Might have been part of the reason
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Originally Posted by Verndog
Hmmm...I wonder if they removed it in part of the metal shaving issues they had. I found metal shavings on my 03 dipstick....cause ended up being the end was left sharp, and it was gouging the tube while checking fluid level.
Kevin
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My suspicion is there were several reasons... - The engineers became convinced that with modern seals and the new long life ATF, there was no need whatsoever to give owners access to the transmission. It should run for at least 100K miles without needing attention.
- Letting owners have access to the transmission through a dipstick does provide a contaminant entry point. Metal shavings from owners checking their ATF level would be under this category.
- Letting owners do their own drains/refills via the dipstick also allowed the owners to use non-approved ATF...and that was possibly resulting in at least some warranty repairs.
- Removing the dipstick means the transmission fluid level/quality check basically became a dealer service job...more profit for dealers as well as ensuring the job would be done properly (presumably) by trained Toyota techs.
Basically it's a "we know best" attitude on Toyota's part...the more they can keep untrained (or undertrained) owners (shade tree mechanics) out of the internals of the engine and transmission, the better off the things will be in their view.
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Ray
Natural White '03 Access Cab V8 SR5 4X4 with TRD Off Road Suspension, Limited Slip Differential, and Towing Package
Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Hellwig Anti-Roll bar, Prodigy Trailer Brake Controller, Autometer Z-Series Transmission Temperature Gauge, Magnefine Transmission Filter
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