Driveline Fluids All Changed...

[SuckersWalk]

^ sweet, thanks.

[Greenie]

Good write up Beanly and thanks for the details on the filter bolts.

I think you'll be safe with just a pint over. If you don't feel comfortable about it just disconnect the lower cooler line connection and drain a little out.

[Greenie]

Originally Posted by highlevel

There is another thread going regarding the 05 - 06 tranny, and lack of dipstick. If you check some of the posts there are some maintenance suggestions and some PDF files from the service manual.

I have an 06 and will definitely change out the transmission fluid before I reach 90,000 miles. I am at 61,000 now.

2006 Tundra D/C Transmission Dipstick ?

Would a dip stick mod be practical for the '05 and '06 pans to facilitate fluid changes for the DIYer? There might be an aftermarket audience for this.

It would appear that Toyota is purposely over complicating service procedures and discouraging DIY maintenance on the transmission. My conclusion is that this vital maintenance service is being downplayed by Toyota under the hype of "lifetime fluid" possibly to the point of component failure. At this juncture the repair could be 30% or more of the vehicle's value.

[labountyphoto]

i dropped the pan and cleaned the filter on my '04 at 60K miles. As stated before, removing the old gasket was a major PITA. I realized later I should have used a drill with a wire brush instead of a razor blade. However, the old fluid looked no different than the new and the gears didn't shift any better or worse than before i changed the fluid and cleaned the filter(screen). In the future I will only do a drain and fill. the only benefit in cleaning the screen was peace of mind.

[highlevel]

Originally Posted by Greenie

Would a dip stick mod be practical for the '05 and '06 pans to facilitate fluid changes for the DIYer? There might be an aftermarket audience for this.

I was thinking of something similar. Don't know the answer to whether or not it would be practical (is raising our vehicles practical?) but a mod would be great. I don't agree with a "lifetime fluid" for a transmission. I don't run extended oil change intervals with syn oil either... but to each his/her own.

I have the extended warranty and would not feel comfortable doing a mod that would compromise that. I would probably wait until after 100,000 miles to work on one. Not sure if others would get on board, but I sure would.

Originally Posted by Greenie

It would appear that Toyota is purposely over complicating service procedures and discouraging DIY maintenance on the transmission. My conclusion is that this vital maintenance service is being downplayed by Toyota under the hype of "lifetime fluid" possibly to the point of component failure. At this juncture the repair could be 30% or more of the vehicle's value.

Good points. Toyota obviously wants some more "service" dollars. I don't mind paying to have certain service procedures done by the dealership but they better stick with the attitude of years past. I had really good experiences several years ago. Recently (last year or more) it seems to me that their customer service has seen a decline. After my recent experience at the dealership they lost a lot of my service dollars by not stepping up and taking care of my leaking steering rack. They refused to warranty it by calling it seepage... even though the fluid level dropped. Sorry that doesn't fly. I won't be going back for the 60k service and handing them my money. I will be doing that one myself. I had already done most of the items on their schedule anyway.

As far as the transmission I am not sure I want to tackle that one on my own or not. I have no idea how long synthetic fluid will retain the properties needed for proper lubrication of a transmission. Under their maintenance guidelines they suggest 60k replacement for "special operating conditions". So looks like if you tow or drive your vehicle harder than most... get it replaced.

[Rolando14]

[QUOTE=labountyphoto;1348701] I realized later I should have used a drill with a wire brush instead of a razor blade. /QUOTE]


maybe you were better off, i've read that cleaning these old gaskets off needs to be done delicately, aluminum is sensitive or something a lot those lines?