WS ATF Flush Procedure

[OEMGUY0720]

The gears upshifts and downshifts very smooth, like butter. First thing I checked since I saw this last week was if there was any drops of ATF the floor, good thing is there's none. Nonetheless thank you for your insights @looking4lc and @khymel5 I will be performing this maintenance process as soon as I get a free time from baby sitting our little 1 year old princess.

 

[UGN]

Just did mine yesterday and I found the easiest place to remove a rubber hose is on the radiator when ATF leaves it before going into the ATF cooler at the front. I tried 3 different connections: at the front before the ATF cooler, near the coolant overflow tank and as @agaisin used in the OP. None of them allowed to use adjustable pliers to make the rubber hose loose and it was much easier by the radiator. Just make sure to wrap the rubber hose into a paper towel multiple layers to prevent the hose from damage.

P.S. The old fluid was absolutely black There was no red color left whatsoever. It did not smell bad but looked like used engine oil. It looks like it was never replaced in the lifetime of the vehicle even it had several owners in the past. I'm glad I did change it This is the second time I did full ATF replacement (I did it on my 2008 Toyota 4Runner V8 couple years ago).

 

[TheForger]

Just did mine yesterday and I found the easiest place to remove a rubber hose is on the radiator when ATF leaves it before going into the ATF cooler at the front. I tried 3 different connections at the front before the ATF cooler, near the coolant overflow tank and as @agaisin used in the OP. None of them allowed to use adjustable pliers to make the rubber hose loose and it was much easier by the radiator. Just make sure to wrap the rubber hose into a paper towel multiple layers to prevent the hose from damage.

P.S. The old fluid was absolutely black There was no red color left whatsoever. It did not smell bad but looked like used engine oil. It looks like it was never replaced in the lifetime of the vehicle even it had several owners in the past. I'm glad I did change it This is the second time I did full ATF replacement (I did it on my 2008 Toyota 4Runner V8 couple years ago).

If your fluid was that bad that makes me curious what’s at the bottom your transmission pan. You can drop it and there are 4 magnets at the bottom that collect metal shavings. Might not be a bad idea the next go around. It is a hassle scrapping off the old FIPG, but it gives you the chance to inspect the magnets and also to clean the trans filter.

A couple pics from my most recent fluid exchange. Dropped the pan and used the trans cooler line. I think I actually used close to 18qts to ensure that all of the fluid in the trans was fresh.

 

[TheForger]

After properly disposing of all the fluid at my local shop, I realized there was a sludge at the bottom of the bucket which consisted of very small metal shavings and dust. In these pics the bucket is actually tilted on its edge so the fluid left behind was very viscous as it stuck to the bottom and very slowly slid down to the corner.

 

[UGN]

Performed the fluid temperature check yesterday. I could not get into the A/T Oil Temp mode on the dash panel and double-checked DLC3 twice if the pins 4 and 13 were connected and if I did not connect 5 and 12 by mistake. It turned out I was shifting between N and D too slow I even did it from N to R as I was thinking it was different on 2006 model. Once I did it faster like back and force without any pause in between the light came on

It took another 10-15 min while the engine was running for the light to come on and stay. You could tell the engine was hot and it was getting much hotter in the garage. It does take the heat to reach +46C before removing the overflow plug. I added almost 1qt of ATF more than drained and the new fluid came out just a little before it change to a trickle that made me think there was not enough fluid in the first place or I added less than drained even I measured precisely. Now I have the new fluid in the system and will see how the transmission shifts (There was a clunk when changed gears from R to D or vice versa).

 

[schnee]

I just got this done on my 2006 LX. Apparently it was the first time the fluid was flushed (after 230k miles)... I dropped the pan, cleaned everything and replaced the filter and gasket. It was very tedious pumping 12 qts of Amsoil WS ATF through the system, even going through the return line from the tranny cooler.

Two videos might be helpful to others:

1. This gentleman used his air compressor to pump in the fluid, which is what I did.


2. Here's the Australian version on a 200 series -- great video production.


Like others have noted, the instructions for entering AT temp mode are a little convoluted. On my LX, a lot of dash lights began flashing when I started the engine with pins 4 & 13 shorted together, which is a bit disconcerting at first. The Nav also enters some kind of maintenance mode (I clicked around but didn't seem useful). It took me a while to figure out how to enter the AT Temp mode, but here's the key tip:

You must shift back-forth btw N and D FOR 6 seconds. When the AT Temp light blinks once, shift to P. At this point it will either turn off, stay on or blink.

So, just keep going back and forth N-D-N-D... until the light blinks once, then shift to P.

For some reason my search-fu didn't show me this thread when I searched for it. It would be awesome if a moderator put this in the 100 series FAQ.

 

[Couvi]

How bad did your old fluid look? Can you tell a difference in shifting with the new fluid? Has your truck been used for towing? Thx

 

[schnee]

The old fluid was black and had lost its viscosity. The pan and magnets were covered in metal dust, so it clearly needed to be done. As others have mentioned, it's probably prudent to change it at least every 100k miles, or as some do it, 2-3 quarts every oil change.

The transmission is shifting much better now. I used to hear a clunk going from P to R, that's now gone. Also, the truck used to shudder when slowing from around 30mph to 0, which seems to be gone as well. I also flushed the power steering at the same time and I really notice the difference in both steering and shifting.

Although I'm the second owner, I don't think my LX has done much towing. The first owner told me he towed on occasion but never heavy loads. I haven't towed much either. Mostly I think mine has seen a lot of freeway miles.

 

[boobird]

I have an 04 with no stick.

I want to do a few drain and fills and not a full transmypan drop. As long as I refill above the check plug, is there any risk of having too little fluid?

I believe the entire transmission fluid volume is 12 qts (?). But only about 3 quarts comes out of the drain plug.

For example in my uneducated brain..let's say the pan contains 3 quarts but isn't possible that the transmission could still be underfilled?

 

[UGN]

I don't want to (or don't know-how) drop the transmission pan.

I just want to do a few drain and fills. As long as the oil is above the check plug, is there any risk of having too little fluid? I'm not sure how there 12 qts total but only about 3 quarts coming out of the drain plug.

I did not drop the transmission pan either. If the old fluid was not replaced in the past or is dark as used engine oil as it was in my case I would replace it all rather than few drains and fills as the new fluid mixes with the old one and wastes the new fluid.

The rest of the fluid is inside the transmission/radiator/AT cooler when the pan has close to 3 quarts (There are more fluid inside the pan but only 3 quarts drain from the drain plug).

In order to properly check for the fluid level the fluid should be within +46C and +56C (As I remember correctly) while the engine idles in P.

 

[boobird]

So as long as the pan is full and above the check plug, then there's enough fluid in the entire transmission?

Edit: Ah so we need to let the engine run at the correct temperature and then test the check plug?

How did you drain the entire transmission if the pan only has 3qts?

 

[schnee]

Take a look at the videos above. It's not an easy process to drain the entire transmission, because you need to pump out the old fluid somehow. In the videos they do this by eg disconnecting the line to the transmission cooler and running the engine.

 

[nothappening]

I have an 04 with no stick.

I want to do a few drain and fills and not a full transmypan drop. As long as I refill above the check plug, is there any risk of having too little fluid?

I believe the entire transmission fluid volume is 12 qts (?). But only about 3 quarts comes out of the drain plug.

For example in my uneducated brain..let's say the pan contains 3 quarts but isn't possible that the transmission could still be underfilled?

I am actually really curious about this as well. I was having trouble with my tranny after a service at my indy (pan drop, filter changed, etc.). Everyone was telling me it's probably low fluid based on my symptoms and to take it back to have the fluids checked. I took it back so they could check the fluid level and they said it was fine. Then I took it to the dealer to do a fluid level check (they said it was low) and then full fluid exchange (no pan drop). I requested they estimate fluid out vs. fluid in. They verbally said it was ~3.5 quarts low, and the paperwork said 3 quarts low. Truck has not had an issue since that fluid exchange. I went back to the indy to let them know, and I tried to be as passive as possible. I just laid out the timeline and results etc. and they got really upset, telling me they checked it 3 different ways and there's no way it was low when they checked the level previously. I guess I could have expected that, there's no easy way to let someone know they potentially ****ed up twice. Anyway, it's a long way of saying that I've wondered the same as what I've bolded, perhaps it was at a "proper" pan level, but low elsewhere in the system.

 

[UGN]

I am actually really curious about this as well. I was having trouble with my tranny after a service at my indy (pan drop, filter changed, etc.). Everyone was telling me it's probably low fluid based on my symptoms and to take it back to have the fluids checked. I took it back so they could check the fluid level and they said it was fine. Then I took it to the dealer to do a fluid level check (they said it was low) and then full fluid exchange (no pan drop). I requested they estimate fluid out vs. fluid in. They verbally said it was ~3.5 quarts low, and the paperwork said 3 quarts low. Truck has not had an issue since that fluid exchange. I went back to the indy to let them know, and I tried to be as passive as possible. I just laid out the timeline and results etc. and they got really upset, telling me they checked it 3 different ways and there's no way it was low when they checked the level previously. I guess I could have expected that, there's no easy way to let someone know they potentially f***ed up twice. Anyway, it's a long way of saying that I've wondered the same as what I've bolded, perhaps it was at a "proper" pan level, but low elsewhere in the system.

The only proper way to check the fluid level on our 5-speed AT (Model years 2003 or later) with ATF WS (World Standard) type of fluid without a dip stick is through the fluid temperature check (The last two pages 36 and 37). Anything else will be just guessing.

 

[shevy77]

The only proper way to check the fluid level on our 5-speed AT (Model years 2003 or later) with ATF WS (World Standard) type of fluid without a dip stick is through the fluid temperature check (The last two pages 36 and 37). Anything else will be just guessing.

You should also note that there was a service bulletin for 2004-2008 (5AT, 6AT) Land Cruiser fluid level inspection. I would personally recommend using TechStream and ensuring you are in the recommended range listed in the bulletin.

The FSM references a range of 115 - 130 degrees F. The TSB lowers the range to 97 - 115 degrees F.

If I remember correctly, this was to address cases of underfill during service. The lower temp should result in a little more fluid being required to reach "full."

 

[UGN]

You should also note that there was a service bulletin for 2004-2008 (5AT, 6AT) Land Cruiser fluid level inspection. I would personally recommend using TechStream and ensuring you are in the recommended range listed in the bulletin.

The FSM references a range of 115 - 130 degrees F. The TSB lowers the range to 97 - 115 degrees F.

If I remember correctly, this was to address cases of underfill during service. The lower temp should result in a little more fluid being required to reach "full."

Thank you @shevy77 I did not know about this bulletin. It's good to know they lowered the temperature range. I agree using the TechStream would be the best. I just used the temperature mode on the vehicle itself

 

[uHu]

You should also note that there was a service bulletin for 2004-2008 (5AT, 6AT) Land Cruiser fluid level inspection. I would personally recommend using TechStream and ensuring you are in the recommended range listed in the bulletin.

The FSM references a range of 115 - 130 degrees F. The TSB lowers the range to 97 - 115 degrees F.

If I remember correctly, this was to address cases of underfill during service. The lower temp should result in a little more fluid being required to reach "full."

Does anyone know of such a TSB for the HDJ100 with the A750F as well?

 

[shevy77]

Does anyone know of such a TSB for the HDJ100 with the A750F as well?

I have no idea about any non-USA spec versions. I found out about this TSB from this forum. Just trying to pass this information along and keep relevant threads in sync. I am not sure what the FSM states for the HDJ100 version of the A750F, but based on the FSM and TSB for the USA spec version, 115F/46C is the common point between both ranges. Trying to check while at the lower side of the FSM range around 115F/46C would be a safe compromise if you have doubts about the FSM.

If the Toyota Technical Information System (TIS) is available to you, you should be able to pull any active bulletins for your vehicle. In the US, you can subscribe for 2 days for $20.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

I just did my 06 with the sealed type A750F tranny.

Thanks to this thread, made things for me a lot less complicated.

Some of the photos I took during the process:

 

[boobird]

I just did my 06 with the sealed type A750F tranny.

Thanks to this thread, made things for me a lot less complicated.

Some of the photos I took during the process:View attachment 2116245View attachment 2116246View attachment 2116247View attachment 2116248View attachment 2116251

How difficult was it to drop the pan?
The 4 magnets seemed dirty enough to justify the pan drop.
Did you use a gasket or the Toyota fipg sealant?