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1Gen-TundraGeneral discussion forum for the 2000 to 2006 Toyota Tundra.
This is a discussion thread titled "ATF drain and refill is this normal", within the 1Gen-Tundra forum, part of the Truck Forums category.
85k miles? is this the first time you removed and cleaned the pan? if so, i believe this is totally normal wear. transmissions are wear items, thats what they do with every shift, wear.
Regardless of the year, model or even brand of truck, towing in overdrive is a no-no. Just lock out the overdrive when towing (overdrive = 4th gear) and drive 50-65 MPH in
3rd gear. 3rd gear is direct drive.
Sorry, that's a load of crap. Towing in OD is only an issue if the truck is unable to maintain reasonable speed in OD and is shifting often. If that's the situation, then you should be locking out OD. This keeps the temps down from all the shifting as well as protects the torque convertor. But if the truck is getting down the road fine in OD, all you're doing is wasting fuel by running in a lower gear. The Tundra doesn't do a bad job at all towing within its limits....the only time I've locked out OD completely was when I got stuck pulling a 9,000# trailer.
Based on my experience with changing tranny fluid....the bottom three magnets look about normal. The top one looks a little scary. I have a feeling the tranny is the weak link in theses trucks. Maybe we shouldn't tow anything at all and just hope to hit 100k.......or buy a car
I have never seen metal shavings in my v8's tranny and I have around 140k now. Last changed it at about 110k. Mine as well run it till it goes. I keep AAA Plus just in case, its saved me on another car when it dies 1.5 hrs from home.
As for towing in overdrive, I agree with the guy above. I have always towed with overdrive unless its shifting around. I tow a 3000lb box (enclosed snowmobile trailer) on the highway. If there are a lot of hills on the highway I take OD off and once I get off the ramp I turn OD off. Towed with an 05 Tundra a few years back, the 5 speed tranny is soo much better towing and otherwise
I just dropped the pan on my 2002 and it was clean no metal of any kind. The way it was sealed I am sure it was the first time any one had touched it. It has 116,000 miles
Well, here I am in Michigan. I made it up here without any issues. But today, when I stopped at a stop sign, the truck stalled like it was stuck in gear. I cannot get the truck to move now. As soon as I drop the truck out of nuetral or park, the truck stalls like I am dumping the clutch on a manual transmission. I am currently waiting for a tow truck to tow my truck 30 miles to Traverse City to a transmission shop. They will diagnose the problem and let me know what the damage is. Anyone with any input on here is anxiously welcomed. I have heard the torque converter may be shot from the dealer and the tranny shp told me it might be a tcc sensor or something like that. I think he said tcc sensor? Anyway, I will keep you posted.
Well, here I am in Michigan. I made it up here without any issues. But today, when I stopped at a stop sign, the truck stalled like it was stuck in gear. I cannot get the truck to move now. As soon as I drop the truck out of nuetral or park, the truck stalls like I am dumping the clutch on a manual transmission. I am currently waiting for a tow truck to tow my truck 30 miles to Traverse City to a transmission shop. They will diagnose the problem and let me know what the damage is. Anyone with any input on here is anxiously welcomed. I have heard the torque converter may be shot from the dealer and the tranny shp told me it might be a tcc sensor or something like that. I think he said tcc sensor? Anyway, I will keep you posted.
That doesn't sound like good news. I think it is more than a coincidence that you saw the type of shavings in your pan and this happening to you. Was your tranny exhibiting any of this behavior BEFORE you dropped the pan and did your drain/refill? Are you sure you got the correct volume of fluid back in there?
I feel for ya man...
__________________ 2002 Tundra V8 AC 4X2 SR5 | Silver Sky Metallic | Chrome Step Bars | Kobalt Low Profile Bed Box | Baby seat in the back! | All the rest is stock Toyota baby! | 10/2008: 43,500 miles
Last edited by duffyatkinson; 07-17-2008 at 02:58 PM.
He said he was concerned because last time he towed it was shifting bad and felt hotter than normal. Then he changed the trans. fluid and found the shavings.
Just did the drain and refill on my '02 Tundra with 72K
At 30K did a flush at the dealer and at 60K did a flush and changed to Mobil 1 synthetic.
Decided to take to my buddies shop and drop the pan for the drain and fill. Took the pan off and found very few shavings. My buddy was actually surprised at how few shaving were found. Cleaned the pan and the magnets and reinstalled using a new gasket. Took 4 1/2 quarts to fill.
Always have been worried about the trans since only use my Tundra for towing my boat to and from the lake and the river.
Okay. I just got off the phone with the tranny shop. The tranny is junk! He informed me that there were "groceries" in the pan. It is from towing in OD.(Shame on me!) I am having a new tranny from Howard Engineering shipped to the tranny shop and it will arrive next Thursday. The cost.....$3500! The tranny comes with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty good at almost any tranny shop. The other option was a factory tranny for $3200 but only a 1 year/12,000 mile warranty. And the guy at Toyota told the tranny shop the factory tranny is not that great.
I am working on a deadline here and it is a little stressful. Fortunately, I am here on vacation for another week. They said the truck will be done on Friday just in time to pack up and return home on Saturday.
do not hold your breath on time lines to fix a tranny, you will turn blue!
Sorry to hear about the problems. all that crap that was on your magnets was a bunch of bearing,gears and clutch pack junk which is all magnetic material, the brass junk would be bushing junk! Guess leaving it in OD during towing is expensive! I run a lotta hills here in NM with a 2K Lb boat and lotta times i kick it off altogether!! Good Luck on repair and return trip! Had you ever changed your fluid and how many miles were on your tranny?
do not hold your breath on time lines to fix a tranny, you will turn blue!
Sorry to hear about the problems. all that crap that was on your magnets was a bunch of bearing,gears and clutch pack junk which is all magnetic material, the brass junk would be bushing junk! Guess leaving it in OD during towing is expensive! I run a lotta hills here in NM with a 2K Lb boat and lotta times i kick it off altogether!! Good Luck on repair and return trip! Had you ever changed your fluid and how many miles were on your tranny?
Thanks. I have never changed my fluid until after trailing the pop-up camper. The pop-up camper weighs 2500 lbs. My truck has 80,000 miles on it. I thought it had 85,000 miles but it is only at 80k. I have towed a 5000 lbs. enclosed trailer with this truck with OD on and never had a problem. I tow my 5000 lbs boat all the time with OD on and never had a problem. This pop-up camper has now destroyed 3 transmissions. One from the previous owner, one from my brother-in-laws truck and now one from my truck.
would not go more than 50K on fluid if pulling trailer and that would be with synthetic ATF but with regular ATF i would go only 30K before fluid change. Toyota says only 30K miles and then fluid needs changed if pulling trailers, could save you some cash!! fluid changes also means complete system not just pan fluid! you have not had very good luck with trannys it seems and i would leave that pop-up on the side of the road if it were causing that much of an issue!! Ya can't even sleep in one of those things here in NM because of the wind blowing them, not to mention the heat!
I really doubt it was this camper that destroyed the tranny. It just happened to be behind your truck when it finally gave up. Have you towed since this truck was new and never changed the fluid? I agree that if you're towing regularly the fluid should be changed more often. But I still don't buy that towing in OD actually caused the failure. IF you're maintaining speed in OD and the torque converter isn't unlocking regularly and downshifting, there should be no additional wear regardless of whether you're in OD or not. If this transmission has some weakness in the top gear, then I can believe it. But if that's the case then the damn thing shouldn't be rated to tow, period.
Probably could have saved money by having yours rebuilt by a good shop, but being on the road in unfamiliar territory...probably safer to get something with a national warranty.
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Re: ATF drain and refill is this normal
Re: ATF drain and refill is this normal
I think it is more than a coincidence that you saw the type of shavings in your pan and this happening to you. Was your tranny exhibiting any of this behavior BEFORE you dropped the pan and did your drain/refill? Are you sure you got the correct volume of fluid back in there?
2002 Tundra V8 AC 4X2 SR5 | Silver Sky Metallic | Chrome Step Bars | Kobalt Low Profile Bed Box | Baby seat in the back! | All the rest is stock Toyota baby! | 10/2008: 43,500 miles
Had you ever changed your fluid and how many miles were on your tranny?
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