Dealer wants $600.00 to do transmission oil change and...

[renoir911]

Hello.
I own a 2003 Tacoma, 4 cyl, manual transmission, great truck!
It now has 110,000Km's and the dealer told me it is due for: Transmission oil change, rear end oil change and engine coolant change. Dealer will charge me CA$600.00 to do this. This sounds like an incredible amount just to change fluids! I do my own engine oil changes and minor maintenance, but now am tempted to do this work myself BUT, I need a manual, or step by step instructions. Is thee a website where I can download ( free ) such information ? Thank you.

R. May
renoir911@yahoo.ca

[kerryman71]

For $15-$20 you can buy a Haynes or Chiltons manual for your truck which will
give you step by step instructions on doing the job you want plus taking the whole
truck apart and putting it back together if you so desire.

I have the Haynes for my 2002 Tundra and my wife's Santa Fe, plus one for each friend
who has me work on their cars!

John

[waiting tundra]

The dealer is full of sh!t. You could probably find all the info to this on this web site, but I suggest you go to auto Zone and buy a Haynes repair manual anyway20$. For less than 100$ and a saturday morning do it yourself. If you need a tool, jack, jack stands just buy them. Me I only go to a dealer or repair shop as a last resort, I'm 51 years old & have been doing my own maintanence for years. Truthfuly none of these maintance projects is much more diffuclt than changing the oil after you've done them a few times.

[renoir911]

Yeap, I'm going to buy the Haynes manual and do this myself. I have a little mechanical knowledge, enough to be able to follow instructions and get the job done properly. I agree that the dealer is full of it! One of their mechanics quit and opened up his own shop to repair Toyotas and charges half of what the dealer wants. But this is not rocket science and like you, I would only go to a qualified repair shop as a last resort. Dealer must think they are pretty good as they called me about this maintenance work and had already booked a date for me to bring the truck in! Is this arrogance or what! At $100.00 / Hour shop rate, I think they are slowly pricing themselves out of exsitence with their own mechanics quitting and opening up their own shops and charging half the rate!
Anyway, thank you for the responses.

[Tundraman10]

I paid $130 for my tundra transmission flush. I would try another dealer or get a haynes manual.
Chris

[eharri3]

Not sure what the exchange rate is but doesn't sound like much more than 350 bucks worth of work in US currency, and that is if Im reading right and 'rear end oil change' = rear end fluid change plus engine oil change.

[cnold]

You had me worried there. For a moment I was thinking that the bottom had fallen out of the Canadian Dollar. Your comments made me realize that it was time to change fluids in my '05 Taco again. It is not one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday afternoon. I just don't like the smell of gear oil. If I had a choice, I would rather pay someone to do it. You didn't give your exact location or dealership name but surely you must live near a Canadian Tire, Lube-X or Mobile 1 Lube Express?

[dpg_override]

All three of those are easily done with just a little knowlede! The tranny is easy, just like oil pans it has a drain plug. If I were you I would drop the pan aswell and put a new gasket on and clean out the pan/check for any metal shavings in the process! Put your new gasket back on bolt up (dont over tighten) and refill. Done!!!

Radiator flush works the same way, go to an autozone or somethign of the sort and by a bottle of radiator flush and coolant to refill with. Follow the directions on the bottle. The radiator should have a drain plug on the bottom left or right hand side.

Rear end well same thing, pull the bottom drain plug out, drain, flush through with some good oil. Replace drain plug then open the big plug (usually 1" or bigger) on the middle of the rear end. Fill to the bottom of the threads on the fill plug you took off, replace plug tighten and your done! Use 90W gear oil (or check with autozone to be more specific). Done!

Hope it all works out for you, I never go to mechanics, they always charge to much and usually **** something up not to mention getting in and out of your truck with greasy hands and clothes....$600 for those three things is rediculous. Hell most mechanics dont even charge that much for a timing belt change which on a Toyota is a pain in the ***, I have done it twice!