riley02

I have a 2002 sc430

Greetings all. Just a quick note about my transmission. I changed the filter and flushed the fluid in my transmission today. I removed the pan and filter. Adjusted the valve for firmer shifts (I don't notice any difference in the shifting). I then installed the new filter and pan and flushed the fluid by removing the return line from the cooler and using the transmission pump to run about 15ltrs. of fluid through the transmission, about 2 ltrs. at a time. This was my second flush - the first was at 90,000 miles and now at 160,000 miles. I used Valvoline Max Life ATF both times. The fluid was not as dirty looking this time as last time.
Regards.

digitatc

Have you tried ECT power on? That's where you can feel the difference.

bmanone

riley02 I did mine February 2020, adjusted the valve, sealed the transmission oil pan with Permatex, and flushed the transmission using the same way with Valvoline Max Life ATF. The car was too new for me to be able to tell if the shifts were firmer. I have about 4-5k on the fluid and am happy I didn't spend the extra money on the Toyota WS fluid. The transmission works great. I also had to replace the rear seal at the propeller shaft output (old school, drive shaft) that was also leaking. My car is a 2002 SC430 with about 160k miles on it.

MH6

I have done 2 flushes on our 02 the same way, one at 45k and the other 79k, best thing you can do to get long life out of your trans.
Cheap insurance, keeping trans fluid nice and clean.

Just a word of caution, our trans require Toyota "TYPE IV" trans fluid, not WS ....dont ever put Toyota WS in our trans, WS is not backwards compatible with TYPE IV.

digitatc

I just change it every other year. It's cheaper and less work than an oil change.

OBP

I use Idemitsu ATF Type TLS for tranny fluid exchanges. Bought a big box real cheap a long time ago. Done 3 trans fluid drain and fills and one full fluid exchange where I had my indie mechanic drop the pan and refill and reseal the pan with a Toyota gasket kit. Been real good - 94,000 miles of which 70,000 are my miles. The Idemitsu bottle label says engineered to meet or exceed Toyota T-IV. Still have 4 quarts left and I think it will be some time before I do my next tranny drain and fill.

bmanone

I misspoke. I didn't use Toyota Type IV transmission Fluid (made by unspecified manufacturer to Toyota undisclosed specifications). I used Valvoline Max Life ATF ( recommended for by Valvoline for use in: Toyota/Lexus Type T, Type II, Type IV, WS). I'm sorry for the confusion, I have a 2005 GX470 that I think requires WS; I used Valvoline Max Life ATF in that car as well.

MH6

All good man I have heard of several people using the Max Life with good success.
I was just commenting on WS, did not want you to possible mix the two by mistake in the future, and have a problem.

RJS350

I really don't get how you guy's are doing this correctly? OK so I drain the pan and change the filter, how do I know how much to add and how do I add it?
I'm not new to mechanics but with out proper equipment and no dipstick to check especially when it gets hot I'm at a loss.
Thanks in Advance
Ron

iolmaster

iTrader: (1)

You must have an 06 or newer. They are referring to the 02 to 05 that had a dipstick.

MH6

Yes ours are 02 -05 models with dipsticks.
With the closed system, it requires a lengthy process which must be done correctly to achieve proper levels.
You need to lookup the procedure and you will see what's involved, car has to be at certain temps and checked at that moment in time via a special access port on pan.
Its a pain, very time consuming and expensive if done at the dealer.
However the procedure must be done correctly to know if you trans fluid level is correct. not a fan of closed systems.

You must fully understand the procedure to make a decision of how you will have it done.

RJS350

Ok yes I have an 07, you guys had me out in the garage looking for a dipstick earlier that isn't there LOL!!!
So it's a dealer job or someone that is really in the know. My car was owned by a transmission shop owner, he put an external cooler in front of radiator because he said Toyota/Lexus had a known radiator problem which caused the fluid to mix with antifreeze so maybe I'll contact him to find out if he ever changed this and how he knew what to add or remove fluid-wize when he made this upgrade. My car has 60,400 miles
Thanks Ron

MH6

LoL ..... in garage ........... "where the hell is it ????"
Honestly never have heard of the problem he spoke of, however would be best to get info from him on the trans as to servicing he may have done or not.
Good luck man

Wilson2000

For a quick trans fluid service on a closed system, you can drain the tranny sump by removing the drain plug. I haven't done it yet on my 2008 SC, but if it is like the ES closed system, you can then remove the tube that sets the level of the fluid (accessing the tube through the drain plug hole) and remove additional fluid. Then, you measure what came out and put back in that same amount. I get 3+ quarts out my ES this way, which is only a fraction of the total. But if you do this every few years, you'll can continually refresh it. Anybody know if the 2005-2010 SC tranny drain pan has the same design as the ES regarding the leveling tube?

For attempting to fix tranny problems, a complete flush can be done via the cooling lines. Some posters have dropped the pan and replaced the filter too, but I don't recommend it for standard maintenance. Perhaps when one enters into the high miles territory of 150K+, one should consider it?

RJS350

And even if I did all you explained how and where are you adding the say 3 quarts back into the transmission?