[kathyricks]

Geez nobody reads the factory repair manual. Changing the fluid on a 2004 Sienna involves the same simple procedure as on a 1973 Toyota or 1965 Chevy.

1. Remove tranny oil pan drain plug
2. Drain old fluid (roughly 2-4 quarts)
3. Reinstall drain plug.
4. Measure amount drained in a 99 cent orange juice pitcher from Walmart
5. Pour back the same amount drained using Toyota Type T-IV fluid (available in 1 quart bottles from a Toyota dealer.
6. Start engine and shift slowly through all the gears ending in Park.
7. Check fluid level on the dipstick. Add fluid, if necessary, to bring the level to a point inbetween the COLD and HOT marks on the dipstick.
8. Go for a 20 minute drive and recheck fluid level. Add fluid, if necessary, to bring the level up to,
but not beyond, the upper half of the HOT range on the dipstick.

As in 1973, NO FLUSHING is needed and NO FILTER REPLACEMENT is needed, NO PAN REMOVAL is needed. As, as in 1973 todays Toyotas have a metal mesh filter screen that doesn't ever get clogged except in rare cases of transmission operational abuse, including failure to ever change the fluid for 150,000 miles or more.

Instead of reading the factory manual, everyone's thinking is based on American transmission shop propaganda and American car transmission maintenance procedures; e.g. the tranny shops nowadays have "flush" machines to help them sell a more profitable $125 flush job instead of the $40 pan drain and fill job they used to sell. And American transmissions have a paper filter element that DOES get clogged and requires replacement.