is there a screen that i can change out when i do the tranny fluid?

 

Yes, but you have to drop the transmission pan to change it, which requires unbolting 20 some odd bolts (I forget how many). Two of the bolts are a pain to remove because the crossmember is in the way. You also need to scrape all the gasket material off of the pan and then clean and apply new sealant when re-installing.

This is not a simple DIY for most people.

I don't know if the dealer is doing the work, yourself or an independent, but make sure you are getting a complete transmission flush performed and yes it does make sense to change the screen if it has never been done and you have 60k + miles.

A REAL flush should involve 12+ quarts of fluid ( Again I forgot the exact amount) and at a retail of around $4 a quart (Don't quote me on retail ) it will cost you a lot more than a standard engine oil change. My point is draining 2-3 quarts from the pan is not a REAL flush. Make sure you are getting the real thing.

If you have never flushed the tranny , then YOU WILL FEEL the difference. E-shift operates smooth as butter.

 

wow , thanks. i was going to do this myself this weekend. what type of sealant do you use to seal up the pan? i have a little over 50k and i figure that i could just handle it now.

 

i just hears some aamco commercial today where they advertised power fllush for the life of your car for 99.95


but the gasket, filter, and fluid were extra just checke theior website its not up there so i cant confirm

 

Well the manual says to specifically use Toyota FIPG PN 00295-01281. That's what I did, but I swear it looks like plain old Permatex high Temp gasket seal.

The factory sealant costs like $15-20, can't remember, but it's pretty outrageous cause it looks like the Permatex that sells for under $5. I only used less than half of the tube too, but heck I wanted to play it safe and the $15 difference is nothing compared to having a problem later on.

Also make sure to get a new washer for the drain plug. Get it from the dealer, Kragen and PepBoys don't have it ! It is a special compressable washer type that you can only tighten once and need to replace it whenever you remove the drain plug. Again another freakin $4 to $5 from the dealer. Don't quote me tho.

You also need a special prying tool to pull the pan off of the tranny, cause you gotta break the glue bond since the pan will not drop even with all the bolts out.

You can't really get a screwdriver in there since there is not enough clearance or leverage. I used a small piece of angle steel, like the brackets used to mount underdash DVD, CB equipment, etc. Then tap it sideways with a hammer to pry the pan off. This is probably the hardest part of the job. Think about this before starting. You have been warned.

Lastly, there are magnets inside the bottom of the pan, so check to see if you have any metal shavings (hopefully not) and then clean those off too.

Good Luck

 

how much fluid should i buy? im going to the stealership tomorrow.

 

I think they also sell toyota tranny fluid in gallon jugs.

Take two atleast.


Hmmm. How many quarts to a gallon ?

 

It's a tranny mesh screen & you just clean it & re-install it. I'd do a complete 100% tranny flush & install a new tranny pan gasket personally if your going to do that mesh screen.

 

btw, what do i clean the mesh with? thanks

 

I read on here that some people say it's not good to do a complete tranny flush on higher mileage cars. Why is this?

 

bump......................

 

i dont remember where i read it (bananags"s site?) if you have a high mileage car that has never been flushed, when flushing the tranny u'll do more harm then good because its going to loosen the sludge that was built up... the sludge, i assume does not get removed and therefore is loose and ruins parts on the inside.

to avoid this harmful build up i do a tranny oil change every 6k miles and the shifting feels like "butter"