For about 10 years now with my 06 Tacoma Prerunner, 4.0, I simply remove the refill plug, remove the drain plug and run a quart through just to clean the wire mesh filter. I then reinstall the drain plug, add 3 quarts at that time and finally reinstall the refill plug. Works great for me for the last, again, 10 years. I only use the Toyota WS fluid which I purchase from Amazon. A 4 quart package is around $51. Believe it or not, even the dealer uses this procedure. Yes, they may remove the overflow plug just to be sure it is enough but it always is!
Superb video! Thanks for posting. You should add a tip: Make sure you undo the fill bolt and overflow bolt BEFORE draining your fluid. There's nothing worse than undoing the drain bolt, draining your fluid and then finding out you can't undo the fill bolt to get new fluid in.
Thank you, this video was very helpful. All I've added was that each time I refilled until it overflowed, I drove the truck a little to ensure all gears were engaged and taking in the new fluid just for extra measure. Thanks again!
Nice video. I just did this to my 2006 Tundra yesterday. Same setup. I would also add that the fluid should be hot when it is drained. Like the video shows, fluid came out of the overflow once I added about a quart and a half. However, I knew I had taken more than this out and the manual says it holds about 3.5 quarts. I warmed up the engine and cycled through the gears. Sure enough, it took another 2 quarts once it was warm and the fluid dispersed. Be careful not to under-fill!
Also, where Drew used a 9/16" socket, use a 14mm. And use a 5mm Allen wrench for the overflow plug. Most of your bolts on Toyota are going to be metric and if they are seized and you try to remove them with standard tools, you may damage the bolts. I did use the 15/16" socket on the refill plug because I don't have a metric socket that big.
Adam Beck Correction: "All" the bolts/nuts on Toyota's are metric. Only America uses SAE on part of our cars. Because what parts are made here are SAE and parts made out of the US are metric...Also' because were stupid!...lol
The fluid has to be the right temperature as it expands. You can take a paper clip and stick it in pin 4 to pin 13 on the OBD connector (L to R, top to bottom counting). Start the vehicle, shift to Drive then quickly to Neutral. You'll see different lights blinking on the instrument panel. When the transmission light lights up it's at the proper temperature. Also Harbor Freight sells a little red hand fluid pump under $10. It works great for this.
Ya, that is what everyone, or most everyone says...But, whatever fluid makes it over the overflow tube at any temperature, will be in the overflow tube and can't get back into the trans pan. So unless you put so much in, it over fills the overflow tube, you shouldn't have to worry about a specific temperature. Just warm it up to operating temps at idle.
Great vid! However I did this on my 06 4runner with no success, I was still low on ATF when fluid was coming out of the over flow. When I took it to my mechanic and told him what steps I took after he was done, he said the only thing I didn't' do was to have the vehicle running when putting in the fluid and he explained to me why (Face palm). This would have been go to know but like I said except for that small part excellent vid.
I’ve been told a couple other good practices since making this video: 1. Make sure the car is hot when you drain the fluid -- so drive around for about 10 minutes before draining. 2. Start the car and let it sit on idle for 5 minutes or so after filling the transmission and the swish around the fluid by shifting between all the different gears. 3. After swishing the fluid, remove the overflow plug and check the level again.
Drew, GREAT video. Right length and really well done. I think it is hilarious how confused an issue this is. I have a 07 Tacoma with 103K and transmission has never been serviced. I will do it myself with your video, but called some dealers for kicks. One said, drain and fill. The other said I needed a service, with a filter cleaning, and flush. A third said drain and fill. The flush they say will "kick up grime" and potentially ruin my trans. Really??? Unbelievable.
if you drain the fluid into a gallon jug, you will know exactly how much to put back in. with this info. you dont need to take out the over flow screw. if you buy one of those pumps with a hose on each end at harbor freight, you can pump back in the exact amount you took out. the pump cost about 8.00. well worth it for this job. either way you do it, keep track of what came out....
That's really not true because all transmissions will use or lose a certain amount of fluid over time, so the amount you drain is not the amount you will need
I followed your video thanks man the only thing I did different was measure the amount that came out of my 2013 tacoma which was 2.5 quart then I refill with a little over 2.5 quart thank again for the video....
i used this video and it was very helpful. in my situation i had drained the transmission instead of the oil so i just wanted to put back what i had drained. even thou toyota uses metric, the standard socket fit. i think the allen was 3/16 not 3/18. and most important when i ordered toyota brand fluid from amazon they offered a pump for less than $12.00 which worked great, the only issue i had was the fluid i received was in quarts but it had wide mouth cap instead of the standard size so i had to pour the fluid into a bottle that fit the pump Herb
I changed mine by first draining the AT oil pan. Next Remove the sump pan and change the filter. Once you drop the pan you will see there is still a quart or more oil in the pan that did nor drain. Put on a new gasket and bolt the pan back to the transmission. You may have to use some RTV gasket seal to dab between the 20 bolts to get the gasket to lay flat and not slip around on you. Next Refill transmission with what was drained out. Next take loose the oil flow hose going to the oil cooler. Put a plastic hose on the discharge side, start the truck and let it pump out three quarts in a measurable buket. Stop the engine and refill with three quarts. Repeat one more time. Stop and refill the transmission with the three quarts that you just drained the second time. Let your truck transmission heat up to around 100 to 110 degrees. Open the over flow if nothing comes out add more oil until you see a small dribble coming out. That's all there is to it. I used Valvoline World ATF synthetic oil to replace WS. It is stated on the oil container that it is a suitable replacement. That's all there is to it. With the 4 quarts you drained out of the pan the first time and the 6 quarts you pumped out through the cooler line will add up to be 10 total quarts. Have a extra around to get your pan to the proper level. This will just about flush the entire system.
Non - cents is correct. The fluid has to be at “working” temperature. Once the correct temp is archived, you then remove the overflow plug and the fluid should drip out to the point where it is a “small trickle” as per manufacturer notes. Find another explanation of how to do this on RU-vid. There are better descriptions out there.
FYI, I use Redline D-6 transmission fluid for my Toyota Tacoma. I drain the fluid, the start the engine for about 5-10 seconds and let it pump out another bunch of fluid. Then I fill the pan to the over flow as he showed. Put the plug back into the overflow port and add about 2 more quarts, start the engine for about 30 seconds and put the transmission into reverse and drive a couple of times with my fort on the brake. Then stop the engine, and pull the overflow plug to drain any excess fluid, if any. If there is not any extra fluid, then add some more so there is some excess fluid. Pot the plugs back in and take it for a drive to let it go into all of the gears, forward and reverse. Then I pull the overflow plug again and let whatever excess fluid there is come out. I put the overflow plug back in, and then add about a pint of fluid and call it good. Works great, and you don't need to use the costly transmission pump.
@209Hmooblis If fluid came out when you first unplugged the overflow bolt, that means you had too much fluid in it to begin with. Remove both the drain bolt and overflow bolt and let all the fluid flow out of the trnsmission. Then, replace the drain bolt but leave the overflow bolt unplugged. Finally, fill the fluid until it starts to drip out the overflow plug. When this happens, the transmission is considered, “full”. Now, put the overflow bolt back in and your good to go.
No, it is not recommended to change the transmission oil unless you are having problems with the transmission. My transmission was making a grumbling noise between gears 3 and 4. Once I drained and filled 2 or 3 times, the grumbling was eliminated. My tacoma has 180,000 miles on it and has been driving smoothly for the past 30,000 miles since changing the oil.
you forgot one very important step and that is the engine should be running when opening the check plug to check the oil level in the trans.. otherwise you will damage your trans coz oil level gets lower when engine is running and atf srarts circulating inside the trans.. also your oil temp should be between 97F-115F when checking oil level..
+Mundher Al Lawati What if the car is cold (garage room temperature/ first thing in morning not being started) and the bottles of new fluid are at room temperature also... Then does it matter about the temperature just for 2 quarts drain and fill?
+speed3000gt in this case the temperature doesn't matter and you can do it without starting your engine.. but make sure you fill the same amount that you drained..
+Mundher Al Lawati Toyota Tacoma 5-speed AT mated to 4.0L V6...Transmission temp needs to be 115F-130F. www.toyotanation.com/forum/61-2nd-generation-2005-2015/323590-official-how-atf-drain-fill.html Tools: Jumper wire: Jump 4 to 13 @ OBD connector. (1 is upper left) 24mm socket or wrench 14mm socket or wrench 5mm hex socket or allen key
You should get the engine warm or at the very least drive it around after you fill it the first time. At that point, you'll need to check again to see if you need to add more. Doesn't matter what gear you have it in... But once you get the new fluid in the transmission, move the stick around to engage all the different gears. This "swishes" the fluid around to make sure fluid touches all parts of the gears.
Most Toyota's have a drain plug for their automatic transmissions. However, many models have a dipstick (similar to the engine oil dipstick) to fill the transmissions and check the proper level.
Flushing is necessary. Old ATF contaminants new fluid. You must completely clean out the old ATF fluid. Use the additive also. Definitely worth the price compared to what commonly happens when a neglected transmission fails. I see dead vehicles with burnt out transmissions on the side of the road of our mountain pass all the time.
I believe you need to have the vehicle running in order to get the proper amount of fluid to come out the fluid level plug hole. Plus, while its running, shift through all the gears to purge any air out of the system...
@hiconor75 Toyota must have misunderstood your question because that is 100% incorrect. The Transmission actually holds appx. 3.5 qts, but standard changes typically only drain the fluid from the pan (1.5-2qts). The additional quart or so is locked inside the gear box and such. Toyota never recommends taking the pan off to drain the fluid. In fact, Toyota recommends to never change the transmission fluid, period, except when performance has been noticeably effected.
A computer is used to replace the fluid. I was encouraged not to replace unless I had an issue. If the transmission has failed then I would rather just replace it. This video is helpful since it all makes sense. I am a mechanic by trade and seen different ways of draining a transmission. Toyota transmission fluid looks burned even after 15k miles.
@KWIKWS6 yes, you can use a pump. Another idea is to get a bulb hand pump or a syphon. But if you have the ability to create or buy a funnel, it’s much quicker that way and only requires one person. One advantage of a pump is you can actually use backwards to suck the fluid out. When you drain the tranny, there will always be a quart or two that gravity won’t drain. I just leave it in there, but it is better to pump it out if you can.
My Tacoma has metric fasteners and plugs. How did you get one with SAE? Is this a 1980's GM. Hell, even my 1980's GM had a big stamped "METRIC" on the trans.
check this site for details about getting your fluid to the correct temperature. www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/63851-how-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.html
It's true that you can't eliminate ALL transmission fluid this way - but that's exactly why I recommend draining and filling two or three times. Think of it this way... the first drain and fill makes your mixture half good/half bad. The next drain and fill will make it 3/4 good and 1/4 bad. By the third drain and fill, you'll probably have 85% or more GOOD fluid in the transmission. It isn't a complete change, but it sure is better than dropping the entire transmission for that last 15%, eh?
My experience, I drained transmission fluid instead of engine oil, lucky me I left fluid inside of my Tacoma 07, and I filled with extra 5q engine oil. I watch this video and other and I learned that it does have a filter inside the transmission pan, to replace the filter you need to unscrew the transmission cover and you'll see it inside, you need to unscrew 4 screw to take it out and put the new one (I didn't replace my filter, next time) tip: always start opening the 1-filling cap 2-meter cap 3-drain cap. I found a container with a hose at auto parts for $5 and a 10' 1/4 hose at Home Depot and it did it. Since I already drain by mistake my transmission fluid I did what I saw in this video but the fluid wasn't enough, my transmission was bumping when I stop and I go fast so I just put an extra qt with the container and the hose previously mentioned and it's running like before yeaahhh, I though I had problem with my transmission but it wasn't it just needed mor fluid. Thanks to this video I learn how to do it and do it bette. THANK YOU!
If its not filled correctly and checked at a precise temp it will trash that transmission. You have no filter, you only have a screen so dont buy one. Clean it out if you want. Important--Google- How do I check Toyota Transmission Fluid. You will see what I mean...
you need a scan tool to put it in lower idle and to what temp the fluid is. each w/s trans have a temp range that when you can check fluid. if temp to low you will over fill trans.if to high you under fill trans. some have way with scan tool.
JimmyD. You are correct.after doing my fluid drain and fill I replaced only 1 1/2 quart of transmission fluid so I did the correct test and had to add another 1 1/2 quart. I think that guy need to remove that video or update it. Thanks for your help..
It isn't risky at all as long as you follow these instructions. He obviously wants your business although I'm sure Toyota would never "officially" encourage you to do it yourself anyways.
Please check the Tacoma forums this misses important steps, replace what you take out, Measure it! also you have to do a temp check that requires you to put your truck into OBD mode and possible add or drain excess oil. Please do some extra digging, today I don't have time to give you all the infol
Hmm I believe on a 2007 Tacoma its not as simple as shown on this video. There is a specific procedure required for this model, i think it envolves some sort of process where the truck is brought to normal operating temperature then cooled down several times. I suggest if you want to service your own transmission call your Toyota dealer for the proper method .
When I removed the FILL plug a small amount of oil came out. Did the person who last serviced my trans. overfill to that level ? When i drained the pan using your steps almost 3 quarts came out. When I refilled , until it came out the overflow, it took only a little less than 2 qts. The atf ws from Toyota dealer only cost $ 8.25 a qt.
Question for all the mechanics... Why exactly does the fluid need to be heated up to a certain temperature if only doing a 2 quart drain and fill? If the car is at room temperature and the new transmission fluid bottles are at room temperature, can you not just drain the truck's fluid ( about 2 quarts) and replace it with 2 quarts while being room temperature? I really don't want to mess with jumping pins and all that to find the correct temperature.
coz oil expands when its hot.. you dont need to connect pins with jumpers and all that crap just get a temperature gun and measure from your trans oil pan and you are good to go but as I said temp dosent matter if you are filling the same amount that you drained and the car is in room temp..
Keep in mind that you MUST know the temperature of the fluid to make sure you are left with the correct amount. The only way to know this is to get Toyota to do it, or know the procedure for making the computer tell you when it is warmed up by jumping 2 pins on the OBD II connector and shifting in a specific pattern. It must be between a very narrow range, and you can get it too hot.
CORRECT ANSWER HERE -- THANK YOU!!! Triying to show them this.. Google - How do I check Toyota Transmission fluid. Then click AGCO auto repair service link within top few links... Shows them how step by step...peace!
Further down, the author of this article indicated he did this drain/refill 2 to 3 times. This is what's known as a rotation drain. Same thing used on many Civics and Accords. I have an '06 Avalon with 180,000 on it that I drain every 25K. Screw waiting 100K to change something as important as transmission fluid. That system holds 7 qts and 3.7 qts are drained when the drain bolt is removed. Refill with 3.7. I measure every drop to ensure I put back in what I drain. You could do the same here. After refilling, drive for 10-15 mi then drain again - be sure to measure what you drain - then refill with same. Drive again - then drain and refill. At that point your fluid will be much cleaner. Some also pull the transmission fluid lines on the radiator and flush. This gets more fluid out, but with any flush you run the risk of breaking dirt loose and deep-sixing the transmission. The dealer isn't going to do anything more elaborate than what is done here and they charge an arm and a leg to do it. Once again , measure what is drained and refill with same amount.
This might be true if you wait for fluid to go to room temperature. If the fluid is hot or warm, it has already expanded. So dont put room temp fluid back in if you take warm or hot out. It will not be the same.
Hello, thanks for posting. I have the same questions. Is their a filter or when is that recommended to be changed and is it the same for an 07 v6 4x4 Tacoma? Thanks again.
There is no filter change required for this type of drain and fill. Just to be clear though, Toyota wouldn't recommend draining and filling your transmission at all. They recommend a complete drain and fill which requires dropping the pan and flushing the transmission. This tutorial will drain about 1/4 of your fluid so that's why I recommend draining and filling a few times -- that way, most of the dirt and grime will be be removed. That said, this costs less than $50 while a complete drain, flush, and fill could cost hundreds.
plus, 90% of do it yourselfers watching this video can't drop their transmission anyways. Please understand this video isn't for mechanics. This video is for doityourselfers.
This method is COMPLETELY WRONG! The engine has to be running and the transmission fluid temperature needs to be within 115°-130° when you open the over flow plug!
if it works it works... any good mechanic knows standard works with many metric sizes, especially those with some grime on them. Don’t get yourself all worked up.
I got an automatic 2006 Tacoma v6. I found an online site that says to put in about 1.9 qt. and by then fluid should start coming out from the fill hole. You say to put in 1.5 qt. or until fluid start coming out from the overflow hole. I'm confuse because when I open the overflow bolt, about 3/4 qt. came out from it. Then more when opening the drain bolt. How much fluid should I put in?
my brother drained the transmission fluid, thinking it was the motor oil pan. so i had to refill it. i took out the overflow plug and started to add the fluids. i was only able to add about half a quart if anything before the overflow hole started dripping. is that normal? i bought two quarts thinking i would need them but i only used half of one. any help would be appreciated
When I removed the overflow plug a "TON" of transmission fluid came out. I removed the overflow first and then the drain plug. The engine was not running, but the transmission was warm. What gives? I would've thought that little to no fluid would have come out of the overflow plug. Did whoever serviced my transmission last put too much fluid in or should the engine be running and the transmission in gear when checking the overflow?
I commend you for taking the time to make this video. However, there is a lot of misinformation here starting with the simple fact that Toyota uses metric sizes. Granted SAE equivalents will work but ask someone with a stripped bolt how much fun it is to fix. This is not the proper procedure for checking the correct fill level and you've shown people a far more complex means of refilling versus simply buying a screw-on hand pump. Given how vital the tranny is to the operation of your truck, do your research people before jumping into a job based on someone's internet advice.
I just joined AllDataDYI cause I bought an 06 Tacoma Prerunner with the V6 & 4 speed automatic and I'm wanting to know when to change the fluid (I'm at 65k miles). According to Toyota TSB T-SB-0006-11: The 100,000 Mile Maintenance Interval is for Inspection only; ATF-WS (World Standard Automatic Transmission Fluid, which my truck uses, according to the dealer) does NOT require any flushing or changing during the LIFE of the vehicle. Also, ATF-WS is NOT compatible with T-IV or Dexron ATF...
You said 1.5 QTs? I just watched a video on a 2010 and he used 4.5 QTs because thats the amount that came out of the drain plug. 1.5 seems short?? I have a 2008 I'm planning on doing this. I guess I will replace the same amount that comes out. You never get all of it out there is quite a bit in the tourque converter I assume.
