Change Transmission Fluid or not? 2005 Camry with 219K (auto, replace, cost)

[oldhousegirl]

Hi everyone. My car has truly done well! I provide regular maintainance and take care of it. The dealer always mentions when I come in for service that I should think about changing the transmission fluid. It has never been changed.

I have noticed the past year or so what may or may not be small little things that are tranny related. I am no mechanic. I'll try to describe. Sometimes when beginning to accelerate from a stopped position, it seems like the car continues to accelerate just an extra bit. Like its having to think about changing gears.

I plan on keeping this car forever. I have heard (from the dealer) that once you start fooling around with changing the trans fluid that you have to continue. But other schools of thought say just keep the dirty old fluid.

What do those in the know suggest? Thanks .

[Falconman]

If the fluid does not look burnt or have a nutty smell leave it alone. Once a tranny wears out it will slip and burn the fluid then there is no use in changing it because it will require a complete tranny rebuild.

[Volpe Mar]

Originally Posted by oldhousegirl

... I provide regular maintainance and take care of it. ...

219,000 miles on the original transmission fluid? Kind of contradicts your statement

Generally the two thoughts go like this:

1) Changing the fluid will not cause the transmission to fail because it was going to anyway.

2) If you wait too long you should not change the fluid because it could cause the transmission to fail.

I'm no expert, but I wonder if point #2 is perhaps somewhat correct. Often times people will get a "transmission flush service" at Joes Auto Shop; this "flush" could involve forcing the old fluid out with pressure. The theory is, doing so could dislodge particles into nukes where they probably shouldn't be. Then BAM, two weeks later you need a new transmission.

Also, shops or owners sometimes use the wrong transmission fluid. I know some Fords, and Hondas are sensitive to the use of the wrong fluid.

I wish I had the answer, but I do not. If it where me, I would drain and re-fill the fluid - I would not do a machine flush; I would also change the transmission filter (if Toyota filters are serviceable?). You will not get all of the old fluid out from a drain, but as long as you continuously repeat the drain-refill over the next 10,000/15,000+ miles you will eventually replace all that old sluggish fluid.

[ctwhitechin]

Did you ever add any fluid to the tranny over the course of 219k miles? How does the fluid look, still reddish pinkish? If its brown, it's burnt.

[piyf]

Odds are pretty high if the fluid has never been changed then it will not look good. You need to change the fluid along with changing the filter. Don't listen to people that say don't change it cause it can cause damage. That's complete hog wash.


Do the same people say to not change the oil until it looks black or do what the owners manual says to? If you follow some auto manufacturers advice in changing the oil then you are a fool.

[piyf]

Originally Posted by Volpe Mar

I wish I had the answer, but I do not. If it where me, I would drain and re-fill the fluid - I would not do a machine flush; I would also change the transmission filter (if Toyota filters are serviceable?). You will not get all of the old fluid out from a drain, but as long as you continuously repeat the drain-refill over the next 10,000/15,000+ miles you will eventually replace all that old sluggish fluid.

I changed the tranny fluid and filter in my Celica when I bought it used with 186k miles. You have to dropped the pan (actually I don't know any that don't have to, to get to the filter).

[Volpe Mar]

Originally Posted by danieloneil01

I changed the tranny fluid and filter in my Celica when I bought it used with 186k miles. You have to dropped the pan (actually I don't know any that don't have to, to get to the filter).

I wasn't sure. My 2005 Honda has a non-serviceable filter (its inside the transmission). There is a separate inline-cooler filter, but Honda themselves do not say to change it. Honda's recommendation is the standard drain- and refile, no filter changes. They even do not recommend using a flushing machine.

[00molavi]

The 2005 4 cylinder has a drain plug, 10mm hex and very easy to drain. It needs Type IV ATF from Toyota, I would not put anything else in it. It has a "screen" instead of the filter. The pan bolts are in a tight spot so getting the pan off is not that easy. For now I will drain and refill with ~ 4 qt of ATF, make sure you check the level properly. You can repeat again in an few thousand miles until you get all new fluid in there (~8qt). But with that many miles and no service it might be too late.

Just to give you an idea, mine has had 2 drain and refills at 39 & 50K miles, and pan drop and filter change at 60K and 75K miles.I do it myself so cost to me is $20 for the fluid.

[Fields of Green]

I had a similar situation that fortunately hasn't really become a problem yet. I had a transmission flush at ~140k miles on my Camry, and ever since when I take it in for oil changes and they check all the fluids, they say You really need to change the transmission fluid. I think the flush knocked all the junk around and the fluid got dirty immediately. I'm hoping just changing the fluid is less costly than the flush?

[oldhousegirl]

Thanks for the replies. I would not be doing the work myself. I am relying on the dealer for the most part along with the knowledge that the dealer does have some financial incentive to not always take the most conservative or least costly approach.

Originally Posted by Volpe Mar

219,000 miles on the original transmission fluid? Kind of contradicts your statement

The care is regularly maintained, it is only recently that the "change" the fluid convo has come up. And when speaking to me about it, the service tech explained the two schools of thought and did not make a definitive recommendation which is why I'm asking here.