Transmission Fluid change question

I believe it's 29 ft/lb for both, but: for the fill bolt I'm going from memory, what the repair manual says. And I've yet to find drain bolt spec: what I have found for second gen is just fluid check instruction. And it's mum about the drain bolt, since the fluid is "lifetime"...

So just my take, you can't go far wrong with 29. That is the spec for both third gen bolts fwiw. For 3rd gen the repair manual does include drain and fill instruction.

Tips:

1. Get replacement washers. Second gen they might be 2 sizes?
2. Remove fill bolt first, just in case they're really glued.
3. Easiest way to achieve correct fill level: have the car raised and level, pour in till it starts coming back out.
4. Use Toyota ATF WS, from new, freshly opened bottles. Recycle any you don't use, it apparently doesn't store well. (I have saved and later used leftover, with no apparent problems, but just recent read this, in a Toyota publication on the fluid.) Also, people have used alternate fluids, but Toyota is pretty sticky about this, and personally I'm just bright enough to know I'm not bright enough to argue with them.
5. I believe with one of the second gen bolts it's socket head cap screw style, meaning you need a male "socket", and it's 10 mm hex size. The other is a regular hex head bolt, albeit failrly large size.

The funnel and tube approach is dead simple, that's the way to go. It takes close to 4 quarts IIRC. Have an assistant pour while you keep watch, and after 3 quarts have been poured just slow right down, just pour 1/2 cup at a time, till it starts coming back out.

If you manage all 4 quarts you should still be fine: spec is level with lip of fill hole or slightly lower. I'll post the level check info in a second.

 

On the torque, I'm not so sure. Someone might want to look it up. I'm showing 37 foot/pounds on the Gen 4/Prime. Same sized plug, I think. I have to get going now, so no time to investigate.

 

Pure BS. If anything, it's simpler than an oil change. No filter. A fair price is $80: $40 for the fluid/washers, and $40 for 1/2 hour's labour. I'd stay away, they're the main factor that do "more harm than good, lol. They'd probably try to talk you into their "special" fluid too.

All you're doing is raising the car, removing fill and drain bolt, installing drain bolt, filling, installing fill bolt. Safest bet if you can swing it is DIY. Next safest, buy the washers and fluid, bring it to a competent/intelligent mechanic. That's still a thing right?

Yeah you're correct: 4th gen is 37 foot/pounds. The transaxle is revised, radically, maybe something to do with pressures?? FWIW 3rd gen is 29.

 

29 ft.-lb is the torque.
The fill plug needs a 24 mm hex socket (I use a 15/16" socket) while the drain plug needs a 10 mm hex key.
The washers are the same size for both the fill and drain plugs.
The diameter of both holes is pretty large, more than 3/4" at least.

Have a cheater bar available to increase your loosening torque as the plugs may be hard to remove. Make sure you successfully remove the fill plug before you try to remove the drain plug.

There is no concern about the fact that the fluid change has not been previously done with respect to the change causing a problem, as long as you fill the transaxle to the fill plug hole with the correct Toyota ATF WS fluid and tighten both drain and fill plugs to the correct torque.

 

From the manual

Code:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17LZFTHg-OdnS1QjJnR4Qc7W3jsmAB4xS/view?usp=sharing

Both torques are the same.
I've changed my ATF last year, too. It's an easy DIY thing. Like already said before: buy new gaskets, loosen the fill plug first and don't kink the hose (like me), if the oil shall run into the gearbox. (And loosen the correct drain plug, as the drain plug for the inverter coolant is close.)

SM-G950F ?

 

Not sure how level you can get the car with ramps. You'll need to be parked on the right slope to have the car level while the front is on the ramps. It's important to have it level because the "full" indication is oil coming out the flll hole. If the transaxle isn't level, the oil will come out either before or after it's full. My driveway happens to be close to the perfect slope, but that's just a fluke.

 

You could run the front onto ramps, then raise the rear with a jack. Best would be to settle the rear onto safety stands as well, but if just using a jack, you're working near the front, with ramps. I like a large chunk of wood keeping me company too, guardian angel.

 

Place the ramps forwards on the downslope of a driveway or such. The allows more room underneath the front of the vehicle plus the vehicle is level-ish once up on the ramps.

 

Do put some serious wheel chocks fore and aft of each rear wheel. And set the parking brake like Armageddon is coming.

Why am I continuously speaking religious, lol?

 

Just for giggles: park the car on the slope, with just the tranxaxle being in park holding it, parking brake off. Now get on the downslope end, and try to push it up, an inch or two. I lay two-to-one you can't. Gravity never quits.

If there's some way you can have the car on level ground, that's much preferable, my 2 cents. My pref is jackstands fore and aft. Ramps front and jackstands aft are equally safe.

 

Good find! And, that's a good example, of how disorganized the Toyota Repair Manuals can be. Regarding the transaxle fluid drain and a fill bolts:

1. Torque for the fill bolt: that's with the transaxle fluid level check.
2. Torque for the drain bolt: that's in a completely separate section of the manual, with front drive shaft removal.
3. Transaxle drain and fill instruction: go pound sand.

 

I have replaced mine 3 times. 3rd time was a waste it looked pristeeme . Just jacked the front end up as high as I could and put 4 quarts of trans fluid in it using a funnel form the top.

Like Pat says the bolt heads are really on there especially the fill hole. Had to use a long breaker bar extension to get it off and it made a really loud crack when it busted loose. You seem new too wrenching so make sure your going the right way on the bolt easy to get turned around under the car. You snap off a fill hole or dump bolt and its gonna be $$$$$$$$$. You may have never used a torque wrench before so practice on a tire nut first till you get the hang out it. There was a poster recently who snapped off a bolt because he never used a T wrench before and never heard the click and kept going.

Don't forget to clean the magnet on the dump bolt.

But make the most of the car up high. Clean the ac ecoil under the dash using microbial cleaner you inject up the ac drip hose that's coming out under the car. Its directly under the glove compartment about 3 inches long. hard to see unless your way under the car past the bottom plate assy.
Cleaning the ecoil improves the health of the ecoil, its efficiency, and the smell of the car. I use Kool It from Amazon.

Then clean the front condenser its bug season. You will be rewarded with cooler ac and longer compressor life.

 

There is reasonable space between the transaxle case front, and the radiator. That really should not be a problem.

 

Its pretty tight if memory serves but I also had to slip on a short piece of emt tubing as a leverage bar. That input bolt was really on there.

And your showing me a pic of the ecoil under the dash yes that's what you will be servicing. Like my post said get under the car and hook a can of cleaner to the ac drip hose and inject away. It will fill up that box with foam and come back out as liquid. Helps keep the drip tube
clean also. This is what the dealer does only they charge $150.