thinking the trans fluid went cold. At full operating temps. They shifted fine. One was a 98 another was an 08. Took two more drain and fills for them to go back to somewhat better working cold conditions. One with Dexron III and other was with WS. Still has some in it. Maybe 12-20% left inside. On first cold startup might need ten seconds. But it's okay. Perhaps the engines were poorly maintained in their younger age. Maybe the shift solenoids are gunked up. Passages varnished. But I would say stick to Toyota. You save $20 or so for a spill and fill but the synthetic is in there and months and months of headaches or spend more to get it all pushed out. Maybe cars younger than 5 years will be okay but I;m not messing with that anymore. Stick with the OG on Toyota.
Very nice video. I've been a mechanic for about 8 years. I've always done transmission fluid changes like this and not full flushing. The goal is too have better pressure and lubrication. Not to clean the entire transmission. Damage can happen if the fluid is too clean.
"Damage can happen if the fluid is too clean" this is complete bullshit. With a proper maintenance schedule, a full fluid exchange will greatly extend the life of your trans.
@@plasticplanetdiscgolf lol it's a great car man. I'm on 250k with that nasty p0171 code. Have you had it? I did everything.. no luck.. someone said it might be a connection to the O2 sensor that's loose. Not the actual sensor who knows.. I'ma drive it untill the cops take it from me after Feb 22 2022 when the reg expires. Unless I can find a fake smog person. If not I'ma drive it on expired tags... In l.a I should be able to drive it another year after expired before the cops actually tow it.. lol u know.. very lenient..
@@plasticplanetdiscgolf I want to ask you.. when you drained tranny fluid.. how much came out.. for some reason I got exactly 4 quarts out of the drain plug.. not the 3.2 quarts that everyone is talking about.. what gives? I did it cold.. in the morning. Then put the exact same amount back and it's at exact perfect level.. has me confused..
@@dbdnrbdb I'm not sure of that amount. I just drained and put in the proper amount. My check engine light has been on for a long time. I replaced O2 sensors but I was told it's my catalytic converter which will need a replacement on a super old car. But my mechanic friends say it's not that big a deal and the car will run fine. Better fuel efficiency and emissions w a new one but you know...$
"flushing" an automatic transmission is usually a bad idea. Causes more problems than it's worth. Drain and fill at regular intervals, that's far better regular maintenance.
We have a 2009 RAV4 in which the fluid was black at only 28,000 miles (but it was ten years old - verified by Carfax). I drained and filled it at that 28,000 mile mark and now the fluid is still red at 41,000 miles but less than a year later. I think the age of the fluid has as much to do with it's color as the mileage does. I plan to do the next drain and fill at 60,000 miles (or before). A few months ago I bought a Scangauge II and configured it to read ATF temperature. According to a repair manual for the vehicle the operating temperature of the fluid (when the dip-stick should read in the hot zone) is 158°F to 176°F. I've confirmed that ours is at that level. If Toyota wanted us to be accurate reading the dipstick why didn't they simply install an ATF temperature gauge in the vehicle? No, infact to get that information you need a service manual. The owner's manual doesn't tell you.
The customer of this 2004 Corolla is very intelligent and educated about automatic transmission fluid maintenance. At 150,000 miles, an automatic transmission fluid flush could have been disastrous for the car and the transmission could fail or slip if regular fluid maintenance had not been performed in the past. Drain and fill is the way to go at that high mileage.
Y is that ? If you flush the system and use the required transmission oil , it would be good? Your saying not to flush the whole system? Sorry I don’t understand! I looked at a lot of video s about it ! Now I really confused 🤷♂️ I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla with 148, 000, I had the dealer do it at 90,000, and I wat to get it done again but the dealership what’s 300 to drain and fill , thanks
@@jameswhite1319 takes too long for the fluid to circulate the transmission. And on old cars like that if the fluid has been burnt and caused internal wear, flushing the system entirely gets rid of metal catchpoints on the transmission and the new fluid could take too long to circulate and cause more damage than intended.
@@jameswhite1319 This is for cars that never had it done before and have high mileage. The clutch material on the plates in the auto trans wears off into the fluid when it's very old and corrosive. Since the dealer took the risk for you, it is fine to continue as long as the dealer guarantees their work. Drain and fill is for people who don't want to pay the dealer prices.
dan b ...I did not bother with changing filter. Mine is a 2006 Corolla. After draining from the pan I filled it up to the same amount that came out. I disconnected one of the hoses and have the wife start the car and let out about 800 ml. Turn off the engine and fill up the same amount. Repeat the same process until the fluid comes out red. Been driving for about 2 months now. No issues.
my transmission drain plug was working it's way loose so I got my transmission serviced for free by the dealer I go off road quite a bit so things work there way loose I like your channel a lot
BMW was the same way back in those days with their ridiculous "Lifetime Fill" fluids...pfft yeah right! Need to do the same on my sister's 2006 Corolla. This video helps alot, thanks!
Thank you for all the great information. You look and seem to be a very conscientious and honest mechanic. I can not believe Toyota built vehicles and recommended no fluid draining and replacement. Talk about a receipt for disaster or to make lots of more money? What if the auto makers recommended never changing your engine oil? They would be selling new cars only after maybe 50k to 80k miles.
Excellent video amazing delivery and disposition. I truly enjoy every video you make. If you get a chance to post a video of a transmission fluid drain and fill in a 2014 Corolla with the CVT I would appreciate it. I need to do that for my daughter's car because she is a 60k. Thank you in advance.
When purchased new our corolla stated change oil every 10k and never change trans fluid. We changed oil every 6k and trans every 50k. At 170k fluids look new engine runs quiet and shifts like new.
That's the more accurate service interval. The non severe interval is to get low numbers in operating costs in auto magazines and to beat out competitors. Anyone with city traffic needs to be under severe. Or extreme temps. Includes mostly everyone.
I managed to find out how much fluid my corolla needs that will make it reach the hot section perfectly. For me I fill it cold to the “P” in the word “Type” on the dipstick.
Thank you for the video. My mechanic told me to never flush my 2009 Toyota transmission. Just drain & refill. Scotty Kilmer and Chris Fix on RU-vid say the same. Why do some recommend D&R and others flushing? Besides more $ for the Dealership.
I did this project myself and unfortunately one of the bolts to hold the filter in place broke inside... It is only held in place by two bolts. It seems secure but I wonder if this will be an issue. Please help.
Im probably late to the party. But dropping the pan and cleaning the screen/oil lines is a really good method. Its a one and done job, which is nice. On the other hand, doing multiple drain and fills is also another affective method. Doing this allows back to back fills eventually get “fresh” oil throughout the whole transmission. It is going to be slightly more costly, and will never reach clarity of dropping the pan without a fair amount of cycles. Either one is a viable. Once i have little more time i will probably drop the pan. For now ill just run a few cycles of fresh oil back to back.
We bought a used 2010 Corolla with 128,000 miles on it for our teen daughter, and with not having a complete service history we decided one of the maintenance items we should do is drain and fill the transmission and change out the filter. I'm glad we did because after draining and removing the pan we found much of the fluid still coming out of the transmission and resting in the pan was gelatinous! The filter certainly needed to be changed. It took 3 drain and fills, with running the gears in between to mix the new with the old to flush out the thick remnants. We used Valvoline Maxlife ATF, which is compatible to the fluid Toyota recommends, but is a fraction of the price. What a difference that service did to the operation of that car.
Hello, so I did few changes already and I must say if you drop the pan and replace the filter you manage to get another 600ml of old fluid out or so, not to mention the pan itself will be covered in a film of debris and old fluid. I highly recommend doing it, its worth the effort to replace the filter and give the pan a new gasket too. My 2012 Rolla just turned 205k km and runs strong shifting like butter. I tried different AFT WS fluids and no difference noticed.
I just purchased a 2013 Corolla this week with only 16,000 original miles. I’ll be interested to see what kind of condition the ATF is in once it is delivered……..🤔
What about the differential fluid? I was a Toyota tech in the 1990’s and when we did trans services we drained and refilled the diff, which used ATF, with a slurp gun. The quantity was less than a quart, but you sure don’t want to neglect the carrier bearings in the differential. Has there been a production change?
A very important piece of information was left out. This transmission holds 7.5quarts of fluid. Which means you are diluting the old fluid every time you do a drain and fill. I was curious if he would explain how to drain the torque converter directly, or just do the drain and fill 3 times so you dilute it to nearly 85% clean. Apparently, he completely didn't even mention that there is 7.5qts total, let alone if there is a better way than having to do it 3 times.
I believe that will be good idea to change transmission filter. that we don’t keep in the old one and then you could contaminating the new Oil and not keep in more dirt inside transmission
"Under normal driving condition" is a very sly or maybe a con....like oil changes as most drivers use vehicles in really cold or hot climates/temperatures,plus most of us are stuck in traffic (excessive idle) so that comes under "Severe driving conditions".And what most of us do in traffic (At idle waiting at the lights or long queues) ?? is keep it in "D" (Drive) which isn't advised.I changed my ATF on my 2002 Yaris at 76,000 miles 4 yrs ago with genuine Toyota Type 4 and glad i did.It did cost like £32 i think can't remember,for 5L....worth it thou.For the sake of an extra £20 or over £200 if you're lucky on a 2nd hand AT plus you pay extra for a mechanic to fit it.
Of course the best way for old vehicles is, replacing the gear box filter and then fully flush a gear box with a fresh recommended OEM Type ATF. I did it with my 2002 Toyota Highlander. The gear box still working like a new one. In my opinion, at this situation the owner just waisting his money. Why? Because inside the gear box still remain some old ATF. Thanks for video. Keep it up
Yes there is still old fluid inside the transmission. But there are some that will drain and refill, drive for several months or a few thousand miles and repeat the process. "The only solution for pollution is dilution". Eventually there will be enough "cleaner" fluid to last a good many years. I personally drain the pan, refill transmission, pin the oil thermostat to the cooler open, put outlet line of trans cooler in a bucket, start vehicle and run from PRN21-12NRP. It takes about 45 seconds at idle to pump out about 4 quarts out. Repeat process two more times until you have put in about 12 quarts (this is on a 5.7 Tundra with 6-speed auto). Bring trans temp up to operating temp and check level on level surface and add/drain as needed. Sounds overwhelming, but truly it is a simple DIY. It just takes some time.
I have a 1990 Toyota Corolla SR5 that needs the CV axle replaced on the passenger side. When replacing the CV axle and fluid leaks out, is this transmission fluid that it is replaced with or gear oil?
Well either you tried to con them into an expensive flush or just don't know what you're talking about. Transmissions don't need flushing and should only be drained!! Now, yes, we know that the shape of the transmission doesn't allow all the fluid to drop out, but there is no guarantee a flush will do any better since flushing is just continuously mixing new & old fluids. But more importantly on top of that, flushing may push dirty particles to far into the chambers. So stick to draining if you like your car, folks.
I have an issue - I felt a jolt when I reversed my Toyota 13 Corolla. Then it woudnt move in drive. I turned it off then back on drove good for 20 + miles took a trip >100 miles no issue but then today I couldn’t move it in drive again… any ideas ?
Hi, I have an 03 Corolla with 150,000 miles. I drained & refilled the transmission fluid once around 80,000 miles. Should I do it again now or can it cause more harm than good at this mileage? Also would you recommend I drain & refill the antifreeze coolant from the radiator?
Is it ok to use Valvoline equivalent or am I better off waiting for Toyota fluid? Just a drain fill and filter change. Only 60k miles on the 2005 Corolla
Would the same process be done for a Toyota corolla 2015 LE eco? I've been looking for a video like crazy but can't seem to find my specific model. Please help 🙏🏻.
Lifetime fluid is kapouie if you plan to keep the car only for 💯 thousand miles no need to change just change the car. I. Get my fluid changed often so my transmission operates @ maximum performance 💪
Another great video! I am getting ready to change the trans fluid on my 2003 Pontiac Vibe (same engine/trans that is in this 2004 Corolla) and was hoping you knew the toyota part # for the transmission drain plug crush washer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Can you please post a link for the engine oil funnel? If only I had one of those during my days as a Toyota tech! I still own 2...an iQ for my wife and a GX470 for me 👍🏻
Look up "Motivx oil funnel" and be sure to choose the one for Toyota/Lexus. Works on most but not all of them, though (didn't work on one of our 3.3L).
Dont, other brands like Valvoline with their "backwards compatible Dexron VI" don't work well with these transmissions, especially if it has some age to it. Dex VI along with Dexron III (the ATF it's trying to be) are both low viscosity. But the spec'd ATF for the older Corollas (T-IV) is pretty high viscosity. Your transmission won't like what you're giving it, and you'll slowly start to experience issues. It happened to me.
thank you for sharing the video. big help. just bought one with 198k and never changed before ! Do you suggest to change it or not ? some suggest not change with high mileage ! thanks
After you drain AFT while it is hot and it measures at ~3.5 qt, would it be correct to add 3.25 of new ATF? What I am trying to ask if that putting 3.25 qt in, may expand when hot, so I won't over fill it.
On Toyota models now it's just a metal screen like on your window. It's more for break in catching and failsafe of catastrophic damage. The magnets are the same, mostly it's first start wearing in metals. So it's not necessary, although shops will want as much money from you as possible.. other shops are maybe that and ignorant of the above facts on Toyotas.
If it is still dark reddish it is OK to change... if it is brownish and smells burned I would just drive it... otherwise you could look at clutch/transmission problems since the brownish and burned color comes from the clutch particles... advice is to invest around tax time in a flush whenever it is due for that service... other than that filter, gasket change and proper torque spec would help your viewers out... this was not as helpful as a repair manual is... I however gave you a thumb up for a good attempt...
You a can’t fully flush transmission fluid out a car with over 200,000 miles unless you’ve been keeping up with the maintenance from the time it was new . This guy should know this
Yes, there is a transmission fluid filter, it's in the transmission pan, you have to remove and replace the pan and gasket to get at it. How often should it be changed? That's a big debate.
Here are some Toyota automatic transmission filter for sale, also Toyota usually has two magnets inside the transmission pan to attract ferrous metal, often there are particles on them. 2004 Toyota Rav4 2.4l www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2004,rav4,2.4l+l4,1434113,transmission-automatic,filter,8600
Yes but his customer was looking to save money. Still since Toyota says there is no reason to change anything changing the fluid alone may suffice. However, I'm thinking around 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the filter/metal screen (or whatever you wish to call it-duh) but I change the fluid every 30,000 miles.
@@stevensevek6151 there isn't a filter on Toyotas! Its a metal screen and every time the car is shut off the debris falls down and there's magnets on the pan! Now a lot of domestic manufacturers have paper filters and definitely need changed!
