Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

Another poster motivated me to schedule an transmission oil change at my next engine oil change. Ok, "transmission", "cvt", "psd", whatever you want to call the thing between the engine and the wheels.

Mine is draining right now and man is it GROSS. Almost black. (settle down Willard, "gross" is a perfectly proper technical term, in this case :>) .

I had to look up which was the fill plug because there are two in close proximity, one at 12 o'clock, over the axle shaft and the other at 9 o'clock behind the shaft. The 9 o'clock one is your fill level. I've noticed some chunky engagement lately, hopefully this will solve that issue.

I never did believe in this "lifetime fluid" crap. Nor do I believe and automotive fluid will ever last to 50,000 miles and perform the same.

My car has 43,000 miles. I strongly recommend considering this service, perhaps sooner than the book suggests.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

One important thing to remember before changing your fluid. Remove the fill plug BEFORE the drain plug. I know several guys who drained their fluids out and then could not break the fill plug loose. One of them I was close enough to help but the other guy was several hours away and had to get towed to a garage to finish.

Don't forget to properly torque the fill plugs when you tighten them. You will need a 10mm hex to tighten and the torque setting is 29 ft-lbs for both plugs. you should also replace the gaskets at the same time.

The transmission (power split device) capacity is 4 qts. of some very expensive Toyota fluid. You will also need some sort of fluid pump to get the tranny filled (a pump type from an auto parts store works well) and the fill level is to within .2" below the fill hole to even with the fill hole.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

David is exactly correct. In my case I was lucky because I still have a box of aluminum crush washers from my Volvo days and they are exact fit for the Toyota drain plugs on the PSD. I'm not sure how they could get so tight that a 10mm hex socket couldn't break them free. Mine came off without drama.

Yep, Toyota is proud of their oil. $35USD for four 1qt. bottles at my neighborhood stealership.

I disagree about the need for a pump. The car does have to be level, so I had it up on ramps under the front, and two hydraulic floor jacks on either side of the rear. It was about 2 feet above the ground on all four corners. I took a section of 0.5" clear tube, 2 feet long, stretched out the wall on one side and slipped it over a slender tube funnel.

The tube slipped between the intake manifold and firewall, it wen right in the hole and stayed put, and the funnel rested perfectly wedged in behind the #4 intake runner. Just pour slowly, like 3 minutes per quart or else some oil might splash back out of the fill hole.

I haven't driven it yet. Should probably go do that.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

I have 43,000+ on mine and was thinking of changing my fluid this spring. Any other suggestions are appreciated. The fill and drain are both 10mm? I need to find the fill hole when the weather breaks here. Thanks for the info.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

$8.75 a quart is not bad for transmission fluid.

The recommended ATF (Transynd) for Allison automatics is about $10/quart.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

Yes, they are both 10mm hex bits. And there is plenty of room for a standard ratchet/torque wrench. Also there is definitely something "different" about the mega-buck Toyota oil. It appears thicker than ATF with a much deeper red tint and a slightly different smell than garden variety Dexron.

Also, I noticed a huge difference even in my short road test. The drivetrain felt "tighter" and quieter. It's kind of like when you change suspension struts.... you don't realize how awful they have become until you change them. Same with this tranny fluid... it was BAKED. I just had no idea how bad it was until the new stuff went in.

A transmission fill funnel with attached hose is a very common item. I just forgot to pick up a new one and ended up making one per the description. Save yourself the McGyver moment and just buy one at the parts house.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

I typically leave this type of stuff to my local mechanic. Is there anything special about these car's transmission fluid replacement that he wouldn't know about? Or would a seasoned mechanic know what to do?

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

Do these cars have transmission dipsticks or not? That's how almost all other transmissions get filled is through the dipsticks tube, another option If somebody doesn't have a pump

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

Haroldo: No special skill required, but your technician must use the Toyota WS oil.

Mr. Max: No dipstick. Pour it in till it runs out. Technically, 0-5mm below the fill port edge.

Re: Uh, Guys? Change your transmission oil.
 

Sounds like I need new crush washers on the bolts I remove?

I don't seem to have a crush washer on my oil drain. I have never put one on it either. No leaks.