MPohio

Again thanks, I don't have a problem doing the "complete" flush. I just haven't researched it yet. I have had 4 of the VW rialtas in the last 3 years and the first thing I did with each one was install a tranny cooler with thermal bypass, drop tranny pan, replace filter and filler up. On the VW it was a Pain in the butt as it had no dipstick to check your level. I did use the a similar method to replace the fluid in my 2010 F150(return/supply hoses).


Plan on tackling that project in the next few days so will update you all
Mark> 2004 ES330

satiger

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't re-use old gasket. I bought a new one and replaced it. More importantly avoid using any sealant with transmission pan gasket. Lesson learned - I used Toyota sealant along with new gasket and that caused pan to leak. Transmission pan doesn't require any type of sealant.

MPohio

Heads up...
Walmart in my area quit carrying Maxlife synthetic ATF last year, but when I went in today, it was back on the shelf(4quart jugs). A.zone and Adv auto parts charge $26.99, Walmart had it for $16.99 and after using my $25.00 off coupon for test driving a car at Toyota, I got 3 jugs for $27(3 for the price of 1)

MPohio

Woo, got her done in a little over an hour. I did the whole flush and found this extremely useful...


Tips, I bought a plastic pitcher from dollar store for $2(I know). I used a plastic clamp to hold the tube in the pitcher. I put a piece of masking tape on the outside of the pitcher to mark the level. I poured out 1 quart of fresh stuff into the pitcher to mark the level with tape. This made it very easy for a one man job.


And of course, not one original plastic screw from the last mechanic. Hopefully I can find one at the local auto store as I have no Toyota dealerships in my area and don't want to wait on mail order.


Thanks for all the help, now all I gotta do is make sure the level is filled properly. Think I need to take a little out but that should be too hard


Mark> 2004 es330

Safetybob

MPohio, thanks for the update. I have been following this thread for about a month while gathering my supplies. I even ordered some of those plastic screw things (sorry) for the shield under the front thanks to your post.


Oro, I have read, read, and reread every post here and toyotanation that you linked to and cannot find an exact amount (or any amount) of Seafoam to add. I was thinking about sucking out a cup or so of tranny fluid and replacing with Seafoam so my overall fluid level remains the same. That sound like a good plan?


My 2006 ES was my mom and dad's "baby" for the past 10 years until "mom" decided dad needed a backup camera and some of the other newer safety features. This car had 40,000 miles (and not ONE door ding anywhere on the car) when I pulled it out of their garage just after Christmas some 9 months ago. Fluid still looks OK, but since I have been replacing tranny fluid on my '99 CR-V every year in the spring....knock on wood, not one tranny issue...315,000 miles. I think it was Bob the oil guy who recommended changing tranny fluid every spring if you plan on keeping your car forever. So far, that's worked extremely well for me. I hope to do the same forever mileage on this ES330.


Thanks for the help!!


Bob

funcrusher

So every 30k miles or so?

Safetybob

It ends up that every spring for me is around 20,000 total miles driven per year.


I probably need to qualify why I do it every year. I don't drive my vehicles hard but they are not pampered. I go to work on our toll roads here which are 75mph. Most of the time I am doing that fast or maybe a bit over 80. In 100+ degree weather for the two or three good months of that heat here I would rather keep my non-synthetic fluids changed.


My next "change" on the ES will be the Maxlife once I get a few bottles at WalMart. Just getting ready for next year.


Bob

WheezerMF

So.... I screwed up. And the results were fantastic!

Two years ago, I picked up a 1999 es300 with 50k on it. I've put 30k on it, and have always changed the oil with a vacuum extractor rather than getting under the car. (And I use tin foil to catch the spillage when I spin off the filter. Sweet trick!)

Anyway, I decided to use some Sea Foam and do a drain-plug oil change last weekend. But having never been under there, I drained the wrong fluid without realizing it. Yep, I dropped a gallon of black-as-tar tranny fluid without realizing it wasn't engine oil. (Doh!) ...And then I overfilled my crankcase.

Needless to say, the test ride was a fustercluck. I mosquito-fogged the neighborhood as oil got sucked up through the PCV valve into the intake. And the transmission slipped and slapped into gear. Fortunately I only drove a mile, and got home without disastrous results.

Draining the icky oil (through the right drain plug!) and refilling it with fresh Mobil 1 was easy. A gallon of Valvoline MaxLife ATF brought the tranny level up to the right spot on the stick.

So... Interesting results: The transmission fluid on the dipstick still shows some blackness even though the fluid is nice and pink. I'll do another "mini-change" in a few months to get rid of the remaining ickiness. BUT... Shifting is HUGELY improved! Kick-down is smooth and willing. NO hanging up at higher RPMs. Much more pleasant to drive.

...Fingers crossed!!!

Safetybob

Finally, another person who uses vacuum extraction!! I got mine to change oil in girls 10 year old BMW 328 since I am not sure it even has a drain plug oil. Since that experience went so well, now I use on every car (and truck) I have.


Glad your car didn't get messed up on the oil drain mistake. My wife called me when I was out of town saying the check engine light came on as she was driving home a few days ago. She had less than a mile to go and just parked the car at a shopping center nearby, and called a neighbor. She said there was no oil on the dipstick. I told her to bring 3 quarts and check as you fill: result, fill 3 quarts without checking as you go and over fill oil by around 2 quarts and not notice the coolant was empty. The heater hose just above the clutch that was replaced (not by me due to time constraints) probably got touched during removal/replacement and has a pin hole leak. That was the problem, not the old.....although, yes I have a good oil leak around a valve cover and/or distributor on the old Honda....355,000 and still running strong.


Gotta love us DIYer's.


Bob

JetsonES

You are a lucky person, with my luck the gears would have seized up. BMWs do have a drain plug but they love to hide it under a plastic flap, crafty buggers.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Listen to this man, his car is immaculate!

I have done a complete fluid replacement a few years ago and have followed that up with a 12 month drain/fill of full synthetic fluid (AMSOIL). I only drive about 15,000 miles in that period, and they are easy highway miles.

I will be going with 24 month cycles, after reading this thread.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

Thanks MrBooby for the kind words. There is an annoying humming sound that I need to address besides that car drives like a champ. Soon will post some pictures with 250k on odometer .

You should be good with 30k miles cycle on transmission. I have been averaging 35k-40k miles cycle.

Hope you had a memorable overseas trip!.

Safetybob

Thanks to MPohio and his wonderful picture and Oro, of course, I managed to change my fluid out this past weekend.


OK, honestly, just like MPohio said, this was a stupid simple task. I aided the issue by jacking the car up a bit to see under "there". Pictures on the Toyota nation site with pictures and exact locations of screws and plastic keepers was EXACTLY the same as my 330. Slid off the old hose (which was softer than I expected....both return and supply), which just about took the longest to do. Few drips of fluid out of the hose, my 3 foot 3/8" ID hose installed to MPohio's plastic pitcher (found one pretty much like it), and I was ready to go.


2 quarts at a time out, then new poured into the dip stick tube and I was done quickly.


Side note: Before I started, I wiped the dip stick on a clean, white paper towel. The fluid really was pretty red.....actually red enough to make me second guess myself, but since I drain and refill all my Honda automatics, I knew 10 years and 52,000 is more than enough. Once I got my fluid into the semi transparent pitcher, it was much more of a maroon color than bright red.


As you all know, transmission now goes into gear smoothly not abruptly like it did. Shifts are now silky smooth and from 2nd on up, sometimes not perceptible under slow accelerations. 1st to 2nd was almost best described as hard and/or abrupt before the oil change, it is now still noticeable, but not abrupt or hard.


Now that I see just how easy this is (or straight forward at the least) I will be doing this to every automatic vehicle I have (yes they are all Honda). I have been drain and dumping with the Hondas, I would rather do this full replacement now that I see how good it is.


If any of you have put the inline filter on the return or supply hose (I got a Magnefine to install), exactly how did you do it. I didn't really feel good about the lack of room anywhere underneath the car. Looked like the fan, and fan housing were so close or the filter could get hit unless one got going running a lot more hose around to keep it away from any moving parts AND secure it.


Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread. I was so able to go out to the car with confidence and do this task successfully.


Bob E.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I did the oil cooler method once on a Mitsubishi and it worked really well. That fluid started off as brown, so it was long overdue for a swap. Luckily it wasn't too high mileage to be a risky job.

Safetybob

I will be doing this to all my automatic cars from now on. I so totally made this much harder in my head than it was in reality.


Bob