Thanks for the tips. My MR2 had stopped shifting. With your video, I was able to find the fluid reservoir. It was very low on fluid. I was able to suck out most of the old fluid. I've replaced it with new, and my MR2 is back on the road. A simple enough fix, that probably saved me several hundred dollars' worth of unnecessary expense.
Thanks Paul, great detailed video. I used 1 litre of Comma DOT4 and flushed mine through 3 times (using door and gears). One point; mine is a UK 2002 PFL and doesn't have the vacuum hose's on the airbox.
Just to let people know if your SMT accumulator ever fails then don't buy one from Toyota as they are big money!...Porsche use the same ones for their brakes and you can pic them up for around £120 secondhand. Also the SMT is an easy thing to work on no matter what people say about the setup.
Thanks so much for this video, Paul. I have a 2000 version that is run maybe 4 times a year and required its last service in 2012(!), even though it hasn't reached the kilometers yet. It's kept garaged and covered, but the SMT pump has been running more than usual the last time I drove it (3 months ago) as though its level was fluid low. When started recently the SMT warning light came on and it refused to shift after reversing it out of the garage, although I managed to get it back in again. Thankfully your video gives me a good idea of what I need to do now. I didn't realize Toyota doesn't service this component, and ironically, I was taking it to its rather overdue service! Is there anything else you recommend I check after I sort this before I drive it to a service? I don't want to ruin it any further! Thanks again for your video. Best wishes from Australia.
Don't let the repair shop pour any crap into your reservoir. Any oil based fluids will destroy the system. Only brake fluid, or the magic Toyota SMT fluid goes in the reservoir. For maintenance, it would be best to suck the contents out, refill, run the pump, repeat. Two or three repetitions should be plenty to cycle clean fluid through the system. It's probably a good thing to flush the system every few years, just like your brake system. The toyota fluid is expensive. Or you can use DOT3 brake fluid. I mix in some Castor Oil for lubrication (which matches the magic Toyota fluid). If you do the same, mix 8% Castor Oil (from the pharmacy), with 92% DOT3 brake fluid. Do NOT use Castrol Motor oil !!! Also avoid Ravenol fluids. Those clowns published one of their products was a compatible substitute for the SMT system. It was not. It destroyed my entire SMT system. They declined to send me any recompense for my ruined car. They never even apologized. Their fluid is a hydraulic oil which caused the seals to all swell.
Yeah the owners manual says SMT fluid only and really it's not that expensive if you consider how much the SMT system would be . Also the transmission has transmission fluid in a to right ?
Hi Paul good video I got one question.. my 2002 mr2 sequential transmission played up twices on me.. the neutral light was flashings and it wont go in gear.or reverse.. so i turned the car off and turned it back than transmission worked fine Would be great if you know what the problem is Thanks for advance
Flashing green light means there’s a mismatch between the gear you request, and the gear that’s engaged. Mine does that when I start the car in the morning. If I quickly shift into 1 or R it will flash. If I wait for pressure to build, then shift into gear, if will work properly. So I’d say your problem is low system pressure. If it only does this when it’s cold (first start) I wouldn’t worry. If it does this at other times it may be your accumulator is going bad. You can buy a Porsche brake system accumulator that will work well. About $120. My first recommendation however is to Change the SMT fluid! It never gets changed. Toyota does not even list any change interval for it! It is brake fluid and it gets contaminated with moisture over time. Frequently, clean fluid will solve problems with the system. Use the expensive Toyota SMT fluid ($130. /qt) or just straight DOT 3 fluid. With DOT 3 brake fluid, it’s best to add a little castor oil (NOT CASTROL MOTOR OIL!!!) to the brake fluid. Mix 8% castor oil with 92% brake fluid.
I don’t know if this will help you but when I was driving my MR2 and it went out of gear into neutral flashing & wouldn’t go into gear for me. My mechanic told me it was my transmission module control box overheating. It’s behind the driver seat behind the storage plastic and I ordered my replacement part online at store.allcomputerresources.com/ They charged around $200 & even programmed to my vin number. Toyota shop wanted to charger me $400 without the promise of it working.
Hello Thanks for the video To flush the system do I just have the ignition on enough to engage the pump? Then go through to gears a few times each cycle?
I was driving one day and my 2002 MR2 Spyder was in 2nd gear when I heard a bit of a grind noise my vehicle stalled and displayed itself in "N". I manually moved the shift lever from "S" to "N" and now it doesn't engage in gear, "N" light is buzzing and flashing when engaging in "S", breaks seem locked. Considering changing the SMT fluid. How many quarts do I need? Toyota disclosed 2 quarts I'm seeing 1 quart is necessary. By any chance do you know exactly how many quarts I need to put in the Reservoir?
Hello sir , I really apreciate your video and I'm subscribed to you. Do you have a tutorial on how to mix the brake fluid & castor oil? Any brands? thank you 😊
Mix ratio is pretty simple. I use a graduated liquor cup. 8 ounces of castor oil (not castrol motor oil!), added to every 100 ounces of brake fluid. Or cc’s, or cups or gallons... your choice. It’s just a ratio. I use the cheapest DOT3 I can find. Usually Walmart stuff like prestone brand, or Walmart store brand. Shake it up and maybe let the bubbles float to the surface for a little while before pouring it into the reservoir.
Sorry I didn’t see your question earlier. UA-cam comments don’t show up for me. The system is seeing a “fatal mismatch” between the gear you select and the gear that’s engaged. Maybe a bad switch in the console shifter, or a bad position sensor on the GSA. Can you join Facebook MR2 Spyder SMT group? Lots of helpful guys there.
So when you've flushed the fluid you want to leave it at the 'lower' mark on the reservoir? And overnight the actuator should bleed into the reservoir to the 'full' mark?
Top up the reservoir to the full range in the morning (after the accumulator has discharged). If you overfill, it’s not a big problem. The excess will push out of the vent hole and leak into the floor. I suppose you could do a test to determine how much fluid the accumulator holds by checking the fluid level with the accumulator empty vs full. I’ve never done that.
Lately I’m thinking it is better to omit the castor oil. I see some yellow deposits in the SMT system that I suspect are due to the additive. Based on many other people using pure brake fluid, I plan to do the same in my spyders.
I’m not the best troubleshooter unfortunately. What happens when you select neutral? Does the engine shut off? Does it beep? How do you get it out of neutral? Have you read codes using techstream software? Facebook SMT group has a “gts procedure” posted where you can download the latest version of techstream for free. Just buy a J2534 OBD cable on Amazon for $20.
Hi Randall, it’s best to run techstream diagnostic software yourself to test the components. I built s simple “test tool” but I merely cycles the solenoids to full stroke. So it’s not a full test of functionality. Fee free to contact me on spyderchat.com, Facebook, Mr2-spyder.com, or email.
To perform relearn of the SMT system, you need a copy of techstream software on your laptop. Email me and I will send you instructions. Cyclehead21 at gee mail dot comm
The SMT system uses brake fluid. You can use DOT3 or DOT4. I add a small amount of castor oil (NOT castrol motor oil!) for lubrication. You can add 8% castor oil if you like.
Use genuine Toyota SMT fluid only. read your owners manual spend the extra money and get the right stuff so you don't destroy your system costing you thousands of dollars
This comment is simply false. If you ever choose to work on your car, You can remove the HPU or GSA. Look at the parts and you will find four black stickers on the solenoids. They say “brake fluid”. These stickers were applied by LUK, who manufactured the entire GSA system for Toyota. Please don’t spread false information, it’s not helpful.
@@paulshibbs so the Toyota manual is false hahahah because this is what it said but yes Toyota could be lying and mmmm wait there is no listings for the aftermarket oil's only for the transaxle
@@SiameseFighter37 Toyota only wants YOUR money dude. Of course they want you to buy their shit and take it to them just to change an air filter which you can clean yourself with compressed air. If they could market “Toyota brand air” trust me, they would recommended that;)
This is where you put the Toyota SMT fluid I heard you say brake fluid don't do this your destroy the system it says this in the owners manual I work in a auto parts store for over 10 years now don't believe everything you see on UA-cam just bought SMT fluid from Toyota today $107 for 1 litre trade price I know it's expensive but least for sure it's right
I’ve never worked in an auto parts store, but I have sold over 100 SMT rebuild kits containing all the repair seals for the entire system. I reverse engineered the seals and I have them custom manufactured for me. I have personally “rescued” six Toyota SMT cars (where the SMT system was nonfunctional). I personally rebuilt each system and filled them with brake fluid and castor oil mix (NOT CASTROL MOTOR OIL!!!). The oldest rescue is my personal car I have been driving daily for 6 years now. I had one owner ship her car to me from Texas. I repaired the SMT system and shipped it back to her. Know why she shipped it half way across the USA? Because the Toyota dealer could not figure out how to repair! As you astutely comment - don’t believe everything that somebody on UA-cam says. Especially if the author has no experience with the subject matter! There are many armchair experts out there so you are right to be wary. Well said.
@@paulshibbs ok I agree if you have rebuilt with seals that can handle it or yes adding castor oil that would be a mix that can work then I was saying using only brake fluid and I talk to Toyota parts guy about it and I do own a MR2 Spyder that I am fixing up bought it cheap as a project car . And I previously owned an SW20 MR2 I do all my own mechanical work unless I need a hoist then I go to my best friends Mechanic shop and help him out and use his hoist . And yes the is no aftermarket SMT fluid . And that's excellent that you can rebuild them .
@@paulshibbs also I have a question for you my car as a delay when you take off and the shifting is not the best . I'm leaning towards the clutch is on the way out. And I only just changed the SMT fluid and transaxle oil with 75w90 penrite semi synthetic.
Regarding commercial aftermarket SMT fluid, there was one company that offered equivalent fluid. Ravenol company said they had a fluid that was equivalent. I bought it and filled my daughter SMT system with it. I man two weeks the system was destroyed. Every seal was swollen and split. I petitioned Ravenol to remove their incorrect product (which was hydraulic oil!!!). They removed their equivalent listing, and declined to pay me or any SMT owners one red cent for their horrible mistake.
I have personally tested factory seals in brake fluid, hydraulic oil, Toyota Magic SMT oil and Ravenol trash oil. Both my repair seals and the Toyota factory seals behave the same. They work perfectly in brake fluid, and they explode in hydraulic oil (or motor oil, or gear lube). There is nothing special about the seals I sell. They are made from EPDM material, same as the material used by LUK when the system was new.
Thanks for the tips. My MR2 had stopped shifting. With your video, I was able to find the fluid reservoir. It was very low on fluid. I was able to suck out most of the old fluid. I've replaced it with new, and my MR2 is back on the road. A simple enough fix, that probably saved me several hundred dollars' worth of unnecessary expense.
Nice! I’m glad it helped keep you going. Repeat every 2-3 years or so. Fresh fluid is the best maintenance for the system.
Highly informative, thank you!
Thanks Paul, great detailed video. I used 1 litre of Comma DOT4 and flushed mine through 3 times (using door and gears). One point; mine is a UK 2002 PFL and doesn't have the vacuum hose's on the airbox.
Thank you for your video and now I can access it and top up the transmission oil.
PLEASE don’t say “oil”!!! The SMT reservoir only uses brake fluid. If you pour any oil in there you will destroy the entire SMT system! Seriously!
Just to let people know if your SMT accumulator ever fails then don't buy one from Toyota as they are big money!...Porsche use the same ones for their brakes and you can pic them up for around £120 secondhand. Also the SMT is an easy thing to work on no matter what people say about the setup.
Excellent tip! Use 1995-2012 Porsche 911 Turbo accumulator. Porsche part number 997-314-166-00.
definitive answer
Nice tutorial
Thanks so much for this video, Paul. I have a 2000 version that is run maybe 4 times a year and required its last service in 2012(!), even though it hasn't reached the kilometers yet. It's kept garaged and covered, but the SMT pump has been running more than usual the last time I drove it (3 months ago) as though its level was fluid low. When started recently the SMT warning light came on and it refused to shift after reversing it out of the garage, although I managed to get it back in again. Thankfully your video gives me a good idea of what I need to do now. I didn't realize Toyota doesn't service this component, and ironically, I was taking it to its rather overdue service! Is there anything else you recommend I check after I sort this before I drive it to a service? I don't want to ruin it any further! Thanks again for your video. Best wishes from Australia.
Don't let the repair shop pour any crap into your reservoir. Any oil based fluids will destroy the system. Only brake fluid, or the magic Toyota SMT fluid goes in the reservoir. For maintenance, it would be best to suck the contents out, refill, run the pump, repeat. Two or three repetitions should be plenty to cycle clean fluid through the system. It's probably a good thing to flush the system every few years, just like your brake system. The toyota fluid is expensive. Or you can use DOT3 brake fluid. I mix in some Castor Oil for lubrication (which matches the magic Toyota fluid). If you do the same, mix 8% Castor Oil (from the pharmacy), with 92% DOT3 brake fluid. Do NOT use Castrol Motor oil !!! Also avoid Ravenol fluids. Those clowns published one of their products was a compatible substitute for the SMT system. It was not. It destroyed my entire SMT system. They declined to send me any recompense for my ruined car. They never even apologized. Their fluid is a hydraulic oil which caused the seals to all swell.
@@paulhibbs7907 Thanks again for your help and advice. Much appreciated.
Yeah the owners manual says SMT fluid only and really it's not that expensive if you consider how much the SMT system would be . Also the transmission has transmission fluid in a to right ?
Hi Paul good video
I got one question.. my 2002 mr2 sequential transmission played up twices on me.. the neutral light was flashings and it wont go in gear.or reverse.. so i turned the car off and turned it back than transmission worked fine
Would be great if you know what the problem is
Thanks for advance
Flashing green light means there’s a mismatch between the gear you request, and the gear that’s engaged. Mine does that when I start the car in the morning. If I quickly shift into 1 or R it will flash. If I wait for pressure to build, then shift into gear, if will work properly. So I’d say your problem is low system pressure. If it only does this when it’s cold (first start) I wouldn’t worry. If it does this at other times it may be your accumulator is going bad. You can buy a Porsche brake system accumulator that will work well. About $120. My first recommendation however is to
Change the SMT fluid! It never gets changed. Toyota does not even list any change interval for it! It is brake fluid and it gets contaminated with moisture over time. Frequently, clean fluid will solve problems with the system. Use the expensive Toyota SMT fluid ($130. /qt) or just straight DOT 3 fluid. With DOT 3 brake fluid, it’s best to add a little castor oil (NOT CASTROL MOTOR OIL!!!) to the brake fluid. Mix 8% castor oil with 92% brake fluid.
Took mine to a specialty shop and mine was the transmission module control box.
I don’t know if this will help you but when I was driving my MR2 and it went out of gear into neutral flashing & wouldn’t go into gear for me. My mechanic told me it was my transmission module control box overheating. It’s behind the driver seat behind the storage plastic and I ordered my replacement part online at store.allcomputerresources.com/
They charged around $200 & even programmed to my vin number. Toyota shop wanted to charger me $400 without the promise of it working.
@@heathero6884 May I ask what state you reside? I can’t find a MR2 shop in Albuquerque, NM…
Hello
Thanks for the video
To flush the system do I just have the ignition on enough to engage the pump? Then go through to gears a few times each cycle?
I always open the door to run the pump. However you’re correct, shifting gears will stroke the actuators and help cycle new fluid through the system.
@@paulshibbs Thanks!
Great video Paul any tips on the SMT leaking and how to fix the seal?
I sell repair seals for the GSA and HPU. I have overhaul instructions for free. Send me your email address.
I’m at cyclehead21 at g mail
Dot com.
I was driving one day and my 2002 MR2 Spyder was in 2nd gear when I heard a bit of a grind noise my vehicle stalled and displayed itself in "N". I manually moved the shift lever from "S" to "N" and now it doesn't engage in gear, "N" light is buzzing and flashing when engaging in "S", breaks seem locked. Considering changing the SMT fluid. How many quarts do I need? Toyota disclosed 2 quarts I'm seeing 1 quart is necessary. By any chance do you know exactly how many quarts I need to put in the Reservoir?
The reservoir can be filled about three times with one liter of fluid. I wouldn’t waste money on the Toyota fluid.
Hello sir , I really apreciate your video and I'm subscribed to you. Do you have a tutorial on how to mix the brake fluid & castor oil? Any brands? thank you 😊
Mix ratio is pretty simple. I use a graduated liquor cup. 8 ounces of castor oil (not castrol motor oil!), added to every 100 ounces of brake fluid. Or cc’s, or cups or gallons... your choice. It’s just a ratio. I use the cheapest DOT3 I can find. Usually Walmart stuff like prestone brand, or Walmart store brand. Shake it up and maybe let the bubbles float to the surface for a little while before pouring it into the reservoir.
Hi Paul,
New rookie here, my mr2 smt won’t always revers, it shuts off. Any advice?
Sorry I didn’t see your question earlier. UA-cam comments don’t show up for me. The system is seeing a “fatal mismatch” between the gear you select and the gear that’s engaged. Maybe a bad switch in the console shifter, or a bad position sensor on the GSA. Can you join Facebook MR2 Spyder SMT group? Lots of helpful guys there.
So when you've flushed the fluid you want to leave it at the 'lower' mark on the reservoir?
And overnight the actuator should bleed into the reservoir to the 'full' mark?
Top up the reservoir to the full range in the morning (after the accumulator has discharged). If you overfill, it’s not a big problem. The excess will push out of the vent hole and leak into the floor. I suppose you could do a test to determine how much fluid the accumulator holds by checking the fluid level with the accumulator empty vs full. I’ve never done that.
Hi Paul , Mate thanks for this video , wondering if I can use the Brake fluid DOT 3 or DOT 4 without adding Castrol oil ? Cheers
Lately I’m thinking it is better to omit the castor oil. I see some yellow deposits in the SMT system that I suspect are due to the additive. Based on many other people using pure brake fluid, I plan to do the same in my spyders.
Dot 3 or 4? Which is preferred?
@@sicchuckie 4
Hi i have a 2003 mr2 spyder i want to know if the mr2 spyder will work with a 2003 toyota corolla pump
I’ve never heard of the SMT system installed on a Corolla. Are you confusing with the power steering pump?
Funny my MR2 Spyder doesn't have the vacuum hose's on the airbox
hi paul, my mrs wont get back into neutral after shifting into reverse. but gear 1-6 works fine. Any idea whats going on with this?
I’m not the best troubleshooter unfortunately. What happens when you select neutral? Does the engine shut off? Does it beep? How do you get it out of neutral? Have you read codes using techstream software? Facebook SMT group has a “gts procedure” posted where you can download the latest version of techstream for free. Just buy a J2534 OBD cable on Amazon for $20.
I have a GSA id like to get tested. Do you offer that service for a fee? Does anybody else know where I can get that done?
Hi Randall, it’s best to run techstream diagnostic software yourself to test the components. I built s simple “test tool” but I merely cycles the solenoids to full stroke. So it’s not a full test of functionality. Fee free to contact me on spyderchat.com, Facebook, Mr2-spyder.com, or email.
any help about the PERFORM INITIAL LEARNING OF SMT SYSTEM
To perform relearn of the SMT system, you need a copy of techstream software on your laptop. Email me and I will send you instructions. Cyclehead21 at gee mail dot comm
What oil do u use to refill the reserv?
The SMT system uses brake fluid. You can use DOT3 or DOT4. I add a small amount of castor oil (NOT castrol motor oil!) for lubrication. You can add 8% castor oil if you like.
Use genuine Toyota SMT fluid only. read your owners manual spend the extra money and get the right stuff so you don't destroy your system costing you thousands of dollars
This comment is simply false. If you ever choose to work on your car,
You can remove the HPU or GSA. Look at the parts and you will find four black stickers on the solenoids. They say “brake fluid”. These stickers were applied by LUK, who manufactured the entire GSA system for Toyota. Please don’t spread false information, it’s not helpful.
@@paulshibbs so the Toyota manual is false hahahah because this is what it said but yes Toyota could be lying and mmmm wait there is no listings for the aftermarket oil's only for the transaxle
@@SiameseFighter37 Toyota only wants YOUR money dude. Of course they want you to buy their shit and take it to them just to change an air filter which you can clean yourself with compressed air. If they could market “Toyota brand air” trust me, they would recommended that;)
This is where you put the Toyota SMT fluid I heard you say brake fluid don't do this your destroy the system it says this in the owners manual I work in a auto parts store for over 10 years now don't believe everything you see on UA-cam just bought SMT fluid from Toyota today $107 for 1 litre trade price I know it's expensive but least for sure it's right
I’ve never worked in an auto parts store, but I have sold over 100 SMT rebuild kits containing all the repair seals for the entire system. I reverse engineered the seals and I have them custom manufactured for me. I have personally “rescued” six Toyota SMT cars (where
the SMT system was nonfunctional). I personally rebuilt each system and filled them with brake fluid and castor oil mix (NOT CASTROL MOTOR OIL!!!). The oldest rescue is my personal car I have been driving daily for 6 years now. I had one owner ship her car to me from Texas. I repaired the SMT system and shipped it back to her. Know why she shipped it half way across the USA? Because the Toyota dealer could not figure out how to repair! As you astutely comment - don’t believe everything that somebody on UA-cam says. Especially if the author has no experience with the subject matter! There are many armchair experts out there so you are right to be wary. Well said.
@@paulshibbs ok I agree if you have rebuilt with seals that can handle it or yes adding castor oil that would be a mix that can work then I was saying using only brake fluid and I talk to Toyota parts guy about it and I do own a MR2 Spyder that I am fixing up bought it cheap as a project car . And I previously owned an SW20 MR2 I do all my own mechanical work unless I need a hoist then I go to my best friends Mechanic shop and help him out and use his hoist . And yes the is no aftermarket SMT fluid . And that's excellent that you can rebuild them .
@@paulshibbs also I have a question for you my car as a delay when you take off and the shifting is not the best . I'm leaning towards the clutch is on the way out. And I only just changed the SMT fluid and transaxle oil with 75w90 penrite semi synthetic.
Regarding commercial aftermarket SMT fluid, there was one company that offered equivalent fluid. Ravenol company said they had a fluid that was equivalent. I bought it and filled my daughter SMT system with it. I man two weeks the system was destroyed. Every seal was swollen and split. I petitioned Ravenol to remove their incorrect product (which was hydraulic oil!!!). They removed their equivalent listing, and declined to pay me or any SMT owners one red cent for their horrible mistake.
I have personally tested factory seals in brake fluid, hydraulic oil,
Toyota Magic SMT oil and Ravenol trash oil. Both my repair seals and the Toyota factory seals behave the same. They work perfectly in brake fluid, and they explode in hydraulic oil (or motor oil, or gear lube). There is nothing special about the seals I sell. They are made from EPDM material, same as the material used by LUK when the system was new.