Auto transmission - drain & refill or complete change?

sorcerer · August 10, 2016

Looking to change the automatic transmission fluid on my 2005 RX300 and the Owner's Handbook lists the capacity as 3.5 litres for a drain and refill. I'm assuming that that figure doesn't include the fluid that would be in the torque converter, so my question comes in two parts:

1. if doing a full change, does anyone know what quantity is required?
2. Is it better to do a full change or just a drain and refill? Or maybe even to do a drain and refill, run it for a few thousand miles then do another drain and refill?

ChrisKaye · August 12, 2016

Hi, from memory, I managed to get 7.25 litres out of mine by tapping into the return hose after draining as much as I could from the ATF drain plug.

If I were to do it again, I would do as you suggested by drain, fill, drive 500miles, then drain and fill again.

Much easier and less hassle, for marginal loss of ATF quality, really.

Be warned filling up through the ATF dipstick took over an hour of farting about, if you can make a contraption with a Big funnel and tube and make sure you can fix it securely under the bonnet whilst filling will save loads of arm ache!!!

Measuring/topping up the fluid using the dipstick SUCKS as it's not easy to read, so measure what you take out and you'll know how much to put back in.

Once filled, start engine and let idle, then move the gear selector one notch back at a time letting it rest for 10 seconds in each gear P-R-N-D-S1 and then back up to P 10 sec intervals again, repeat a few times to bleed any air out.

Hope this helps!

sorcerer · August 17, 2016

Thanks Chris. I think I'll go for the drain & refill, drive for a few hundred miles and then repeat - like you say, much less hassle

Cheers

ChrisKaye · August 17, 2016

Good luck & let us know how you get on.

The drain plug uses an Allen Key style bolt so make sure you have one of these in the toolbox, an ordinary socket won't do it!

If you don't have one, I got a nifty set on a storage rail thingy from Screwfix for only a few quid.

sorcerer · August 18, 2016

To be honest, I used to love DIY mechanicing but then cars got too complicated. Mind you, even if they hadn't, a back injury from many moons ago now makes it impossible for me to do anything but the most basic stuff, so I've got a good and trusted mechanic who I go to these days.

I'll be asking him to change the coolant (currently green rather than the Pink), the ATF and also the front and rear diff oils too. Just had a message from him to the effect that he's not too familiar with the RX300 and was wondering if the gearbox and the diffs have specific drain plugs or will I need to buy gaskets as well in case the only way to get the oil out is to dismantle something. Have you got any idea about that Chris?

ChrisKaye · August 22, 2016

Hi! All Allen style drain plugs on diffs and gearbox, no need for gasket messing about! :)

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ChrisKaye · August 22, 2016

Procedure virtually (if not identical) to gen 1 RX - do a google for 'diff gear oil change lexmex' for some write ups with pics... :)

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sorcerer · August 23, 2016

6 hours ago, ChrisKaye said:

Procedure virtually (if not identical) to gen 1 RX - do a google for 'diff gear oil change lexmex' for some write ups with pics... :)

Brilliant, cheers my friend. Coolant was changed on Saturday and all went smoothly. I was hoping he'd get to do the ATF as well but my local Toyota dealer doesn't carry it as a stock item and had to order it and it should arrive today. Great price though - got 5L of Toyota Type T-IV for £37 so I'm not complaining.

Thanks again Chris

ChrisKaye · August 23, 2016

Great news, I often advocate my Toyota dealer parts counter, they aren't that bad on prices for services items and it's proper stuff versus eurocarparts and the like (unless they have a cracking deal on Shell or Mobil1 type stuff they can stick that QX stuff and comma crap!)

Remember to ask about the service items deal when you go in next - I think it's four items for the price of 3 - ie: oil filter, oil, air filter and free cabin filter etc - you can mix and match too so could swap oil for spark plugs etc.

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sorcerer · August 24, 2016

Brilliant, will do. Thanks again sir

sorcerer · August 28, 2016

@ChrisKaye

My mechanic still hasn't had chance to do the fluid changes yet but in a way I'm glad, as it's given me time to ask you something else - did you change the transmission fluid filter at the same time? Good idea to do so, or not?

TIA

steve2006 · August 28, 2016

Normally a sump off job for the filter, never replaced mine just done the sump drain and refill.

Part number ,for filter should be 35330-08010 Strainer Valve Body Oil priced around £80.00, sump gasket is special sealant.

Make sure you use the correct Toyota fluid usually Type IV but check to be sure, 2x 5 litres will cost around £120.00.

sorcerer · August 28, 2016

49 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Normally a sump off job for the filter, never replaced mine just done the sump drain and refill.

Part number ,for filter should be 35330-08010 Strainer Valve Body Oil priced around £80.00, sump gasket is special sealant.

Make sure you use the correct Toyota fluid usually Type IV but check to be sure, 2x 5 litres will cost around £120.00.

Thanks very much for that Steve. However, I note that you say you've never done yours so is it possible you're mistaken about the sump gasket being a special sealant? I ask because a couple of videos I've seen seem to show the gasket being a 'normal' type, as you'll see from the attached photo. Ok, they are for the RX350 and the Toyota Highlander rather than the RX300, so I'm not sure if they're closely enough related but...

And I've also been lucky enough to get 10 litres of Toyota Type T-IV from my local Toyota main dealers for £75.60

steve2006 · August 29, 2016

You're quite right my mistake.

There is an actual gasket.

Gasket, Automatic Transaxle Oil Pan. 35168-21010

Priced around £10.00.

Good price on the ATF do they have any more :)

sorcerer · August 29, 2016

That's brilliant, thanks Steve.

I couldn't believe the price of the ATF, so much so that I'm wondering if they've made a mistake. However, as we say around these parts, I'm keeping my head down and saying nowt

ChrisKaye · September 1, 2016

Hi, from what I've read, unless you have had issues with your 'box eating itself/grinding, there isn't any point changing the metal filter until around 250-300k miles (as preventative maintenance).

The drain plug is on the underside of the filter (where crap collects before being filtered) so a flush or two would get most debris out, but mine at 110k miles was discoloured only, plus gearboxes aren't known for failing on the RX unlike Hondas for example...

sorcerer · September 1, 2016

Thanks Chris, as always your input is much appreciated but sadly too late in this instance - I've already picked up the stuff from my local Toyota dealer.

However, we intend to keep the car until it dies and hope to get at least 100k out of it (on top of the 84k it's already done) so I suppose I could look at it as a 'belt and braces' job

ChrisKaye · September 3, 2016

Will you be doing the work yourself? Would love to see some pics if so!

I'd like to know if there are any magnets in the ATF sump/filter...

Thanks and hope it all goes smoothly for you!

Chris.

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sorcerer · September 3, 2016

1 hour ago, ChrisKaye said:

Will you be doing the work yourself? Would love to see some pics if so!

Sadly not I'm afraid. It's not worth the risk of starting the job and then my back injury flaring up making it impossible to finish it, so I've just dropped the car off at my mate's garage for him to do it.