U can buy a kit that has a small bottle & a mailer. U get a few ozs. of the lube & send it in to the Company. They will send u all the info u need about the lube & also recomendations as to whether or not to change it or whatever.

 

Can you send me the info on this company and how much that analysis costs? thanks

 

I sent you some info in a PM. I said the cost was around $30 for the kit but I just looked it up & it is nearer to $23 postage paid.

www.oaitesting.com/ is the one I use. But there are many others too.

 

I've used these guys a couple times in the past for used oil analysis:

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

A recent post on the Tundra Solutions website, regarding spark plug and ATF change intervals:

Toyota's responses to spark plug and transmission fluid questions
Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry.

The standard spark plugs in the 2004 4Runner V8 are 120K Iridium plugs. They will not need replacement until 120 thousand miles.

In the effort to minimize service required, the new transmissions do not require a fluid change, unless necessary with very heavy load conditions. There is a temperature sensor in the transmission that would alert the driver, if the load was super heating the transmission.

Otherwise, no maintenance required.

 

Considering it is a pain to change the fluid (no drain plug) and shields in the way, and you need to jack it up...what if I just snaked plastic tubing down the filler tube and sucked out all the fluid I could get to, and refilled with WS? Would that be beneficial, or do you really have to drop the pan to get at any sludge, etc?

 

This is a good point you brought up, particularly with regard to the temperature sensor in the transmission.

However, I should note that a lot of people who had transmission issues on 1st gen RXs (the RX300) have reported that they got no warning (ATF light did not light up) and suddenly the transmission gave way.

I figure if even one of those people (and I am sure at least one did) proscrastinated on changing out the ATF, that the temperature of the ATF had to have been 'boiling'. However, I rarely, if ever, heard someone mention the ATF light came up on their dash. And several that have been able to examine their transmissions found metal bits in the pan and at least one found a destroyed planetary gear. Heat no doubt played a role in this.

Now granted, the newer transmissions are more suited in my opinion to the weight/engine of the current RXs along with a better location for the transmission cooler, but I don't believe that any transmission fluid is a lifetime fluid. Eventually, all fluids need changing.