Good morning!

I am new to cars. I bought a used '02 ES300 last month. The last owner changed the transmission fluid at 40K miles. I'm at 95K now. A few questions:

1. I'm reading on different procedures to change the trans. fluid. What should I do? Total flush/pour? Any suggestions?
2. Is it better to use AmSoil ATF? Or should I stick with Type T-IV?
3. Do I need to get a trans. fluid filter too?
4. How often should I change the transmission fluid?
5. Anything else I should know?

Thank you!

 

Hello,

This topic has been discussed a lot in the past, try using the search function of this forum, which is usually faster for common questions.

For your case, since you replaced the fluid at 40,000 miles, drain and fill will the best option. Filters in those transmissions are not a wire mesh as usual, they have a sponge-type material that can clog up, so it should be replaced every 2-3 drain and fills for a good measure. 40,000 miles between drain and fills seems like a pretty good fluid change interval on those.

As for the fluid, I personally would suggest sticking with the factory T-IV fluid, it is pretty good by all on its own, and with discounts can get pretty inexpensive, here is a good place to get it. Other forks have had pretty good experience with Amsoil OE ATF, I only tired it in the Power Steering Pump though, but it does appear to work nice so far.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

Thanks! My local mechanic has been working for Toyota for 20 years. He says I should wait until 100k before even considering doing anything and also recommends Type IV. My transmission is still red. He did say on the dipstick, Toyota suggests you only change it if you get water damage or get into an accident.

Does that sound about right? And what intervals would you change the transmission fluid?

 

For a complete fluid flush, 100k interval is probably fine, but it can get more troublesome as the car ages, flushing is really not recommended after a certain mileage or if the prior history of the transmission is unknown. By simply dropping the pan, you are only draining about half the fluid, hence why I wrote about 40,000 mile interval, overkill - probably, but it also gives a certain peace of mind for the future.

Toyota says that the fluid is filled for the whole duration of the car's life, which is expected to be about 150,000 miles, while it will make it to that mileage with the old fluid, replacing it afterwards will be too little too late. For heavy use cases, like towing, Toyota recommends changing the fluid every 60,000 miles, which may be a better option if you are primarily driving on the highway, where loads are significantly smaller.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

So it was changed once at 40k. If I drain and fill at 100k, it'll have been 60k.

So you're saying after the drain and fill at 100k, just drain and fill every 40k?

I'm okay with not flushing it based on some of the concerns. I can do drain and fill.

 

It is up to you, it really depends on your use cases, the amount you are willing to spend on the car and how long do you expect it to last. I like taking country roads more than highways, which is a considerable load in comparison, same goes for stop and go city traffic, if that's what the car is up against, I would do a drain and refill at 40,000 miles, yet if you mainly drive around highways, 60,000 mile interval should be fine.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

I purchased mine at 99k miles and have done an annual drain and refill. the transmission fluid was and remains a deep red color and appears to be very clean. It has 208k now and have owned the car since late 2016. It is slipping a little when cold, but it seems to get better when the trans is warmed up. I may drop the pan and replace the transmission filter when I replace my engine. Hopefully that will help the minor slippage.

 

Change the trans fluid and keep changing it every year. You should be fine. I would do a 2x or a 3x drain and refill at first. If you are feeling adventurous, drop the pan and swap out the filter.