Transmission Fluid/filter change request turned bizarre!! (vehicles, 2010, Toyota)

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by Lux Hauler

Your mechanic is a moron. The only time the AT fluid should not be changed is if the same fluid has been run for high mileage. If you have been diligent in changing the fluid at those intervals then it will be fine to continue changing it out.

What happens when the same fluid is run in the transmission for high miles and is not maintained, all of the clutches and seals become acclimated to that old, seasoned fluid. If it is suddenly changed out then you induce a shock factor to those components and they begin to fail. Think of it like a blood transfusion, you just don't flush out someone's blood instantaneously.

Here's the thing.. And, what I believe might have happened here.. 120k miles is early, but in the ballpark of where a transmission may fail. A tranny failure at 120k you don't expect, but you're not going to the dealer and demanding they fix it, either, because.. You're well outside any possible warranty claim.

There's the old school of thought that "Sometimes the dirt is the only thing keeping it working".. And, that can be true, especially with transmissions.. It is very possible for a 'perfectly' working transmission to have the fluid changed, then start slipping.

I would suspect, that rather than him being an idiot.. He was actually practicing self preservation, because he didn't want to be the last person to touch the transmission before it blew up. Now, having clean fluid.. It would be very unlikely for that to happen, but..

Over the summer, someone checked my transmission fluid, and it was burnt.. They said, don't change it.. Drive it until it blows, or have it fixed now.. But changing the fluid would be a waste of money, because there was something wrong inside for it to have gotten that hot, and "The dirt was keeping it working"

[movingtrustates]

if you changed ATF regularly then you should keep changing it.
you should NOT change fluid if car has high mileage and tranny fluid was never changed before.

[Rivertowntalk]

Have a Park Avenue and I have never flushed the transmission, but have drained the fluid and changed the filter a few times. The last time I changed the fluid, though, I just used a hand pump and ran the hose down the fill tube and pumped the old fluid into a bucket. Then refilled with new fluid. Left the filter and pan alone. Didn't change all of the fluid, obviously, but was surprised how much could be extracted through the fill tube. Have always heard that the torque converter retains a few quarts when draining anyway. The car is coming up on 215,000 miles and the transmission has worked flawlessly.

[damac2004]

I had this happen with a family members 2001 taurus. I thought I was doing the right thing and changed more than just the pan oil with all new and the torque converter started to go and it threw codes. I searched on google and found many examples on ford forums of the same thing happening and people suggesting only to drop the pan and clean it out and putting an inline filter on. Now I am a believer and we junked that car and I felt like crap.

[JaxRhapsody]

Originally Posted by Labonte18

Here's the thing.. And, what I believe might have happened here.. 120k miles is early, but in the ballpark of where a transmission may fail. A tranny failure at 120k you don't expect, but you're not going to the dealer and demanding they fix it, either, because.. You're well outside any possible warranty claim.

There's the old school of thought that "Sometimes the dirt is the only thing keeping it working".. And, that can be true, especially with transmissions.. It is very possible for a 'perfectly' working transmission to have the fluid changed, then start slipping.

I would suspect, that rather than him being an idiot.. He was actually practicing self preservation, because he didn't want to be the last person to touch the transmission before it blew up. Now, having clean fluid.. It would be very unlikely for that to happen, but..

Over the summer, someone checked my transmission fluid, and it was burnt.. They said, don't change it.. Drive it until it blows, or have it fixed now.. But changing the fluid would be a waste of money, because there was something wrong inside for it to have gotten that hot, and "The dirt was keeping it working"

And the rust was holding it together?

[JaxRhapsody]

I've never had a flush done on any car, I just never saw the need. I would just buy a "kit" and do it myself; new filter, gasket, and about 5qts of atf. Now that I think about it, I think I just figured out how I killed the transmission in my Bronco; the B&M Trickshift may have been the wrong type of fluid.

[moparknighthawk]

I have my all my cars tranny fluid changed/flushed every 30K miles. I had a 2000 Dodge Neon a few years ago with 235,000 miles on it with never a peep out of the auto tranny. The only reason I got rid of that car was too many little things needed fixed and we commute over 100 miles a day and I wanted a newer car. I have never had a tranny issue out of any car I had/have so far.

[JaxRhapsody]

Thrre are probably people with World Standard transmission looking at this like; "wtf are these people going on about, you're not supposed to service a transmission." Durrr-huuuurrr.

[Jonathan Ashbeck]

I am not sure what makes someone refusing to do so. I know I'd get pissed if that happened to me.

[City Guy997S]

I had to rebuild one transmission in my life (2004 GMC truck, 114K miles). 3rd/4th gear clutch pack failed and the truck was driven by employees so I really don't know what was done to it. Local independent guy rebuilt it and when I asked about flushes it was his opinion they do more damage than good (by dislodging debris). Pan drop, filter clean and new fluid is fine but the high pressure flushes are not but pan drop method doesn't get all the fluid out as some is still in the torque converter.