SRV1

iTrader: (2)

Besides the usually pan drain plug on the transmission, does Toyota have a drain plug on their torque converters? I'm going to change my transmission filter and I know the pan does not hold many quarts so I would like to drain most of the fluid with new. I do not want to disconnect a trans line and make a mess if I do not have to. Replacing the 4 quarts is not enough in my opinion to call it a service. I'm having issues with harsh shifts and I do not know when the last time it was changed or even serviced.

Thanks, James

dengman

theres no drain plug for the converter. drain the pan. fill drive around for x amount of miles. drain and fill again.

LScowboyLS

some recommendations from Paul Diegelman - a legendary Aisin transmission specialist in Colorado:

1. if you haven't been changing the fluid regularly on a transmission of this age, I would strongly recommend you replace a maximum of 2 quarts, which is not even a full emptying of the pan at the drain plug, just remove the bolt and let 2qts come out and then stick it back in there fast.

2. once the transmission is in the habit of regular fluid changes at the drain plug (approximately 3 quarts) for a few times, then you can do a larger change.

3. the trick to getting almost ALL of the transmission fluid out out (once the transmission is no longer going to be shocked by it) is to leave the drain plug off for a long time (i.e. days) - done this way, the converter can be drained and its own drain plug is unnecessary if you have an alternate vehicle to use while the transmission is slowly draining the rest of its fluid (if you notice, when you pull the drain plug, it never really completely stops draining)

4. Lexus recommends replacing both the metal gasket and the drain bolt when chaining the fluid (they are both cheap at the dealership)

5. please use Toyota T-IV (Mobil 3309) fluid only, and no magic potions such as Lucas etc.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

Ha, you yanks, "I do not want to disconnect a trans line and make a mess if I do not have to." smile, you have to. and the pan only holds 2+ qts, not 4.... but good luck however you do it.. listen to cowboy

SRV1

iTrader: (2)

I have been turning wrenches for over 15 years professionally but I figured I would ask just in case their was a drain plug on the converter. It would be faster just to unhook the transmission lines than to let it drain for a few days but that still would not get the fluid out of the converter. At least with disconnecting the lines, I can get majority of the fluid out and then I can drain the pan to remove it and put in the new filter.

James

TaffyK20si

I need to atleast change a couple of qts on mine soon. I need to change my gear oil too. I've been putting it off for too long.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

i did the fluid change through the cooler lines on the radiator, and it's really not that messy, it's just like an oil change. i took a whole box of TYPE-IV fluid, which i believe has 12 qts, and performed an engine-start-then-fill using 2 qts at a time. the fluid started as brown then gradually turned red. at the 6th interval the fluid was red but not a pure red as if leaving the bottle.

LScowboyLS

this is a very BAD idea unless you have been doing drain and fill at the drain plug regularly over the years - a lot of LS400's have their original tranny fluid or it has been in there 10 years or something, so this trick is not for everyone, unless you want a transmission problem where there wasn't one!

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

doh! too late now . the car was never serviced beyond an oil change at 130k before i took over. only time will tell i suppose. i never replaced the trans filter if that helps. never had hard shifts before and after, feels exactly the same with extra piece of mind (which is now slightly smaller after reading this thread) lol.

LScowboyLS

well Aisin's A-series are the strongest transmissions made, so you have that on your side, but I have preached on this topic here at CL until I am blue in the face - any automatic has to be eased into a full flush, if they have not had their fluid drained and filled regularly - they seem to "shocked" into having an issue, probably a mass of detergent action in all of that new fluid at once breaks some things free that don't need to be broken free - I know that transmission shops love all of the business that comes to them shortly after a full "flush" on cars that have ancient fluid in them.

I think now that you have already done this, it would be highly advisable to change the filter within the next couple of months because of what is now likely to be broken loose in the next weeks.

YoshiMan

Do you happen to know where this guy operates out of? I like to prepare for the worst and like to have contacts, especially if they are local =)

LScowboyLS

Greeley, I think

YoshiMan

Groovy, thanks!

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

I've had this done twice in the last year and a half. When I purchased mine at 68K I don't believe it had even been done. The color of the fluid looked fine but I know you can't really tell by color. I had the dealer do the drain and refill for about $90.00 with new ring and bolt.

LScowboyLS

once the transmission is used to having drains and fills a few times, a full flush is fine, or if you think about it, enough drain and fills really is a flush, mathematically!