philipf22

I'm getting conflicting recommendations from Toyota, Lexus, and transmission shops.

My GX is an 05 w/ 115k and it has not had the trans flushed/changed. Never done any towing so it's totally light duty.

Question 1 - is it a filter or a strainer?
Some dealers/shops are saying that the filter in the transmission is just that...a filter. As such it should be changed. Other dealers (including toyota) are saying it's just a screen, and that doing a flush will take care of cleaning the screen.

So I'm trying to figure out who has it right. Even the toyota parts refer to it as a "filter/strainer"

I've got quotes ranging from $250 - $750 for a flush

Question 2 - Fluid
Some are saying Toyota WS isn't as good as MaxxLife. Others are saying I'd be dumb to put anything but Toyota WS in there.


Anybody have recommendations?

NTH

Same here. I called these places and their responses:
Lexus: Flush and filter
Toyota: Drain and fill only
Indy shop: Drain and fill only (no filter to replace)

co4wheel

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....431005&jsn=310

Here is the part your discussing.

philipf22

Yep, that's the guy that is giving me heart burn. It's totally replaceable, but Toyota is saying it's a waste because it's just a screen rather than a filter.

Even Toyota calls it a "strainer"
http://www.toyotamcdonoughparts.com/...533060050.html

But I've got some independent shops (and one lexus) that is telling me to change it. The safe thing to do would be to replace it. But I also don't want to burn $350 in labor to drop the pan and replace something that has no benefit to replacing.

If it's not a real filter that filters out small particulate as in an oil filter, I'm inclined to leave it in.

IanB2

It's a strainer, unless you had reason to believe it's clogged, I'd leave it and just do a series of drain & fills with Toyota WS fluid, and go on about your life.

The trans is picky about fluid level, and fluid temp when setting the level, so take some care with that step. Use new crush washers when replacing the plugs.

Matsui

Transmission fluid change is one of the most debated topics and there are still too many uncertainties:
1. Drain & fill vs. flush
2. Drop the pan/clean and replace filter or not
3. Toyota WS or some other brand ATF

I'm on the same boat as you as I'm reaching 130k miles with no history of TF change. I posted similar topic few days ago and while the thought of getting a flush for $250 from Toyota dealer sounds like a winner with no hassle, the only concern is what if the contaminants get loose and mess up something. So now I'm back to square one and considering drain and fill couple of times by a trusted indy between few thousand miles...now getting the pan dropped and filter change I'm still not sure about. This is definitely more hassle and this may not get the fluid as clear as the flush method. Like most, I'd like to take minimum amount of risk and effort to do what's best for my car.

co4wheel

It's really two.

1) Drain/change filter, fill with WS fluid.
2) Flush with some sort of B&G style system.

Why would you not replace the filter if you are draining. Filter is cheap and it's not hard to reach. Why would you not us the proper WS fluid.

ALAN553

the question is, is it a filter or just a strainer?
and is WS fluid a synthetic? that to is debated on various toytoa and lexus sites.

the only t hing every one agrees on is you have to change your oil at some point and it is simple.

co4wheel

It's a strainer that some people/websites call filter. It's clear from the picture. But a strainer filters the fluid so I would replace it. Just because it's all metal doesn't mean it can't also act as a filter.

philipf22

My head hurst from all of this. After too much reading and time, I'm going to go with the following:

Drop the pan
Clean out screen w/ Brake Fluid
Clean pan/magnets
New gasket for the pan
Replace w/ 12 quarts of Toyota-WS

An independent transmission shop will be doing the work for me for an all in price of $400 (assuming no extra effort to remove exhaust or any other type of cross members).

I don't think there is anything other than maybe a skid plate covering the trans pan. Can anybody confirm?

co4wheel

Your way over thinking this. The part is only $23. Just get the part. The entire reason to replace it is to not disturb whatever that screen may have caught and loosen it so that it could then possible break free and destroy the transmission. Just spend the $23 and get the new part. That is why flushing it with some high pressure system is not as good of an idea. It could break something free that was not meant to come loose from that screen. Best to replace that screen/filter thing, add new fluid and set fluid level properly.

chitown40

Actually, co4wheel, you're overthinking it a little too much as well.

The part is a strainer. It is a metal screen and it does not need to be replaced. If you want to drain the pan and pull it, then clean the strainer. Most than have done that found nothing much to clean.

The real concern is changing the fluid. Drain and fills mix old and new fluid. At $8 a quart, why would you do that?

Disconnect the cooler lines and let the transmission pump out the old fluid under it's own power, then refill what came out. Continue to do this until the fluid comes out the cooler line bright red and new. Then add a half quart more, put the truck in temp check mode, and when the trans is at operating temperature pull the level check/overflow plug and let the extra fluid drain out until it is just a steady trickle. Close it up and you're done.

Now you have new fluid, and not a mix of old and new.

Would you drain 1 quart of engine oil out at a time, add 1 quart of new oil, drive it for a bit, and then repeat? I think not, so don't do that with your transmission either.

co4wheel

Im done but your wrong. It's a filter strainer. If it caught something and you loosen it with your method of trying to use brake clean to clean it and it later goes into the transmission it could ruin your transmission. All over $26 dollars of cheapness. Cleaning it is just silly.

Of course you want to replace the fluid. Thats done in either method.

chitown40

I'm not looking for a big argument, so let's just agree to disagree then.

Breaking the seal on a perfectly well-sealed ATF oil pan IMOP is not necessary. The FSM explains the process for changing the fluid, and no where does it say to drop the pan. If someone wants to because they feel they need to or their transmission has had many years of hard use, then go for it. These trucks are predominantly mall crawlers, so I don't think many have seen extreme use.

The main point I was getting at above is to not do a series of drain and fills and contaminate new fluid with old. Just flush it out right the first time. If oil is worth changing, then it's worth changing all of it.

Matsui

OK, now I'm leaning towards getting the BG flush from a Toyota dealer. Do you know if they would use Toyota fluid with this system or BG stuff?

If only someone with high miles who got the flush done can tell us about their experience on how things went that would be comforting. I just don't want to screw my perfectly running car.