loliwin55

My mechanic intends to change my fluid by dropping the pan, he says hes gonna do the filter and that i should get at most 2 gallons of atf.
My question is, once we have changed the fluid and he puts back everything, how do i know if its overfilled or not? Starting the car for around a certain amount of time, or using a temp scanner?
I dont want to offend my mechanic by saying "my forum says this and that and that" but i do want it done right.
my biggest fear is its overfilled or underfilled, whats the simplest way to make sure this doesnt happen? Is having the trans at the correct temp when adding or removing fluid that important?
Cant I just pull out the fluid cold, and put the same amount cold back in? Can someone direct me to a video or tutuorial on how to do a drop pan transmission fluid exchange if there is one?
thanks so much guys
also hes charging me 120 for the job, and i supply the fluid, that seems a good deal to me or is it not?
-just watched a video, and the way i understand it is, once hes done the overflow will drain out with the overflow red plug back in the pan, i can just turn the car on and eventually as the fluid expands any excess will come out of the overflow tube out of the pan, is this true?

LeX2K

You have no way of checking the fluid level has to be done by removing the drain plug with the transmission fluid at a certain temperature. Short version is you pump fluid into the transmission pan until it spills out the drain plug (there is a tube of a certain length as part of the drain plug), wait for it to mostly stop and you have the correct level. To understand how this works search Youtube for Toyota sealed transmission.

loliwin55

ok i understand now, basically i want to do this myself now that i understand, and im gonna want to do 2 quartsx4 , 8 total and i doubt my mechanic planned to do it more than once.
and im not sure he will, my next question, i assume my car needs to be level, so how can i jack my car up enough high enogh and level, i assume ill have to use 4 jack stands? thanks guys

loliwin55

also, how many miles are the oem transmission filters supposed to work before they need replacing: could i get away with only doing the fluid and not doing the filteR?

loliwin55

i thought of another question, where do i put the jack stands to hold up the car in front and back? thanks

LeX2K

Google jack stands pinch welds. It is much easier if you have wheel ramps then jack up the back end of the car. Have you ever done work like this before?

There is no set time for replacing the transmission filter (or fluid). People argue endlessly on this subject all I can see is it's your call. The filter is not a metal mesh it looks like this.

Wilson2000

Search the ES350 forum for more perspective on how to do this job.

Depending on how level your workspace or driveway is, leveling the car is easy with four jack stands on the four pinch welds. The jack points for using using a floor jack can be found in your owners manual.

jkayca

If you are looking for a good video I would recommend the Car Car Nut on YouTube. Specifically this one:


It's one of his earlier ones so not as polished as some his later ones. He's also doing it on a 2016 4 cylinder Camry but the procedure is the same.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Based on your questions I do not recommend you do this job by yourself. It sounds like you’ve never lifted a car on jack stands before and may not have the proper equipment and tools to do so. If you mess up the fluid replacement, you can damage a $5000 transmission.

loliwin55

i have done things such as coil springs etc and changed my own oil, i just have never used jack stands before, i appreciate the advice, but i understand now how to do the fluid change properly, i would rather have peace of mind if i do it rather than pay a mechanic and hope he knows what i arleady learned

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

How did you do coil springs without jack stands? Did you have access to a lift? It's good that you have some mechanical experience it's very similar to an oil change, but you gotta make sure you're following the procedure and measuring carefully. Reading that you have over 240k miles, it's probably for the better you do it yourself as transmission failure is a huge liability most mechanics won't take on without service records and above 100k miles. So if you're up for it, good luck and study the DIY videos carefully.

chuyrobles

I don't see where he said his car has 240K. If so, I would not do a flush unless it’s been done every 80-100K. Otherwise, if this were my car, I would do a drain/refill with an ATF filter change. If it shifts fine afterwards, do another drain/refill in 30-40K miles.

Checking the ATF level at the prescribed ATF temp (109-113) is very important because the ES350 does not have an ATF dip stick. There is a plastic insert in the drain plug that is a specific height to check the proper ATF level during the proper temp range. Since ATF expands as it warms up, if you remove the drain plug when the ATF is too hot, you will drain excessive ATF. If you check when the ATF is too cold, you will end up with excessive ATF if you add ATF until it drips out.

Follow the info in this thread - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...with-pics.html

Wilson2000

It helps to get jackstands that are compatible with pinch weld cushions, and it is best to use pinch weld cushions. They are hard rubber and have a slot that protects your pinch weld from bending. Of my four sets of jackstands (two per set), only two sets were compatible with the cushions, and I have only found one size/configuration of the cushions. It would be great if manufacturers made different sizes to fit all kinds of jackstands.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

OP made a separate thread announcing the mileage, so I added it here for reference.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...this-week.html

chuyrobles

@Hayk I noticed that afterwards. He has posted numerous threads on this car.