Thanks for this video I tried turning this video into steps, hopefully it helps others just like it helped me Tools Needed 1 Infrared Temperature Gun 2 Digital Thermo Probe 3 6mm Hex Head Socket 4 10mm socket 5 24mm 6 point socket 6 level gauge 7 flex funnel 8 4 ft of tubing 9 3 quarts of Trans fluid Steps 1 Level Car using Gauge 2 Remove 10mm plastic splash guard bolts 3 Loosen 24mm bolt and remove 4 Note Time, Coolant Temp, and Outside Temp 5 Wait 4-7 min for Coolant Temp to reach 1/4 up the dial 6 Let engine RPM idle at or less than 800 RPM 7 Slowly shift from Park to Reverse to Neutral and Drive, then in reverse order 8 While the engine is idling, aim the Temp Gun at the sides of the transmission oil pan 9 Temp should be 95-113F (4 Cyl) or 104-113 (V6) 10 While the engine is still idling, remove (CCW) the fluid transmission oil pan drain plug using a 6mm hex head 11 No steady dribble of oil coming out means it is underfilled and a lot of oil coming out means it is overfilled 12 If too low, add 4oz of trans fluid until a steady dribble comes out while also verifying the temp of the fluid 13 To drain, shut off engine and the fluid should drain heavier 14 Once the stream comes to a trickle, use a 6mm hex head (CCW) to remove the plastic overflow tube 15 After it's done draining, place the overflow tube back in just barely finger tight 16 Reinstall the oil pan drain plug but only just finger tight, as it will need to be removed in a bit 17 Add 2 quarts and 4 oz of new transmission fluid through the refill plug hole, where the 24mm bolt was removed 18 Restart the engine 19 Slowly shift from Park to Reverse to Neutral and Drive, then in reverse order 20 Wait 1-2 min for the engine RPM to go down to 700-800 RPM 21 While the engine is still idling, remove (CCW) the fluid transmission oil pan drain plug 22 Let it drain to a trickle 23 Using the probe, Fluid Temp should be 95-113F (4 Cyl) or 104-113 (V6) 24 Reinstall the oil pan drain plug, moderately tight, not too tight that it damages the gasket 25 Reinstall the 24mm bolt and tighten moderately 26 Reinstall the 10mm plastic splash guard bolts
Thanks for the video....it motivated me to change my fluid on my 2017 Camry at 76 k miles. However, like anything and everything else in my life..I have to McGiver my own way of doing it and it worked out great for me once again. I didnt have a 24mm socket..so I used my 15/16 socket....perfect No jacks ..no leveling ..no running car. Not necessary ( for me ) I turned the wheel full lock...took off the wheel well piece you noted.....and removed the WS transmission fill nut ..as you noted....but no 2' extension needed. It was tough to remove torque wise ..but I got it I didnt have a 6mm socket...so I used a 6 mm alen key and clamped my vise grip on to it for leverage.. just slid an aluminum turkey roasting pan under the trans pan ( sorry wifey) ( thank you dollar store).. removed the drain plug with my allen key set-up . Let it drain.... Removed the overflow tube with Allen key.. let it drain..let it drain baby.... Again...no jacks no leveling...can be done just sliding along side car. no problem Once fully drained and no more drips.. I re-installed the overflow tube..then drain plug. I poured the drained trans fluid ( dark brownish red) ( needed changing) into an empty 5 qt oil jug,,,, to measure what came out. Approx 2 1/3 qts of fluid came out. I didnt have a funnel with long tube. ( I looked at 2 Walmarts .none to be found) so I set-up a series of daisy chained funnels and expandable funnel extensions so it just came out enough to pour the new Valvoline synthetic WS Trans Fluid in. Worked perfect.. No drips. no spills no errors. 2 1/3 Qts of new fluid added. I will drive it to dinner tonight and tomorrow I will repeat the process ..and then do it again in another week or so.... and I will be happy and be able to sleep better and my transmission will be happy with fairly clean and mostly new fluid. I will do this Once a year just to keep me happy...
I would respectfully offer that you really should level the vehicle. The overflow system is designed based on fluid thermal expansion and if the vehicle is tilted, it may not drain properly and could leave your transmission overfilled.
This explanation was spot on! My 2012 Camry has been shuttering at speeds below 50mph for the last year (when at cruising speeds). Followed this step by step, now it’s running like a top! Might do it again after a week, but night and day difference from before.
I like your idea on servicing the trans in your camry ! No special tools required, My 2016 has 51,000 and has never leaked , so should be full. I will just replace what comes out. Thanks !
@Sam S what vacuum? You dont need no vacuum to drain and refill as shown on this video. As well you can diy check the fluid level as shown here just make sure the fluid temp is correct.
Great video. Very clear and very accurate as to what needs to be done without a bunch of sophisticated and expensive equipment but still measures fluid temp and rpm range both of which are essential to doing the job right.
Park car overnight and new fluid in the same place, drain old fluid out (cold) replace with new fluid (cold) with the same amount that came out. Be sure you refill with same amount. A hand full of shop rags will help.
I would add check the level the night before while it was warm so you know if it was right. You can always adjust later. And you can buy a kit of tubes for refilling, along with a fliud pump. Not cheap at first, it will pay for itself, especially if the old fluid is discolored, you will need to repeat as necessary. Do not use any trans cleaner. This is basically Mercon V fluid it will do the job by itself. Anything that isn't CVT or Chrysler/Jeep uses it. PS Trans pan warm to the touch is fine, also even a cheap scanner will show you trans fluid temp under ECU 2.
This method makes a lot of sense. You're checking the pan temp and the temp of the fluid as it's coming out. I've looked at all the other videos and have read the Toyota manual and this is method will get you very close to the right level. When you think about it, Toyota engineers have to have some tolerance built in for their transmissions that are a bit too full or not quite full. They you also have to compensate for altitude and stuff like that. Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Much appreciated!
Thanks for the video man. This was very useful. I just did the oil change in my 2016 avalon at 106k miles and man did the fluid come out dark. I wish I wouldve done it sooner. Im going to do it again at 150k miles along with the filter. Im using Amsoil signature series.
I changed the fluid 2x. The 2nd time I did a few days after I did the first one. I'm going to do it a third time on Friday. I want to make sure I get all of the old stuff out. I just do a drain and refill. I'm not taking the tranny off etc...
I'm going to do this very service very soon. You are lucky to level the car with just driving it up on those car ramps. Others will have to, including myself, raise the front and rear and put axle stands.
This video is exactly what I've been looking for! My Camry I got used at 53k miles at a Toyota dealer, and now its getting into the lower 70k range. I don't know if they changed the trans fluid back at the dealer before I got it or not, or if the old man who owned it before me ever serviced it. Whatever the case I want to change it just to have that peace of mind and gain the experience of changing it without taking it to a shop.
I feel your pain. I just purchased a 2016 Camry that’s eight years old now and it has a little over 80,000 miles on it 86,000 to be exact. I have no idea if they service the fluid in the transmission. I highly doubt it. Yes it’s not complicated to do this. It seems pretty damn simple so I went on Amazon to look at the fluid that belongs in this transmission, which is Toyota’s WS Ginuwine fluid and for 4 quarts it’s $70 on Amazon. I just got quoted from a shop today for $175 or 180 bucks cash they can do the fluid change, drain and fill out the door you got a shop around don’t take it to the dealership. Most of the shops are independent shops have the correct fluid for that transmission. I got quoted a couple times a couple shops and I asked them they said yes it’s a full synthetic Toyota WS and they give you the numbers, they will not put the wrong fluid in your transmission if they do and it screws it up you can actually go back and counter sue them for tearing up your machine or transmission car, etc.. Be careful though cause most of them won’t touch it if the fluid is too burnt or dirty and if it is, I’d advise you to leave it alone and just let it go and that’s exactly what they will tell you unless you want to destroy your car permanently and then have to go get a used transmission or a brand new one from Toyota
I don’t understand why people are saying that it cost so much my dealership Toyota dealership quoted me 290 bucks out the door and all honesty. The fluid is like $70 for 4 quarts and that’s buying it off. Amazon might as well get a shop to do it for 200 bucks, that way, you don’t have to do all this bullshit. You can watch someone else deal with it and make sure that they do it right and if they screw something up. They owe you a new transmission plan simple I thought about doing this myself and I could. it’s not difficult and it’s definitely not complicated but I’m definitely not paying 70 to 80 bucks for 4 quartsof fluid and then doing the work when I also got quoted from a shop for $174 out the door
Like I said in another comment, I don’t understand how it’s over $300 at the dealership. I just got quoted 290 out the door at Toyota dealership. I got another quote from an independent mechanic shop for 174 out the door and yes, they use WS Toyota fluid so I have no idea what these people are talking about and why it cost so much where you’re at and honestly if you go on Amazon and try to buy 4 quarts of the genuine Toyota transmission fluid WS it says 70 fucking dollars sorry I am damn sure not gonna spend $70 on 4 quarts of tranny fluid just to do the work might as well go spend 290 at the dealership and know that is done professionally and done right and if it’s not and they screw up your transmission you sue the shit out of them or they buy you a new transmission and put it in your car for free! and if you go to an independent mechanic shop and they do the same thing, it’s the same outcome you sue the shop or they put a new transmission or rebuild your old one for free
you are the best, i totally understand what you show me how (fluid level check pan drain and refill.) you are 100 percent, with verbiage would be 120 percent.
I had the 1st transmission fluid change done at the dealership for my 2013 ES350 at 100k km. They said they used a special machine to flush all fluid out of the transmission, which I doubt about. After the flush was done, my transmission started to make a little whining noise, which I shouldn't have ignored. Now my car is at 140k km, the noise started to get louder. I did some research and found that if the fluid isn't filled up to the right level, the transmission can make the whining noise. I wish I have known this earlier. Anyway, I will change the transmission fluid today by myself based on this very helpful video. Hopefully, the transmission will recover.
@@luchigr I did find the transmission fluid level was low. After the refill, the whining noise still exists, but a little bit better than before. Anyway, I give up on this transmission. Let it be.
@@Daniel-pl3bd thank you for your reply and sorry about your transmission. I had also bad experience with the mechanics that worked on my car, so I have started to do all the maintenance by myself. Good luck!
Yep. The 4 cylinder is the U760 and he correctly stated the operating temperature for checking the fluid. 95 to 113 degrees F is when you check it. If you don't have a temp gun, then you can take a copper wire and jump the OBD2. The 4th plug at the top and 5th plug on the bottom. Then turn on car. Make sure all lights, radio and AC are off to avoid a load. Then move lever from P to D to P. Helps circulate fluid before moving on to next step. Next you move the shift lever N and D back and forth for more than 6 seconds to enter fluid detection mode. The D shift indicator comes on for 2 seconds and then turns off. Remove the copper wire from OBD2 port to get a smooth idle. When the D shift indicator pops up on the dash, it's at the right temp. Now you can check the fluid level. If the D shift indicator starts blinking, it's to hot. You need to wait until it cools down to retry. The fluid detection mode will stay active until you turn off the ignition. Also don't drive with the wire hooked up to OBD2.
Yeah dipsticks are hard to read you pull them out or you see where the level is. How can you say that’s tricky. And yes you can overfill these without dip sticks just as easily. They don’t ensure anything
I liked the use of the the heat scanner gun and the stick thermometer to measure fluid temperature instead of a scan tool. Messier than the dipstick, that’s for sure.
How is this not accurate? I understand if he only used took oil pan temps (not an accurate measurement of actual oil temp) but he literally measured the temp of the fluid dripping out. That’s as accurate as it gets. 😆🤣
@@I_know_what_im_talking_about - ScanGauge is great. iPhone app is great. I use them both. Last weekend I used my IF gun on a 2 inch diameter circle near the drain pan as the car warmed up (I had done a drain) and the gun lagged the app figures by 2-3 degrees all the way from 90 to 108. So in my case the gun is a great way to do this knowing it lags 2 deg.
I would update video as you put in wording “oil” pan drain. You might want to say “transmission” drain plug. I can see someone removing engine oil plug. I know if you are doing this then you should know which one is the transmission plug but some do not and have drained the wrong fluid.
An easier way to do this: Read all before starting. It should make sense. 1. Make sure your transmission is completely cooled down to outside temperature. Make sure the new oil is at the same temperature as outside. (Example: If it is summer and the temperature is 95 degrees, then your car is going to cool off to 95 degrees. Make sure the new oil is in the same location as the car.) 2. Drain transmission into a bucket. (Use the same method as the video by taking out the straw and make sure all the oil gets in the bucket.) 3. Pour used transmission fluid into an empty 5 quart container that has measurements on the side. (Save an old container when you do an oil change. Make sure it is completely empty.) 4. Get precise measurement from side of container. 5. Refill transmission with same amount of new fluid, based on measurement from step 4. Notes: Bottom line: If the old oil and new oil are at the same temperature, it is a one for one swap. You can't go wrong. Just make sure you are accounting for any oil that may drip on the ground and make sure to drain the bucket well to get out all the residual. I have never seen a drain and fill be more than about four quarts, but it is possible. If that is the case, then use two empty containers to measure the old fluid.
Agree...actually to get more can remove fluid when hot since it expands around 10% in volume then mark the side of container. Then let fluid cool down then mark the level. Replace with same amount you removed wity both fluids same temp and your good to go. You wont be underfilled. Mazda has a dipstick still and will confirm when I do mine that process will work fine.
Nice in theory but terrible in practice over the long haul. Assumes first that what you had initially was correct. Bad assumption. Might work on a brand new car if you trust that they have it correct. The problem gets worse on the subsequents changes for the error builds on each subsequent change. You comments on the fluid temp are funny. I did an experiment with fluid with 100° temperature change and there was no discernible difference in volume. Maybe a very slight difference. There’s no way you’re going to notice any difference in volume between your house temperature and the outdoor temperature. That’s for sure. All this fluid expands stuff is more about the internal parts of the transmission expanding and causing the volume variations rather than the fluid expanding.
Aside from one of the plugs being in the wheel well (odd place for that really), it is very similar to changing the fluid in my Passat. The key difference is that VW was nice enough to leave a fill plug in a place not too weird like in the wheel well. I noticed that Japanese vehicles often have oil filters in the wheel well too or in some cases under a manifold. I don't know why they make them so hard to work on in such a way.
I find having it the wheel well is very convenient. I much prefer that to having to be up under the vehicle. Much easier and safer to support one corner of the car and to take off a tire and torque it back on than to lift the whole front end to slide under. The problem is most people try to get by just turning the wheel to the side than taking it off!
I thought that you need fill in 2 3/4 qr fluid and likely it will drain 1/4 qr out at temp 104F. So over all a change/refill will net 2 1/2 qr replaced. But this video, I saw a lot come out after only 2 1/4 qr refill. Great video but fluid amount need reconfirmation from the author. Thanks.
I drain out what comes out with out the straw when its leveled and cold. About 2-2.5 qrts and refill it with the exact amount. use Redline D6 not WS. Never had a problem.
Sounds easy and intuitive, but will often result in an underfilled transmission. Try it on a dipstick equipped transmission and you may see what I mean.
socalltd - should be ok if your baseline quantity was correct in the first place. Don't do it relative to the last drain for small errors could build up every time. I knew mine was (or was confident) because I baselined it on the new car first time drain quantity from the dealer.
Socalltd did the same thing yesterday on our rav4 around 2 litres came out measured it out and put the same amount back in as usual never had a problem yet.
Drained 2.5 L from a cold 2013 Camry when it had 10k and added (WS) the same back. The fluid that came out was only a little red. Much darker than my 2001 Camry. Completed this with out any problems four times and car shifts like new. Have 30k on it now and will repeat again soon. 2.5L is consistently the amount I drain and fill. No problems to speak of. I wish Toyota provided a dip stick.
A dipstick measures the fluid color and the refill volume in cold, stopped condition. A straw measures the fluid color and the refill volume in warm, idle condition subject to PRND traversal and overflow dripping. Therefore, the straw is comparable to a dipstick.
Most cars ATF is measured when running and hot not cold and stopped. Neither measures the fluid ‘color’. Yeh the dipstick is telling me the color is off. Color is not a good indicator of how how bad an oil is unless it’s really bad. ATF color will be darker at 15K than new doesn’t mean it needs changing. Yes the straw is equivalent to the dipstick
That temperature gauge is not measuring fluid temp; it is measuring the temp of the outside pan. Would respectfully suggest using scan tool that can talk to TCM and read fluid temperature directly. Thanks!
Thermo Gun readings are within 1-2 degrees F of techstream and scangauge readings which is accurate enough. Example: If oil pan drain plug is removed when Thermo Gun says pan fluid temp is 104 degrees, the actual fluid temp via the techstream and scangauge methods will be 105-106 and the factory manual says fluid level should be checked at between 104-113 degrees (V6 engine) or 95-113 degrees (4 cylinder engine) imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7550/OM1o4Q.jpg
Have to agree with using an IF gun. I have a ScanGauge and a iPhone app. My IF gun is consistently 2 to 3° below those readings while in the range needed. This is within a 2 inch circular area near the drain plug. I did it last weekend comparing the two and it was never 2 to 3° difference lower.
Thanks Velaryder! I just did it this past weekend at 37,000 miles on a 15’ Avalon I just bought. Oil was very dirty so the previous owner hadn’t done the maintenance yet. My question is, how many times should I do this since it only removes 2.5 quarts of the 7 quarts each time? Or is there an alternate way to flush everything at once?
Wow! Now u got me curious . Have 2015 Avalon (U660E) and 67k miles. Stealorship says change at 100k + miles. Going to be interesting to see what our ATF looks like. Also- what’s torque specs for Drain & Fill plugs? Thanks!
So you added 2 quarts (plus 4 ounces). I presume is you drained out 2 quarts at 100 degrees you would have to add the extra 4 ounces because the fluid you added was cold and this would make up for the fact the 2 quarts drained out was at 100 degrees and had expanded?
You don’t need to replace it at 34,000 or 30,000 excessive use is at 60,000. You can go a little bit further than that but then you would be pushing it mines at 86,000 and I’m about to do the same thing I’ve seen people push it to almost 100,000 which is insane, that is way too long and you will destroy your transmission. The fluid in there is just like oil for your motor. It has to be changed at a certain time.
when it doesn't drip it doesn't mean its low it actually means its full. when it heats up it over flows and spill because the atf expands with heat when refilling your atf you fill until a stream at that temperature until it slows to a drip then reseal.
If you check within the proper temp range and it doesn’t drip (nothing comes out) it absolutely means it’s low/ under filled. A steady drip means it’s at the correct level.
@@luptonpittman6520 yes this is true but you dont check the temp on cool down you check it on heat up. also there should be no reason for it to be missing any oil unless it has a leak but the bottom of this looks clean.
See I seen others say the trickle should be much less at the end so per them you might be overfilled. So stupid not having a dipstick. Good video I'm just doing a drain in replace on cool engine.
@Frank. T yes it's true and it's real sugar coke tastes so much better but it's hard to come by in the states. I've written Coca-Cola about it a few times but I think they want us to be consuming corn syrup.
That was funny! At first I was like "hows was any of this wrong?" Then I read on and laughed out loud. People started looking at me because I was in the doctor's!🤣😂🤣
That is a partial Transmission flush. The correct way to flush it out completely would be to get about 2-3 gallons of Toyota Trans fluid and go under the car and disconnect the trans fluid return line from the oil cooler and connect a hose from the cooler to a drain bucket and connect a electric oil pump to the hose you disconnected, start the car while the wheels are off the ground and put it in drive. While it is running you turn on the oil pump and feed fresh fluid into it until the fluid coming out changes to the color of the new fluid. Then you reconnect everything and check the fluid level and drain any extra or add fluid as needed.
I totally agreed. At 160K miles, I also cleaned the oil pan and change the oil filter, the oil pan is so dirty lucky I take the extra time and effort to do it.
It was a stream but not a steady one; there is some margin for error, but other videos I've seen recommend reinserting the drain plug about then - and there may be some gurgling when it changes from a steady stream.
Hi Verlaryder, How come you heated up the fluid first to 104-113, and added fluid to make it level, and THEN drained it all out? Couldn't you have just drained it while cold, measured what you took out (which is a bit less than 2qts when I did it on my 2013 Venza), add the 2qt 4oz, heated up the transmission to 104-113, and then check the level, letting excess dribble out until level?
First half of the video is learning the procedure of how to check and adjust the fluid level which requires heating the fluid to 104-113 (V6) or 95-113 (4 cyl). Second half is learning the procedure for draining and refilling. The owner who first masters the first half of the video will then not have to worry about the temp of the fluid when they drain; e.g. they could drain the fluid cold or when scalding hot because they would still know how to get the fluid level correct after refilling.
@@verlaryder Hi. Was there a lot of temperature difference between the infrared thermometer and stick thermometer? I guess there could be about 4-5 celcius difference? Thanks
Excellent video and thorough coverage of the process! Congratulations. One of the better YT videos on the subject. Have you ever bothered changing the filter as well? My vehicle has 92k mi, still with the factory fluid. Wish I'd found this a while back during warmer weather - may have to wait until Spring.
I'm generally confused on this for two reasons: 1) User dair805 asked if he could just measure the amount of fluid taken out and then just put the exact same amount back in. You replied it wouldn't work, as you would be underfilled. How? *Assuming* you were at the proper fill level from the beginning, putting back in what was taken out will leave you exactly where you should be. No loss, no gain on fluid. 2) The 2014 Scion tC has the same transmission, but when replacing my engine last month, I had to drain my transmission to transfer it to the new engine. I did not have an overfill "straw". I measured precisely 3.1 quarts that came out. I added 3.1 quarts back into the transmission and it runs/drives perfectly. Car was off/cold both times. I'd love some explanation on this, as I don't want to replace the transmission due to under/overfill.
Measuring the amount drained and refilling with the same doesn't work for a dipstick equipped toyota automatic transmission either. Results in underfilling
Drain and fill the exact amount will work fine as a one off assuming the correct fill in the first place. As an ongoing practice it would be ill advised. The error would continue to build on each subsequent change. Just do it correctly in the first place it’s not that hard. Measure the fluids every time just so you have an idea of what happens in general is always a good case for any fluid changes in cars
@@minter66 - again it will work but I would base it on the amount drained when you know that it’s correct not what came out on the most recent drain. There’s a difference but glad that it’s working great for you
The best detailed video and not a single word, steady cam view. The way I like videos. Let me ask you if I may, my 2013 Camry is passed the 60k first A/T oil change, in fact I have never changed it, Toyota wanted to charge me $250 for it, no I am at 140k miles, what I want to do is add oil, so my question is do I need to worry about unscrewing and pulling that straw out or simply add until steady trickle? Or how much should I add?
Just do a complete drain and fill. Better yet remove the return line from the cooler and pump out a quarter or two by turning the car on. Turn off the car. Replace the same amount and repeat several times until clear. This is really very easy and straightforward and will basically change out your entire ATF system
This dealership mastertech says filter changes and pan cleanings are not needed. Certainly not a priority compared to changing the fluid: ua-cam.com/video/eRxSu4-4ojo/v-deo.html
With 119,000 miles I would recommend taking the pan down and cleaning the magnets. If you have done regular maintenance changing the fluid then the screen replacement is really not necessary. But cleaning the magnets would be helpful and it’s not that hard to do. I did my Highlander last week and I left the filter screen alone but it was very clean. I did clean the magnets. It has 90,000 miles on it
For anyone thinking they can use a laser reader, this is not accurate enough. Just buy the darn scan tool that reads trans temp #1 from the ECU. If you go to the trouble of leveling the car one would think you would get an accurate temperature reading.
If the outside temp is between 60-80 degrees F a $20 laser reader gives a reading only 2 degrees less than a $200 scan tool so it is accurate enough. Thousands of owners who own both tools have verified this.
yes, but I didn't in the video because my driveway faces downhill. Here's an updated way to check/adjust the fluid level in the morning from a cold start using the car's coolant temperature gauge. imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9966/nXghb4.jpg
It's a procedure demonstration video. Title of the video is "Fluid level check + pan drain & refill." Two different procedures. It's important to master the fluid level check procedure before doing the pan drain & refill procedure..
I have a Toyota Camry 2012 the transmission range sensor not working good need to replace but I have 275 .000 miles you think is save to open the transmission and replace the transmission range sensor. Or just live it alone.
Just bought a 2011 Camry with 140k miles. Should I change the fluid or leave it? Transmission has never been touched before. It runs fine now and shifts fine for the mileage.
Drain and refill the pan 3 times in a row to get 60-70% of the old fluid out. I've never heard of AISIN transmissions failing after pan drains and refills and I've done it on some 35 year old Toyotas.
Thank you for the video. Despite no sound you did a thorough job. I see that you do not answer your viewer comments so I guess this is rhetorical but it would be nice if you state where you get the instructions from. Some of your steps are not the same as other videos and some seems strange. Like why would you need to heat up the oil before you drain it -you can get out a lot more fluid from a cold transmission pan than a warm one that has moved the fluid to the transmission. Other videos said to turn the car off when checking the fluid level. A running transmission will have a lot less fluid in the pan than if it were off. The difference in fluid levels caused by a wrong practice could cause serious problems. I'm not saying your method is wrong, we just need to know where it came from to know if it is right. (Also your temperature was already above your maximum according to the temp probe when you removed it)
My info come from Toyota service literature. I substituted an infrared thermometer for the techstream because some owners who have compared fluid temperature readings using both methods say they are the same and the infrared thermometer is alot simpler to use. Fluid levels in ALL Toyotas - young or old - are checked with the idling at a warm engine RPM.
@@verlaryder Thank you. That is great to know about the infrared thermometer. I think though that this video combines the Toyota literature steps of how to simply check the fluid level with actually how to change the fluid level. Seems crazy to add fluid to get it to the correct level and then drain it out again with the drain and fill. Why would we need to go through the steps of heating the car up, shifting, adding new fluid to bring up to the correct fluid level only to then drain it right back out? I think those initial steps are only if you want to check the level. If you know you are going to drain it then just drain it and then go through the steps you showed after draining it.
hey thanks for the vid...I drained everything cold and measured it and put same amount back in.....but i wanted to check level. my issue was getting an accurate reading of the trans temp. using the heat gun.....there were different temperatures at different areas of the trans pan. . You just used the side of the pan for your reading? I never felt like i was getting an accurate reading that i could trust. i dont have a probe temp checker... ...so when i was draining a lot came out and i got scared like i was draining to much so i put the plug back in. seems to shifting ok...but now im acutely aware of every shift and its driving me crazy....getting an accurate trans temp measurement is my issue???
Go to the 14:20 mark in this video (author of the video is a trained Toyota technician). It shows the temp gun reads only about 2 degrees low as compared to the techstream temperature measuring method if shined on the bottom of the oil pan . No biggie. I tended to get higher readings with the gun shined on the sides of the pan so I used the side reading. ua-cam.com/video/ej_6BZpK3gg/v-deo.html
MrJimmy3459 also depends on what those miles reflect. City or highway driving. If 75% is highway then yes. He could wait a bit longer. But if it’s city and constant stop and go. It seems right to change it around that mileage. I bought. 2016 Camry and it had 15k miles. 4 years of local city driving I could/would assume. Changed the trans oil and it was brown. But owner may have done this for education purposes.
wouldn't you think that if the car is sitting on asphalt in normal conditions and the transmission is not level, why would you want to level it to fill it when it's not in a daily driving position? Just wondering!
My TIS subscription has expired so I can't check for this model/yr, but many Toyota's that have no dipstick are put into "temp check mode" by jumpering pins 4 & 13 in the OBD port; then shifting between N & D x number of times in x number of secs.
That's correct. It's put into "fluid temperature detection mode", then "engine idle speed control mode" so it's around 800 rpm, then the level is checked. The procedure in the video, although not as accurate as Techstream, will likely suffice if done carefully. I don't use this method but, if I were to use it, I would want to know more precisely the temp of the fluid itself and the rpm, both of which are possible with little expense.
Hello, thank you for this video! My Toyota Camry has now 32000 км and it has u761e transmission. May I ask you when it is time to change the transmission oil? Did you mention that in this Totota it is 49000 miles or km? Thank you.
my '15 at 30k miles was discolored when you look at the drain pan, it has to be changed early in my opinion; that gets out the early wear (clutch matl and assy plant contamination if any )
Thanks for sharing. Scangauge2 works great as I shared on my video and give you all sorts of other capabilities with codes etc. I sure would not put rare earth magnets on the outside of my pan like you did. What purpose would that serve other than to hold metal shavings until someone removes them accidentally and then you have a larger more dangerous mass of metal shavings in the fluid floating around. There are already magnets in the pan so having 3-4 others on the outside that you cannot control getting the shavings is scary. Some mechanic would inevitably remove them probably. Just some thoughts. Thanks
I do all the maintenance on the car so I don't have to worry about anyone else removing the magnets from the outside of the pan. Owners who are worried about that possibility could simply epoxy the magnets to the pan to prevent removal.
Danz Garage depends how much? All fluids should be close to exact. But If it’s half a quart over. It’s fine. 1 full quart... might want to drain some out.
I'm not sure why so much fluid came out at the end. Did he over fill it that much? How? He followed the fluid amount guideline when filling the transmission, right? I could imagine a little dribble coming out for a few seconds but that was a lot of fluid. Why so much?
Inside the pan is a green plastic straw like tube. You let excess fluid drain from the straw to a fast dribble. That way the fluid level is set correctly regardless of how much excess fluid the owner refills the transmission with after draining. picture of the green straw (U760E transmission, U660E has a red straw) www.rav4world.com/threads/rav-4-4-4-transmission-fluid-change.249161/page-3#lg=thread-249161&slide=1
Great video. Hi. Was there a lot of temperature difference between the infrared thermometer and stick thermometer? I guess there could be about 4-5 celcius difference? Thanks
I don't think you let the fluid get hot before draining it. You have to measure how much comes out so you know how much you put in. The measurement will be different because you taking out hot fluid and putting in cold fluid.
You won’t notice any measurable difference between hot fluid and cold fluid. Believe me I’ve tested this. Try yourself if you don’t believe me. The whole fluid expanding commentary is more around the transmission internal parts expanding and contracting when warm which is where most of the volume variations comes into play
I think the last part is for the inside to level out as the fluid could be overfilled, it flows through the second bolt that uses an allen bit. I could be wrong though but I am pretty sure that's what happened.
Thanks for this video
I tried turning this video into steps, hopefully it helps others just like it helped me
Tools Needed
1 Infrared Temperature Gun
2 Digital Thermo Probe
3 6mm Hex Head Socket
4 10mm socket
5 24mm 6 point socket
6 level gauge
7 flex funnel
8 4 ft of tubing
9 3 quarts of Trans fluid
Steps
1 Level Car using Gauge
2 Remove 10mm plastic splash guard bolts
3 Loosen 24mm bolt and remove
4 Note Time, Coolant Temp, and Outside Temp
5 Wait 4-7 min for Coolant Temp to reach 1/4 up the dial
6 Let engine RPM idle at or less than 800 RPM
7 Slowly shift from Park to Reverse to Neutral and Drive, then in reverse order
8 While the engine is idling, aim the Temp Gun at the sides of the transmission oil pan
9 Temp should be 95-113F (4 Cyl) or 104-113 (V6)
10 While the engine is still idling, remove (CCW) the fluid transmission oil pan drain plug using a 6mm hex head
11 No steady dribble of oil coming out means it is underfilled and a lot of oil coming out means it is overfilled
12 If too low, add 4oz of trans fluid until a steady dribble comes out while also verifying the temp of the fluid
13 To drain, shut off engine and the fluid should drain heavier
14 Once the stream comes to a trickle, use a 6mm hex head (CCW) to remove the plastic overflow tube
15 After it's done draining, place the overflow tube back in just barely finger tight
16 Reinstall the oil pan drain plug but only just finger tight, as it will need to be removed in a bit
17 Add 2 quarts and 4 oz of new transmission fluid through the refill plug hole, where the 24mm bolt was removed
18 Restart the engine
19 Slowly shift from Park to Reverse to Neutral and Drive, then in reverse order
20 Wait 1-2 min for the engine RPM to go down to 700-800 RPM
21 While the engine is still idling, remove (CCW) the fluid transmission oil pan drain plug
22 Let it drain to a trickle
23 Using the probe, Fluid Temp should be 95-113F (4 Cyl) or 104-113 (V6)
24 Reinstall the oil pan drain plug, moderately tight, not too tight that it damages the gasket
25 Reinstall the 24mm bolt and tighten moderately
26 Reinstall the 10mm plastic splash guard bolts
Thank you for your time!
Thanks!
Thank you so much!! But if I'm going to drain and fill I will skip Steps 5 through 12. I am not going to add fluid to then drain it back out again.
Thank you 🙏
Thanks for making the already comprehensive work even more thorough and usable.
Thanks for the video....it motivated me to change my fluid on my 2017 Camry at 76 k miles.
However, like anything and everything else in my life..I have to McGiver my own way of doing it and it worked out great for me once again.
I didnt have a 24mm socket..so I used my 15/16 socket....perfect
No jacks ..no leveling ..no running car. Not necessary ( for me )
I turned the wheel full lock...took off the wheel well piece you noted.....and removed the WS transmission fill nut ..as you noted....but no 2' extension needed. It was tough to remove torque wise ..but I got it
I didnt have a 6mm socket...so I used a 6 mm alen key and clamped my vise grip on to it for leverage.. just slid an aluminum turkey roasting pan under the trans pan ( sorry wifey) ( thank you dollar store).. removed the drain plug with my allen key set-up .
Let it drain....
Removed the overflow tube with Allen key.. let it drain..let it drain baby....
Again...no jacks no leveling...can be done just sliding along side car. no problem
Once fully drained and no more drips.. I re-installed the overflow tube..then drain plug.
I poured the drained trans fluid ( dark brownish red) ( needed changing) into an empty 5 qt oil jug,,,, to measure what came out.
Approx 2 1/3 qts of fluid came out.
I didnt have a funnel with long tube. ( I looked at 2 Walmarts .none to be found)
so I set-up a series of daisy chained funnels and expandable funnel extensions so it just came out enough to pour the new Valvoline synthetic WS Trans Fluid in.
Worked perfect.. No drips. no spills no errors.
2 1/3 Qts of new fluid added. I will drive it to dinner tonight and tomorrow I will repeat the process ..and then do it again in another week or so.... and I will be happy and be able to sleep better and my transmission will be happy with fairly clean and mostly new fluid.
I will do this Once a year just to keep me happy...
I would respectfully offer that you really should level the vehicle. The overflow system is designed based on fluid thermal expansion and if the vehicle is tilted, it may not drain properly and could leave your transmission overfilled.
This explanation was spot on! My 2012 Camry has been shuttering at speeds below 50mph for the last year (when at cruising speeds). Followed this step by step, now it’s running like a top! Might do it again after a week, but night and day difference from before.
I like your idea on servicing the trans in your camry ! No special tools required, My 2016 has 51,000 and has never leaked , so should be full. I will just replace what comes out. Thanks !
I have watched endless clips on this , but this man doesn’t even bother with gloves, but he shows you the way the ordinary people do it , nice job .
I, too, noticed the glove-free hands! Well-done content, indeed!
This is the single best demonstration/explanation of how to do this task on all of UA-cam. Nice job & Thanks!
This video is excellent, and is one of the ones that gave me the confidence to finally do this service myself.
The best "automatic transmission fluid level check" I've ever seen. Good job guy!
What a messy job! Shame on Toyota for removing the dip stick.
This type of transmission fluid is better cuz its sealed and clean and can least for long long time in close enviroment
@@dannyhampton711 true!!
@@dannyhampton711 I dont really think thats it. You can still diy it. Toyota dosent even recommend you change it.
@Sam S what vacuum? You dont need no vacuum to drain and refill as shown on this video. As well you can diy check the fluid level as shown here just make sure the fluid temp is correct.
@Sam S its really not that complicated.
Great video. Everything you need. Nothing you don’t. Thanks for the help.
Great video. Very clear and very accurate as to what needs to be done without a bunch of sophisticated and expensive equipment but still measures fluid temp and rpm range both of which are essential to doing the job right.
Park car overnight and new fluid in the same place, drain old fluid out (cold) replace with new fluid (cold) with the same amount that came out. Be sure you refill with same amount. A hand full of shop rags will help.
I like your method better.
Yeh if you feel comfortable the level was correct to start with...
I would add check the level the night before while it was warm so you know if it was right. You can always adjust later. And you can buy a kit of tubes for refilling, along with a fliud pump. Not cheap at first, it will pay for itself, especially if the old fluid is discolored, you will need to repeat as necessary. Do not use any trans cleaner. This is basically Mercon V fluid it will do the job by itself. Anything that isn't CVT or Chrysler/Jeep uses it. PS Trans pan warm to the touch is fine, also even a cheap scanner will show you trans fluid temp under ECU 2.
@@billw2812 hi Bill, can you recommend a cheap scan tool that measures the trannie temperature? Thanks
You are an awesome human being....THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS!
Thank you for this great video! Just bought a 2017 today and will use these tips in the video to maintain the transmission in our new Camry.
This method makes a lot of sense. You're checking the pan temp and the temp of the fluid as it's coming out. I've looked at all the other videos and have read the Toyota manual and this is method will get you very close to the right level. When you think about it, Toyota engineers have to have some tolerance built in for their transmissions that are a bit too full or not quite full. They you also have to compensate for altitude and stuff like that.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Much appreciated!
Very clear demontration . I've leaned a lot from this video . Thanks
Thanks for the video man. This was very useful. I just did the oil change in my 2016 avalon at 106k miles and man did the fluid come out dark. I wish I wouldve done it sooner. Im going to do it again at 150k miles along with the filter. Im using Amsoil signature series.
I changed the fluid 2x. The 2nd time I did a few days after I did the first one. I'm going to do it a third time on Friday. I want to make sure I get all of the old stuff out. I just do a drain and refill. I'm not taking the tranny off etc...
what a crazy procedure
I'm going to do this very service very soon.
You are lucky to level the car with just driving it up on those car ramps.
Others will have to, including myself, raise the front and rear and put axle stands.
This video is exactly what I've been looking for!
My Camry I got used at 53k miles at a Toyota dealer, and now its getting into the lower 70k range. I don't know if they changed the trans fluid back at the dealer before I got it or not, or if the old man who owned it before me ever serviced it. Whatever the case I want to change it just to have that peace of mind and gain the experience of changing it without taking it to a shop.
I feel your pain. I just purchased a 2016 Camry that’s eight years old now and it has a little over 80,000 miles on it 86,000 to be exact. I have no idea if they service the fluid in the transmission. I highly doubt it. Yes it’s not complicated to do this. It seems pretty damn simple so I went on Amazon to look at the fluid that belongs in this transmission, which is Toyota’s WS Ginuwine fluid and for 4 quarts it’s $70 on Amazon. I just got quoted from a shop today for $175 or 180 bucks cash they can do the fluid change, drain and fill out the door you got a shop around don’t take it to the dealership. Most of the shops are independent shops have the correct fluid for that transmission. I got quoted a couple times a couple shops and I asked them they said yes it’s a full synthetic Toyota WS and they give you the numbers, they will not put the wrong fluid in your transmission if they do and it screws it up you can actually go back and counter sue them for tearing up your machine or transmission car, etc.. Be careful though cause most of them won’t touch it if the fluid is too burnt or dirty and if it is, I’d advise you to leave it alone and just let it go and that’s exactly what they will tell you unless you want to destroy your car permanently and then have to go get a used transmission or a brand new one from Toyota
That fluid looks perfectly fine
Video was shot for demostrating the fluid level checking procedure.
Excelente way to show how to do that congratulations and thanks
super video. action ONLY. Short and Sweet. Many thanks
Thanks for the video, I’m thinking of buying a scangauge. I’m glad I found your video, very good ideas
Your video just saved me $460 and a trip to the filthy dealership
Amen! Transmission shop quoted me $200+ for ATF change, $500+ with filter change! Didn't even bother asking the dealer.
I don’t understand why people are saying that it cost so much my dealership Toyota dealership quoted me 290 bucks out the door and all honesty. The fluid is like $70 for 4 quarts and that’s buying it off. Amazon might as well get a shop to do it for 200 bucks, that way, you don’t have to do all this bullshit. You can watch someone else deal with it and make sure that they do it right and if they screw something up. They owe you a new transmission plan simple I thought about doing this myself and I could. it’s not difficult and it’s definitely not complicated but I’m definitely not paying 70 to 80 bucks for 4 quartsof fluid and then doing the work when I also got quoted from a shop for $174 out the door
Thanks for the info, it's very easy to follow.
Thank you very much for this vid! $50 vs $350 at dealer. Ya,$50!
Like I said in another comment, I don’t understand how it’s over $300 at the dealership. I just got quoted 290 out the door at Toyota dealership. I got another quote from an independent mechanic shop for 174 out the door and yes, they use WS Toyota fluid so I have no idea what these people are talking about and why it cost so much where you’re at and honestly if you go on Amazon and try to buy 4 quarts of the genuine Toyota transmission fluid WS it says 70 fucking dollars sorry I am damn sure not gonna spend $70 on 4 quarts of tranny fluid just to do the work might as well go spend 290 at the dealership and know that is done professionally and done right and if it’s not and they screw up your transmission you sue the shit out of them or they buy you a new transmission and put it in your car for free! and if you go to an independent mechanic shop and they do the same thing, it’s the same outcome you sue the shop or they put a new transmission or rebuild your old one for free
Wow thank you for the detail information because I have a 4 cylinder 2012 Camry and so far it appears that all videos are for v6.
Say what you want about his cars cleanliness, he makes a darn fine video without the annoying talking.
Nice video. Very helpful. Thank you.
you are the best, i totally understand what you show me how (fluid level check pan drain and refill.) you are 100 percent, with verbiage would be 120 percent.
I had the 1st transmission fluid change done at the dealership for my 2013 ES350 at 100k km. They said they used a special machine to flush all fluid out of the transmission, which I doubt about. After the flush was done, my transmission started to make a little whining noise, which I shouldn't have ignored. Now my car is at 140k km, the noise started to get louder. I did some research and found that if the fluid isn't filled up to the right level, the transmission can make the whining noise. I wish I have known this earlier. Anyway, I will change the transmission fluid today by myself based on this very helpful video. Hopefully, the transmission will recover.
Hi! how did it go with your transmission refill? I have similar issues with my transmission, so I will try to add more fluid in to it.
@@luchigr I did find the transmission fluid level was low. After the refill, the whining noise still exists, but a little bit better than before. Anyway, I give up on this transmission. Let it be.
@@Daniel-pl3bd thank you for your reply and sorry about your transmission. I had also bad experience with the mechanics that worked on my car, so I have started to do all the maintenance by myself. Good luck!
@@luchigr TY
Thank you for your time and help!
Yep. The 4 cylinder is the U760 and he correctly stated the operating temperature for checking the fluid. 95 to 113 degrees F is when you check it. If you don't have a temp gun, then you can take a copper wire and jump the OBD2. The 4th plug at the top and 5th plug on the bottom. Then turn on car. Make sure all lights, radio and AC are off to avoid a load. Then move lever from P to D to P. Helps circulate fluid before moving on to next step. Next you move the shift lever N and D back and forth for more than 6 seconds to enter fluid detection mode. The D shift indicator comes on for 2 seconds and then turns off. Remove the copper wire from OBD2 port to get a smooth idle. When the D shift indicator pops up on the dash, it's at the right temp. Now you can check the fluid level. If the D shift indicator starts blinking, it's to hot. You need to wait until it cools down to retry. The fluid detection mode will stay active until you turn off the ignition. Also don't drive with the wire hooked up to OBD2.
When the D light pops up and you check the fluid should the vehicle be in park drive or neutral?
@@samriggs804 park
Or you can just spend the $20 like he did on Amazon and buy you a temperature gun you don’t need to do a jumper and all this bullshit
His procedure is correct, do wear gloves though because ATF can be hot+ toxic if consumed ( stuck in finger nails)
95-113 degree fluid is not hot enough to scald or burn skin.
toxic ? ive ate a lot of hamburgers with dirty atf fingers for a long time lol
lol majority of these transmission fluid videos online nobody wears gloves
@@verlaryder Isn't that the temperature you shower at?
@@terminusarms113 yes. so 95-113 degrees F is comfortably warm.
Very helpful, this method is better than a dipstick because it insures no over fill, dipstick are tricky to get accurate reading.
Yeah dipsticks are hard to read you pull them out or you see where the level is. How can you say that’s tricky. And yes you can overfill these without dip sticks just as easily. They don’t ensure anything
I liked the use of the the heat scanner gun and the stick thermometer to measure fluid temperature instead of a scan tool.
Messier than the dipstick, that’s for sure.
This is a good video. I recommend a scan gauge for accurate transmission temperature.
How is this not accurate? I understand if he only used took oil pan temps (not an accurate measurement of actual oil temp) but he literally measured the temp of the fluid dripping out. That’s as accurate as it gets. 😆🤣
@@I_know_what_im_talking_about - ScanGauge is great. iPhone app is great. I use them both. Last weekend I used my IF gun on a 2 inch diameter circle near the drain pan as the car warmed up (I had done a drain) and the gun lagged the app figures by 2-3 degrees all the way from 90 to 108. So in my case the gun is a great way to do this knowing it lags 2 deg.
Best info on here for this car thanks man
The amount of fluid that drained from the transmission prior to adding any fluid should be included in any description of the procedure.
I typically get about 56 ounces of fluid in my 16 Highlander when I drain from the pan
👍👍👍great video details instructions
Bareback is totally fine, as long as the fluid is disease free.
I would update video as you put in wording “oil” pan drain. You might want to say “transmission” drain plug. I can see someone removing engine oil plug. I know if you are doing this then you should know which one is the transmission plug but some do not and have drained the wrong fluid.
If someone removes the engine oil pan plug trying to do a transmission drain and refill, they should never work on their car.
Bonito bonito
Gracias Primo 👍👍👍😎
An easier way to do this: Read all before starting. It should make sense.
1. Make sure your transmission is completely cooled down to outside temperature. Make sure the new oil is at the same temperature as outside. (Example: If it is summer and the temperature is 95 degrees, then your car is going to cool off to 95 degrees. Make sure the new oil is in the same location as the car.)
2. Drain transmission into a bucket. (Use the same method as the video by taking out the straw and make sure all the oil gets in the bucket.)
3. Pour used transmission fluid into an empty 5 quart container that has measurements on the side. (Save an old container when you do an oil change. Make sure it is completely empty.)
4. Get precise measurement from side of container.
5. Refill transmission with same amount of new fluid, based on measurement from step 4.
Notes:
Bottom line: If the old oil and new oil are at the same temperature, it is a one for one swap. You can't go wrong. Just make sure you are accounting for any oil that may drip on the ground and make sure to drain the bucket well to get out all the residual. I have never seen a drain and fill be more than about four quarts, but it is possible. If that is the case, then use two empty containers to measure the old fluid.
You will end up underfilled. Try your procedure on a dipstick equipped automatic and then you'll understand why it results in underfilling.
@@verlaryder Why would it be underfilled doing that?
@@dexterm1285 I don't know
Agree...actually to get more can remove fluid when hot since it expands around 10% in volume then mark the side of container. Then let fluid cool down then mark the level. Replace with same amount you removed wity both fluids same temp and your good to go. You wont be underfilled. Mazda has a dipstick still and will confirm when I do mine that process will work fine.
Nice in theory but terrible in practice over the long haul. Assumes first that what you had initially was correct. Bad assumption. Might work on a brand new car if you trust that they have it correct. The problem gets worse on the subsequents changes for the error builds on each subsequent change.
You comments on the fluid temp are funny. I did an experiment with fluid with 100° temperature change and there was no discernible difference in volume. Maybe a very slight difference. There’s no way you’re going to notice any difference in volume between your house temperature and the outdoor temperature. That’s for sure. All this fluid expands stuff is more about the internal parts of the transmission expanding and causing the volume variations rather than the fluid expanding.
Aside from one of the plugs being in the wheel well (odd place for that really), it is very similar to changing the fluid in my Passat. The key difference is that VW was nice enough to leave a fill plug in a place not too weird like in the wheel well. I noticed that Japanese vehicles often have oil filters in the wheel well too or in some cases under a manifold. I don't know why they make them so hard to work on in such a way.
I find having it the wheel well is very convenient. I much prefer that to having to be up under the vehicle. Much easier and safer to support one corner of the car and to take off a tire and torque it back on than to lift the whole front end to slide under. The problem is most people try to get by just turning the wheel to the side than taking it off!
So we will take it to the $200/hr shop. Also, install an accessible spin on engine and transmission oil filter. How ridiculous.
@@Luckingsworth taking the wheel off is totally unnecessary for this work. I do this quite often and never take the wheel off
@@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity do it yourself and you won’t have to complain
Good video
I thought that you need fill in 2 3/4 qr fluid and likely it will drain 1/4 qr out at temp 104F. So over all a change/refill will net 2 1/2 qr replaced. But this video, I saw a lot come out after only 2 1/4 qr refill. Great video but fluid amount need reconfirmation from the author. Thanks.
Draining in a Highlander will get about 62-64 ounces or roughly just under 2 quarts.
when you change filter ,i added 3.2 liter
I drain out what comes out with out the straw when its leveled and cold. About 2-2.5 qrts and refill
it with the exact amount. use Redline D6 not WS. Never had a problem.
Sounds easy and intuitive, but will often result in an underfilled transmission. Try it on a dipstick equipped transmission and you may see what I mean.
socalltd - should be ok if your baseline quantity was correct in the first place. Don't do it relative to the last drain for small errors could build up every time. I knew mine was (or was confident) because I baselined it on the new car first time drain quantity from the dealer.
Socalltd did the same thing yesterday on our rav4 around 2 litres came out measured it out and put the same amount back in as usual never had a problem yet.
What is capacity of transmission fluid. Is 2 qrts enough to get it clean? Do you do this process 2 or 3 times within a week?
Drained 2.5 L from a cold 2013 Camry when it had 10k and added (WS) the same back. The fluid that came out was only a little red. Much darker than my 2001 Camry. Completed this with out any problems four times and car shifts like new. Have 30k on it now and will repeat again soon. 2.5L is consistently the amount I drain and fill. No problems to speak of. I wish Toyota provided a dip stick.
Wow! Great video on how to perform this job. You just saved me $350 from letting Toyota do this. I think that is ridiculous.
A Toyota dealer has never touched my 2 Toyotas since I bought them.
A dipstick measures the fluid color and the refill volume in cold, stopped condition.
A straw measures the fluid color and the refill volume in warm, idle condition subject to PRND traversal and overflow dripping.
Therefore, the straw is comparable to a dipstick.
Transmission dipsticks have markings for cold *and* warm measurements - but they're getting too long and convoluted to be practical...
Most cars ATF is measured when running and hot not cold and stopped. Neither measures the fluid ‘color’. Yeh the dipstick is telling me the color is off. Color is not a good indicator of how how bad an oil is unless it’s really bad. ATF color will be darker at 15K than new doesn’t mean it needs changing.
Yes the straw is equivalent to the dipstick
That temperature gauge is not measuring fluid temp; it is measuring the temp of the outside pan. Would respectfully suggest using scan tool that can talk to TCM and read fluid temperature directly. Thanks!
Thermo Gun readings are within 1-2 degrees F of techstream and scangauge readings which is accurate enough. Example: If oil pan drain plug is removed when Thermo Gun says pan fluid temp is 104 degrees, the actual fluid temp via the techstream and scangauge methods will be 105-106 and the factory manual says fluid level should be checked at between 104-113 degrees (V6 engine) or 95-113 degrees (4 cylinder engine) imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7550/OM1o4Q.jpg
Have to agree with using an IF gun. I have a ScanGauge and a iPhone app. My IF gun is consistently 2 to 3° below those readings while in the range needed. This is within a 2 inch circular area near the drain plug. I did it last weekend comparing the two and it was never 2 to 3° difference lower.
Thanks Velaryder!
I just did it this past weekend at 37,000 miles on a 15’ Avalon I just bought. Oil was very dirty so the previous owner hadn’t done the maintenance yet.
My question is, how many times should I do this since it only removes 2.5 quarts of the 7 quarts each time? Or is there an alternate way to flush everything at once?
3 consecutive drains and refills is what the factory instructions advise.
Wow! Now u got me curious . Have 2015 Avalon (U660E) and 67k miles. Stealorship says change at 100k + miles. Going to be interesting to see what our ATF looks like. Also- what’s torque specs for Drain & Fill plugs? Thanks!
@@2005Pilot modestly more than hand tight. ua-cam.com/video/br39VglQakA/v-deo.html
Thank you so much i need to know now to do that.
We've been Fudge! I'm not going to buy a car without an oil and transmission dip stick.
Okay-Ba-Okay
I guess you won’t be buying a car ever again. No dipsticks sucks
Make sure the car is running when you check the level. The fluid collects in the pan when the car is not running.
So you added 2 quarts (plus 4 ounces). I presume is you drained out 2 quarts at 100 degrees you would have to add the extra 4 ounces because the fluid you added was cold and this would make up for the fact the 2 quarts drained out was at 100 degrees and had expanded?
I find it crazy that the trans fluid is low @ 34k mi. Or that you need to replace that soon.
You don’t need to replace it at 34,000 or 30,000 excessive use is at 60,000. You can go a little bit further than that but then you would be pushing it mines at 86,000 and I’m about to do the same thing I’ve seen people push it to almost 100,000 which is insane, that is way too long and you will destroy your transmission. The fluid in there is just like oil for your motor. It has to be changed at a certain time.
little piggy lives in that car
Sheer stupidity on Toyotas part for removing a peace of mind element from this car.
Best video ever!
But you missed to replace the gascut with a new one.
I noticed that you put some extra magnets to the pan. Are they for catching extra metal debris? What a smart idea 👍
I was just curious to see if they might catch extra metal debris, but I havn't ever removed the pan yet to check.
when it doesn't drip it doesn't mean its low it actually means its full. when it heats up it over flows and spill because the atf expands with heat when refilling your atf you fill until a stream at that temperature until it slows to a drip then reseal.
If you check within the proper temp range and it doesn’t drip (nothing comes out) it absolutely means it’s low/ under filled. A steady drip means it’s at the correct level.
@@luptonpittman6520 yes this is true but you dont check the temp on cool down you check it on heat up. also there should be no reason for it to be missing any oil unless it has a leak but the bottom of this looks clean.
Roel Lopez not sure of your point. Is there something I said you disagree with?
@@luptonpittman6520 no other than it doesnt have to drip if the engine is on cool down it wont drip even if full you have to check when on heat up.
See I seen others say the trickle should be much less at the end so per them you might be overfilled. So stupid not having a dipstick. Good video I'm just doing a drain in replace on cool engine.
Great video
there are a fews step he when wrong with this , #1 is he forgot to use gloves, #2 he drank diet coke. lol
Frank. T yes, high fructose corn syrup. That’s why some people here buy coke that is bottled in Mexico. It contains real cane sugar.
@Frank. T yes it's true and it's real sugar coke tastes so much better but it's hard to come by in the states. I've written Coca-Cola about it a few times but I think they want us to be consuming corn syrup.
That was funny! At first I was like "hows was any of this wrong?" Then I read on and laughed out loud. People started looking at me because I was in the doctor's!🤣😂🤣
@Frank. T All the Mexican coke bottles I've seen use sugar - no HFCS. At least that's what the label says.
@@ricodeguzman5338 Me too. I don't drink HFCS pop.
That is a partial Transmission flush. The correct way to flush it out completely would be to get about 2-3 gallons of Toyota Trans fluid and go under the car and disconnect the trans fluid return line from the oil cooler and connect a hose from the cooler to a drain bucket and connect a electric oil pump to the hose you disconnected, start the car while the wheels are off the ground and put it in drive. While it is running you turn on the oil pump and feed fresh fluid into it until the fluid coming out changes to the color of the new fluid. Then you reconnect everything and check the fluid level and drain any extra or add fluid as needed.
I totally agreed. At 160K miles, I also cleaned the oil pan and change the oil filter, the oil pan is so dirty lucky I take the extra time and effort to do it.
Drain it into a measured container put back in same amount if there were no leaks its correct
Looks like you over filled it. That was not a steady drop but a steady stream coming out after you filled it
It was a stream but not a steady one; there is some margin for error, but other videos I've seen recommend reinserting the drain plug about then - and there may be some gurgling when it changes from a steady stream.
Hi Verlaryder, How come you heated up the fluid first to 104-113, and added fluid to make it level, and THEN drained it all out? Couldn't you have just drained it while cold, measured what you took out (which is a bit less than 2qts when I did it on my 2013 Venza), add the 2qt 4oz, heated up the transmission to 104-113, and then check the level, letting excess dribble out until level?
First half of the video is learning the procedure of how to check and adjust the fluid level which requires heating the fluid to 104-113 (V6) or 95-113 (4 cyl). Second half is learning the procedure for draining and refilling. The owner who first masters the first half of the video will then not have to worry about the temp of the fluid when they drain; e.g. they could drain the fluid cold or when scalding hot because they would still know how to get the fluid level correct after refilling.
@@verlaryder Thanks! Your video was very helpful. Thanks for sharing and for the explanation.
@@verlaryder Hi. Was there a lot of temperature difference between the infrared thermometer and stick thermometer? I guess there could be about 4-5 celcius difference? Thanks
Excellent video and thorough coverage of the process! Congratulations. One of the better YT videos on the subject. Have you ever bothered changing the filter as well? My vehicle has 92k mi, still with the factory fluid. Wish I'd found this a while back during warmer weather - may have to wait until Spring.
I'm generally confused on this for two reasons:
1) User dair805 asked if he could just measure the amount of fluid taken out and then just put the exact same amount back in. You replied it wouldn't work, as you would be underfilled. How? *Assuming* you were at the proper fill level from the beginning, putting back in what was taken out will leave you exactly where you should be. No loss, no gain on fluid.
2) The 2014 Scion tC has the same transmission, but when replacing my engine last month, I had to drain my transmission to transfer it to the new engine. I did not have an overfill "straw". I measured precisely 3.1 quarts that came out. I added 3.1 quarts back into the transmission and it runs/drives perfectly. Car was off/cold both times.
I'd love some explanation on this, as I don't want to replace the transmission due to under/overfill.
Measuring the amount drained and refilling with the same doesn't work for a dipstick equipped toyota automatic transmission either. Results in underfilling
verlaryder but what about a sealed / dipstickless transmission? Drained and filled while cold.
Drain and fill the exact amount will work fine as a one off assuming the correct fill in the first place. As an ongoing practice it would be ill advised. The error would continue to build on each subsequent change. Just do it correctly in the first place it’s not that hard. Measure the fluids every time just so you have an idea of what happens in general is always a good case for any fluid changes in cars
@@condor5635 Well I've been driving the car for almost 3 years now, and have 30,000 miles on it with no issues. So I guess cold drain/fill will work.
@@minter66 - again it will work but I would base it on the amount drained when you know that it’s correct not what came out on the most recent drain. There’s a difference but glad that it’s working great for you
Thanks!
he was right about leveling the car but the way to measure accurate fluid temperature make me uncomfortable
Short out 4 and 13 with jumper is the accurate way or the techstream
The best detailed video and not a single word, steady cam view. The way I like videos. Let me ask you if I may, my 2013 Camry is passed the 60k first A/T oil change, in fact I have never changed it, Toyota wanted to charge me $250 for it, no I am at 140k miles, what I want to do is add oil, so my question is do I need to worry about unscrewing and pulling that straw out or simply add until steady trickle? Or how much should I add?
Just do a complete drain and fill. Better yet remove the return line from the cooler and pump out a quarter or two by turning the car on. Turn off the car. Replace the same amount and repeat several times until clear. This is really very easy and straightforward and will basically change out your entire ATF system
@@condor5635 I guess what I wanted to also ask is, if it's safe to change all the oil at this stage of 140,000 miles?
@@Titanykus being that you said you replaced it at 60 or 70,000 miles I believe I would think you’re fine with doing it. I wouldn’t worry
Judging by the looks of the fluid upon drain. There was no need for the change. If the fluid looks red and no burnt smell leave it alone.
Was a demonstration of the procedure. You will find the factory fill fluid is already pretty brownish at 30,000 miles.
I own a 2012 Camry SE and it currently has 119k miles. Should I drop the pan also and change the filter inside the trans? And also great video!
This dealership mastertech says filter changes and pan cleanings are not needed. Certainly not a priority compared to changing the fluid: ua-cam.com/video/eRxSu4-4ojo/v-deo.html
With 119,000 miles I would recommend taking the pan down and cleaning the magnets. If you have done regular maintenance changing the fluid then the screen replacement is really not necessary. But cleaning the magnets would be helpful and it’s not that hard to do. I did my Highlander last week and I left the filter screen alone but it was very clean. I did clean the magnets. It has 90,000 miles on it
For anyone thinking they can use a laser reader, this is not accurate enough. Just buy the darn scan tool that reads trans temp #1 from the ECU. If you go to the trouble of leveling the car one would think you would get an accurate temperature reading.
If the outside temp is between 60-80 degrees F a $20 laser reader gives a reading only 2 degrees less than a $200 scan tool so it is accurate enough. Thousands of owners who own both tools have verified this.
To get the car level for accurate fluid level check, I’m assuming you put the rear on Jack stands to match the Rhino Ramps?
yes, but I didn't in the video because my driveway faces downhill. Here's an updated way to check/adjust the fluid level in the morning from a cold start using the car's coolant temperature gauge. imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9966/nXghb4.jpg
I am confused. Why do you drain out the new fluid at the end? Dosen't that mean that then your car won't have any fluid?
It's a procedure demonstration video. Title of the video is "Fluid level check + pan drain & refill." Two different procedures. It's important to master the fluid level check procedure before doing the pan drain & refill procedure..
I have a Toyota Camry 2012 the transmission range sensor not working good need to replace but I have 275 .000 miles you think is save to open the transmission and replace the transmission range sensor. Or just live it alone.
Dunno
verlaryder what
verlaryder what should I do..??
I just didn't get that why you put exactly 2 qrts of oil + 4 ounces. It is supposed to lose the exact amount of oil after drainage?
doesn't have to be exact. Could be 4-16 ounces. But at least 4.
Thanks, wow that's messy! Probably saves $300 tough. Did you know that driving with low tire pressure puts more stress on your transmission?
Isn't that common sense? Driving with high pressure also eases the strain on the transmission. Both of which are bad for the tires.
Good shit my boi
Just bought a 2011 Camry with 140k miles. Should I change the fluid or leave it? Transmission has never been touched before. It runs fine now and shifts fine for the mileage.
Drain and refill the pan 3 times in a row to get 60-70% of the old fluid out. I've never heard of AISIN transmissions failing after pan drains and refills and I've done it on some 35 year old Toyotas.
Excellent! 👍
Thank you for the video. Despite no sound you did a thorough job. I see that you do not answer your viewer comments so I guess this is rhetorical but it would be nice if you state where you get the instructions from. Some of your steps are not the same as other videos and some seems strange. Like why would you need to heat up the oil before you drain it -you can get out a lot more fluid from a cold transmission pan than a warm one that has moved the fluid to the transmission. Other videos said to turn the car off when checking the fluid level. A running transmission will have a lot less fluid in the pan than if it were off. The difference in fluid levels caused by a wrong practice could cause serious problems. I'm not saying your method is wrong, we just need to know where it came from to know if it is right. (Also your temperature was already above your maximum according to the temp probe when you removed it)
My info come from Toyota service literature. I substituted an infrared thermometer for the techstream because some owners who have compared fluid temperature readings using both methods say they are the same and the infrared thermometer is alot simpler to use. Fluid levels in ALL Toyotas - young or old - are checked with the idling at a warm engine RPM.
@@verlaryder Thank you. That is great to know about the infrared thermometer. I think though that this video combines the Toyota literature steps of how to simply check the fluid level with actually how to change the fluid level. Seems crazy to add fluid to get it to the correct level and then drain it out again with the drain and fill. Why would we need to go through the steps of heating the car up, shifting, adding new fluid to bring up to the correct fluid level only to then drain it right back out? I think those initial steps are only if you want to check the level. If you know you are going to drain it then just drain it and then go through the steps you showed after draining it.
hey thanks for the vid...I drained everything cold and measured it and put same amount back in.....but i wanted to check level. my issue was getting an accurate reading of the trans temp. using the heat gun.....there were different temperatures at different areas of the trans pan. . You just used the side of the pan for your reading? I never felt like i was getting an accurate reading that i could trust. i dont have a probe temp checker... ...so when i was draining a lot came out and i got scared like i was draining to much so i put the plug back in. seems to shifting ok...but now im acutely aware of every shift and its driving me crazy....getting an accurate trans temp measurement is my issue???
Go to the 14:20 mark in this video (author of the video is a trained Toyota technician). It shows the temp gun reads only about 2 degrees low as compared to the techstream temperature measuring method if shined on the bottom of the oil pan . No biggie. I tended to get higher readings with the gun shined on the sides of the pan so I used the side reading. ua-cam.com/video/ej_6BZpK3gg/v-deo.html
Very clear? I didn't see how ATF level is checked at the end. Why?
The first 3:25 minutes of the video shows how to check the fluid level. Use that procedure after draining and refilling.
Changing your transmission fluid at 34,ooo miles? So I'm way over due
30,000 miles is way to early in my opinion, the fluid was a nice red/pink color it did not need to be changed
@@MrJimmy3459 Probably 30K miles of city driving
MrJimmy3459 also depends on what those miles reflect. City or highway driving. If 75% is highway then yes. He could wait a bit longer. But if it’s city and constant stop and go. It seems right to change it around that mileage. I bought. 2016 Camry and it had 15k miles. 4 years of local city driving I could/would assume. Changed the trans oil and it was brown. But owner may have done this for education purposes.
wouldn't you think that if the car is sitting on asphalt in normal conditions and the transmission is not level, why would you want to level it to fill it when it's not in a daily driving position? Just wondering!
car in the video was parked on a downhill facing driveway so the front end had to be elevated a bit to make it level.
My TIS subscription has expired so I can't check for this model/yr, but many Toyota's that have no dipstick are put into "temp check mode" by jumpering pins 4 & 13 in the OBD port; then shifting between N & D x number of times in x number of secs.
That's correct. It's put into "fluid temperature detection mode", then "engine idle speed control mode" so it's around 800 rpm, then the level is checked. The procedure in the video, although not as accurate as Techstream, will likely suffice if done carefully. I don't use this method but, if I were to use it, I would want to know more precisely the temp of the fluid itself and the rpm, both of which are possible with little expense.
Hello, thank you for this video! My Toyota Camry has now 32000 км and it has u761e transmission. May I ask you when it is time to change the transmission oil? Did you mention that in this Totota it is 49000 miles or km? Thank you.
50,000 km or 30,000 miles: imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/3231/lpuyXP.jpg
Nice Video , my car is Lexus ES350 2015 , its done 70K KM , when should I change the transmission fluid?
my '15 at 30k miles was discolored when you look at the drain pan, it has to be changed early in my opinion; that gets out the early wear (clutch matl and assy plant contamination if any )
Thanks for sharing. Scangauge2 works great as I shared on my video and give you all sorts of other capabilities with codes etc. I sure would not put rare earth magnets on the outside of my pan like you did. What purpose would that serve other than to hold metal shavings until someone removes them accidentally and then you have a larger more dangerous mass of metal shavings in the fluid floating around. There are already magnets in the pan so having 3-4 others on the outside that you cannot control getting the shavings is scary. Some mechanic would inevitably remove them probably. Just some thoughts. Thanks
I do all the maintenance on the car so I don't have to worry about anyone else removing the magnets from the outside of the pan. Owners who are worried about that possibility could simply epoxy the magnets to the pan to prevent removal.
Would it be the end of the world if you left the extra trans fluid in? Would it ruin the transmission?
Danz Garage depends how much? All fluids should be close to exact. But If it’s half a quart over. It’s fine. 1 full quart... might want to drain some out.
I'm not sure why so much fluid came out at the end. Did he over fill it that much? How? He followed the fluid amount guideline when filling the transmission, right? I could imagine a little dribble coming out for a few seconds but that was a lot of fluid. Why so much?
Inside the pan is a green plastic straw like tube. You let excess fluid drain from the straw to a fast dribble. That way the fluid level is set correctly regardless of how much excess fluid the owner refills the transmission with after draining. picture of the green straw (U760E transmission, U660E has a red straw) www.rav4world.com/threads/rav-4-4-4-transmission-fluid-change.249161/page-3#lg=thread-249161&slide=1
So no need to pull the pan, change the seal and filter?
Great video. Hi. Was there a lot of temperature difference between the infrared thermometer and stick thermometer? I guess there could be about 4-5 celcius difference? Thanks
I don't think you let the fluid get hot before draining it. You have to measure how much comes out so you know how much you put in. The measurement will be different because you taking out hot fluid and putting in cold fluid.
Very practical way of doing things. Okay, then let the oil cool down to measure it.
You won’t notice any measurable difference between hot fluid and cold fluid. Believe me I’ve tested this. Try yourself if you don’t believe me. The whole fluid expanding commentary is more around the transmission internal parts expanding and contracting when warm which is where most of the volume variations comes into play
Nice video...Thanks. once question though, why don't you drain all the atf fluid when you re-installed the drain plug ( last part).
I think the last part is for the inside to level out as the fluid could be overfilled, it flows through the second bolt that uses an allen bit. I could be wrong though but I am pretty sure that's what happened.
@@TaijiArban That's correct, although Toyota does say to continue until it just drips.
@@geecrawdad yeah, I just did mine on a cold engine and put in the exact amount I got out. (2012 Camry)