Transmission fluid change

Guys, say if it costs you $120 to change the trans fluid At Toyota, and $40 other lub places @ $80 difference. Is it worth the risk? We're talking about $80 in 2+ years = $3 a month!

Don't beat me up on the real costs or the math. I'm just pointing out that the extra cost to get the manufaturer fluid is just like insurance. What about manufacturer warranty? If they found out your burnt transaxle have fliud other then toyota's, would it give them amunition to void the warranty?

 

Paying a dealer $120 is just encouraging dishonest behavior. There is a third choice. Toyota WS fluid installed by a competent mechanic other than at a dealer. That competent mechanic might very well be the cars owner.

And always, always make sure you can remove the filler plug before you drain a gearbox. It's really frustrating to drain a gearbox then find out the fill plug is stuck and won't come out.

 

Some questions, probably hashed over many times before but:

1. WS is supposed to be hydrophilic, and supposed to be careful how to put it in, yet it is inside a transmission? Lot of regular trans. now use WS, all run under vacuum? How to be careful?
2. Those who have changed their trans oil more than one time, have the negative pressure again when open fill/drain plugs?
3. It is correct the (stationary part I assume) motor windings are IN the WS oil?

Thank you.

 

1. Not sure what your question is, regarding being careful.

2. When the transaxle is cold and you remove the fill plug, you will notice this hiss as the plug is unscrewed and air enters. If the transaxle is hot you will not hear this.

3. The bottom of the stator windings will be immersed in the transaxle fluid.

 

Dealer claims uses special tools, Art's in Berkeley shows some kind of pump on website, how to keep exposure to air moisture down. Why, it operates in ambient air doesn't it? I see no one else does anything special, and dealers often make up things as they speak. Thank you.

 

OK, your question #1 is regarding how to add transaxle fluid carefully?

I use a plastic transmission oil funnel with a 3 ft flexible tail. You could use a hand-operated pump that is screwed onto the bottle top, but IMO that makes things unnecessarily difficult.

The air inside the transaxle case will be partially vented out under pressure, as the transaxle heats up. Hence, a partial vacuum forms when the transaxle is cold.

The Toyota repair manual does not provide a cautionary note regarding water moisture in the oil. If you refrain from doing this change outdoors while it is raining hard, I think you'll be OK.

 

Dealer speak with forked tongue. :madgrin:

Dealer only need torque wrench and funnel or fluid pump.

 

Dealer says they measure oil to SUB milliliters, and I no can do. Same dealer cannot tighten lug nuts right, need to rent gorilla to get some off. Others come off real easy. This is true, except gorilla.

My main concern was I heard WS is hydrophilic. I guess one way to home check is put a drop of WS in water, if hydro it goes away, if not, doesn't.

 

Your dealer is blowing smoke. If he is going to lie about something so obvious, you should be concerned about what else is doing.

 

you absolutely have to use the Toyota ATF. It is specifically designed for the "CVT" transmission you have. Most of the ATF mechanics stock are just for standard 4/5 speed automatics. Putting that fluid in your CVT will destroy the transmission.

$100 is what my dealer charges for ATF fluid exchange.

 

While I agree that it's a good idea to stick with Toyota "WS" (world-standard) fluid, it is their lifetime automatic transmission fluid used in many of the conventional automatic transmissions and not specifically designed for a CVT transmission. As far as the transmission fluid is concerned, the type of gearing in a Prius is the same as any other automatic transmission.

 

There is no need to measure the ATF fluid. Buy 4 US quarts and use that to fill the transaxle. Stop adding fluid when you see fluid dripping out of the fill hole.

Allow the fluid to continue dripping until it stops, which means that the fluid level is at the bottom of the fill hole where it should be, then reinstall the fill plug.

Why are you concerned whether ATF WS is hydrophilic or not? As long as you don't change the transaxle oil outdoors when it is raining, how would the fluid characteristics impact the job?

 

SUB milliliters? Ha ha ha. Your dealer is a liar and a moron.

 

"As far as the transmission fluid is concerned, the type of gearing in a Prius is the same as any other automatic transmission."

This is simply not true! the Prius PSD is no more a fluid/pressure auto tranny than a butterfly is a warthog! Please be careful of what gets out there for people to read.

The power-split device is a planetary gear driven unit, much like a rear diff...NOT under pressure, from a pump that forces a torque converter to turn the wheels. Anyone else care to explain the complexity (really, the simplicity) of PSD versus a standard auto tranny?

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

 

Absolutely not true. Many people here myself included have went to a different aftermarket brand Dextron 6 ATF style fluid with no issues. Some cheaper some very expensive.

Our CVT's are just very precision gearboxes. And it would take a really bad fluid to "destroy" our gearboxes.

 

I didn't say it was a fluid/pressure transmission, I said the gearing was the same type as other automatic transmissions and it is. Both types of transmission use planetary gear sets.

Poor analogy since the topic is transmission lubricants. Rear differentials on cars almost universally use hypoid ring and pinions with some right angle bevel gears to split the torque, not planetary gear sets. They require a completely different type of lubricant than an automatic transmission. OTOH, the Toyota type WS fluid used in the Prius transmission is used in a wide range of conventional type Toyota automatic transmissions.

Strawman Alert! That has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that similar type planetary gears are used in the Prius tranmission and regular old automatic transmissions.

You should get an understanding how transmissions work and improve your reading comprehension before you lecture someone on how transmissions work

 

D6

24k on my Redline D6, runs wonderfully. Drain, get 4 quarts, pump it back in til it starts running out...........

 

Re: D6

Exactly......The Redline D6 is the stuff....

 

Not that concerned, but saw others have talked about it, and Art's website. The idea I got was water is absorbed from the air into the oil, and I do the change outside and it is often high air moisture. Not direct water into the oil like rain. I'll Wait for sun, which is happening more now. Thanks.

 

I can see one being concerned about moisture with brake fluid. But not gear oil or tranny fluid. Think about it: whether an axle or a transaxle, they are VENTED. There will be condensation

Unless one uses special dessiccant breather/filter adapters

I am no longer convinced that WS is required due to any sort of unique electrical properties. I have experience with large oil filled electrical transformers

There is no way any ATF could be used in a transformer, the friction modifiers to make an ATF work with clutches and bands inside an auto tranny do NOT make for good dielectric properties

The same WS used in the Prius Cvt is also used in the 5 speed auto of my FJ