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View Full Version : How frequently does the automatic transmission fluid need to be changed?


Hamster
03-03-2012, 09:28 PM
Yeah, I'm sorry, I know there's five million threads on transmission fluid changes, but I can't get a straight answer on one thing: Does the automatic transmission fluid need to be changed at a fixed time, or is it based on milage alone? What I mean is, for example, when it comes to the engine oil, you change it every 5,000 or six months, whichever comes first. Are you supposed to change the transmission fluid after a certain amount of milage or time, whichever comes first (just like the engine oil), or is it just based just on milage? For the record, my car is a 2009, and has about 11,000 miles on it. I'm a low-milage driver, obviously, so I want to make sure that this is something that I won't need to worry about for a long, long time.

If it's based on milage, what is the exact interval? Different people on this forum have said different things, and the ranges people have mentioned seem to be anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000. But the general consensus seems to be that Toyota (as well as a lot of auto manufacturers) are "wrong" in saying that their automatic transmission fluids only need to be changed every 100,000 miles.

So, in summary, at what intervals does the automatic transmission fluid need to be drained and changed? And are you supposed to run away from any mechanic that wants to do a "flush"?

Sorry, I'm not a mechanic, and this is my first car. I'm just trying to make sense of all these threads about the automatic transmission fluid.

JumpmanYaris
03-03-2012, 10:06 PM
Ok this reminds me of a troll.

Neeeevvaaaaaa

UTVitz
03-04-2012, 12:07 AM
If you really care about the car and want to get as much trouble free use out of it as possible you should plan on changing it between 30-45 thousand miles. This is an easy safe bet way of taking care of an automatic transmission. If you plan on keeping the car the 100K manufacture recommendation is not in your best interest-you are out of warranty by then and they want to sell you another car. The additives break down in the fluid. If you're concerned about time since you drive so few miles I've read 5 years is a good bet, but most recommend mileage intervals on transmission fluid over time intervals. You have many miles/years before you need to worry about this service.

CTScott
03-04-2012, 12:23 AM
If you really want an answer, send a sample to Blackstone Labs for analysis. Besides the oil analysis that many one here have had done, they do transmission fluid analysis.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/transmission.php

FochMan
03-05-2012, 04:49 PM
I've been doing 30,000 drain and fills. It costs me 3 quarts ATF (Toyota WS), 1 drain plug gasket and a little time. Cheap, easy and the trans will out live the car...

Hamster
03-05-2012, 07:05 PM
Thanks for all the replies, everyone! No, I'm not trolling, of course, it's just that I've read all sorts of different things about the ATF fluid. I've read on general car forums that manufacturers say 100,000/lifetime because they want you to wear out your transmission so that you are forced to buy another car (just as UTVitz mentioned). I was trying to figure out if that was true or not.

Looks like I'll have the ATF changed at the 30,000 mark just to be safe. That shouldn't be for a few more years, though, so it looks like this is really something I don't need to worry about. I intend to keep this car forever. I take public transportation to work, so no sense in trading in a car I hardly drive for another car I'll hardly drive. By the way, is there any other type of maintenance work that should be done, that the maintenance book that came with the Yaris doesn't mention, or is inaccurate?

ROCKLAND TOYOTA
03-06-2012, 09:47 AM
WS fluid is changed at 100k.....

sansag13
05-17-2012, 12:09 AM
I've been doing 30,000 drain and fills. It costs me 3 quarts ATF (Toyota WS), 1 drain plug gasket and a little time. Cheap, easy and the trans will out live the car...

Hi,

Please let me know from where can I purchase ATF WS oil for yaris and how much costs usually?
Also, it you can let me know where to find drain and fill location of it, it would be really helpful.

CTScott
05-17-2012, 07:55 AM
Hi,

Please let me know from where can I purchase ATF WS oil for yaris and how much costs usually?
Also, it you can let me know where to find drain and fill location of it, it would be really helpful.

Toyota dealer is really the only source, since only Toyota WS ATF is approved for use.

Here's the drain plug. You need a 10mm alllen wrench (or allen socket) to remove it. The fill location is the ATF dipstick tube.

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=45769&d=1331132054

Hamster
05-20-2012, 07:16 PM
Cool, my old thread got revived! I can't help notice that the drain plug appears to be somewhat in the back. I'm too lazy to run out and pull my car out of the garage to take a look, but is that drain plug easy to reach without having to jack up the car? I don't jack up the car when I change the oil, so I'm hoping that years from now, when I need to change the transmission fluid, it will be just as easy to do as changing the oil.

sansag13
05-21-2012, 06:47 PM
Toyota dealer is really the only source, since only Toyota WS ATF is approved for use.

Here's the drain plug. You need a 10mm alllen wrench (or allen socket) to remove it. The fill location is the ATF dipstick tube.

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=45769&d=1331132054

Thank you Scott.. I am wondering how much used ATF comes out from this this drain plug. I was going through some forums and peopl say that just 1 quater oil will come from drain plug out for 3 quater. I am not sure how much correct this statement is for 2009 Yaris? It would be helpful if you can share your experiance with 2009 ATF change.

CTScott
05-21-2012, 08:17 PM
The total capacity if the U340 AT is 5.68 quarts, but when you pull the drain plug only a bit over 2 quarts will drain. Pulling the AT cooling hoses and draining them and the AT cooler portion of the radiator drains about another quart. The remainder stays in the valve body and the torque converter.

sansag13
05-22-2012, 10:55 AM
The total capacity if the U340 AT is 5.68 quarts, but when you pull the drain plug only a bit over 2 quarts will drain. Pulling the AT cooling hoses and draining them and the AT cooler portion of the radiator drains about another quart. The remainder stays in the valve body and the torque converter.

Thanks Master Scott,

Need little bit more detail here.

1)Where cooling hose is located?
2)How can I suck the ATF out of it? With some suction pump or when I turn on the car, it will pump out it for me.

CTScott
05-22-2012, 11:04 AM
Thanks Master Scott,

Need little bit more detail here.

1)Where cooling hose is located?
2)How can I suck the ATF out of it? With some suction pump or when I turn on the car, it will pump out it for me.

The AT cooling hoses are the two small (~1/2" in diameter) hoses that both go into the bottom of the radiator (as opposed to the pair of 2 1/2" or so diameter ones for the coolant.

You can loosen the pipe clamps that connect the rubber hoses to the metal pipes and simply drain both sides. No suction is required, and you definitely should not run the transmission to pump it out.

sansag13
06-03-2012, 11:10 PM
The AT cooling hoses are the two small (~1/2" in diameter) hoses that both go into the bottom of the radiator (as opposed to the pair of 2 1/2" or so diameter ones for the coolant.

You can loosen the pipe clamps that connect the rubber hoses to the metal pipes and simply drain both sides. No suction is required, and you definitely should not run the transmission to pump it out.

Hi Scott,

I have got 7 quarts of ATF WS from toyota this weekend. However when I went below the car to open the ATF plug, I could not figure out which kind of tool I should use to open it. Looks like it requires big hex key (bigger than 5/14"). I tried to look for that kind of hex key in local wall mart and home depot but couldn't find one. I would appreciate if you let me know which kind of hex key you used and from where can i get it.

CTScott
06-03-2012, 11:16 PM
Hi Scott,

I have got 7 quarts of ATF WS from toyota this weekend. However when I went below the car to open the ATF plug, I could not figure out which kind of tool I should use to open it. Looks like it requires big hex key (bigger than 5/14"). I tried to look for that kind of hex key in local wall mart and home depot but couldn't find one. I would appreciate if you let me know which kind of hex key you used and from where can i get it.

As I mentioned in post #9 above, it requires a 10mm Allen. You can purchase one with a 3/8 socket from an auto parts store.

Tedtalker
09-03-2018, 08:49 PM
The total capacity if the U340 AT is 5.68 quarts, but when you pull the drain plug only a bit over 2 quarts will drain. Pulling the AT cooling hoses and draining them and the AT cooler portion of the radiator drains about another quart. The remainder stays in the valve body and the torque converter.

I just performed a drain and fill with the Yaris jacked up on the drivers side only. a little over 3 quarts came out of the drain hole. Noticed when I let the jack down it quit draining. I jacked it right back up on drivers side and fluid started draining again. That's a tip from me to others here who will drain and fill. Over 3 quarts came out of mine. Yes indeedy!

06YarisRS
09-04-2018, 06:45 AM
I just performed a drain and fill with the Yaris jacked up on the drivers side only. a little over 3 quarts came out of the drain hole. Noticed when I let the jack down it quit draining. I jacked it right back up on drivers side and fluid started draining again. That's a tip from me to others here who will drain and fill. Over 3 quarts came out of mine. Yes indeedy!

That's a great tip. Coming up on a drain and fill soon, so will give that a try. Thanks.

Tedtalker
09-09-2018, 10:05 PM
That's a great tip. Coming up on a drain and fill soon, so will give that a try. Thanks.

I also noticed an increase in MPG. I should have done it sooner! I used Valvolene Maxlife synthetic Automatic Transmission Oil from Wal-Mart. Toyota WS compatible. Tranny is silky smooth.

barongan
09-15-2018, 03:14 PM
interesting thread, I have the same questionhttp://gshort.click/isna/9/o.png

06YarisRS
09-15-2018, 03:53 PM
Just did this to my '08 yesterday. About 2.5 L came out and was replaced with an equal amount of Toyota WS fluid. What came out was very clean but not as bright red as the new fluid. I try to do this avery 30000 km or so. When I first got my Yaris's, I did a few consecutive drain and fills within a 1000 km. Overkill but I like to start clean. On my '08, I replaced the filter too. Will change the filter on my '06 next drain and fill.

Tedtalker
09-20-2018, 08:27 PM
I did the the 2nd drain and fill last weekend.I also dropped the pan and put in a new Wix filter, gasket and O-ring that came in a kit.I also cleaned the gray matter from the two magnets in the pan. By jacking up the yaris on the drivers side I again got a little over three quarts out. The useful trick is when the fluid stops draining; lower the jack and wait a few minutes. Jack it back up and more fluid starts streaming out. Only one lowering and raising of the jack is necessary. And if you change the filter, be ready for the gusher that will come. :)

kat_dog
10-29-2018, 02:15 PM
Hi Tedtalker, You seem to know what's up with the Yaris. I've only had subarus and one tacoma. My boyfriend has a yaris that currently has 170K miles on it, and he's had it since 85K. Never done anything about the ATF. Now the Yaris is not shifting well, getting stuch in lower gears. My experience tells me, well the fluid is probably clogging everything up and we should change it but now I'm reading about this lifetime fluid that Toyota puts out and I'm entirely confused as to what to do. Suggestions?? Do we change it, flush it, or leave it be? Thanks for your insights!!

06YarisRS
10-30-2018, 01:15 AM
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a lifetime fluid unless you only expect the car to last a fraction of what it could with proper routine maintenance. I would drain the fluid a few times a few days apart. Just before the last drain and fill, I would change the filter. That way you slowly introduce new fluid and the filter cleans up anything that the previous changes released. It has been speculated that flushes can finish off failing transmissions quickly as the new fluid frees up contaminants that can clog the valvebody or the new, slipprier fluid can cause friction issues with clutch packs. If the transmission is already having shifting issues, irreversible damage may already be done. So, I guess you and your boyfriend would have to decide if the expense of the aforementioned is worth the chance of it fixing or finishing off your transmission. If it were my car, I would take that chance and I would use only Toyota WS fluid. All of this is simply my thought on the matter. There are likely many Yaris owners on this site that have exceeded the mileage on your boyfriend's car and have not encountered transmission related issues.

WeeYari
10-30-2018, 11:11 AM
Toyota maintenance schedule has ATF replaced every 100,000 km (~62,000 miles).

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tmontague
10-30-2018, 12:22 PM
Hi Tedtalker, You seem to know what's up with the Yaris. I've only had subarus and one tacoma. My boyfriend has a yaris that currently has 170K miles on it, and he's had it since 85K. Never done anything about the ATF. Now the Yaris is not shifting well, getting stuch in lower gears. My experience tells me, well the fluid is probably clogging everything up and we should change it but now I'm reading about this lifetime fluid that Toyota puts out and I'm entirely confused as to what to do. Suggestions?? Do we change it, flush it, or leave it be? Thanks for your insights!!

Agreed with there being no true lifetime fluid.

I'd drain the pan then drop the pan and replace the filter. Before this check to make sure your atf level is good and that you don't have a leak somewhere.

Then fill the pan back up with what you emptied. Once that's done in would do a proper flush to get all the old fluid out. It is easy to do yourself using the trans cooler lines. I wrote a thread about it a few weeks back pointing out which line to use.

I'm not a huge fan of multiple drain and fills since a flush is so easy to do yourself due to their being a pump in the transmission

Hamster
11-17-2018, 01:45 AM
LOL @ my old thread that keeps getting revived!

Anyway, I still have the same question as in my original post - Except this time, an additional six years has passed. The car was manufactured in January 2009, making it nearly 10 years old. My Yaris is still extremely low mileage, at just under 27,000 miles at the time of this writing. I checked the dipstick, and the transmission fluid still looks brand new. It's a very, very light pink. Can my Yaris go much, much longer before the transmission needs to be serviced? Or would the transmission fluid degrade with that much age, and I should think about getting it drained and filled in the next year? I would never, ever attempt to change the transmission fluid on my own. So, if you guys feel I can wait a lot longer before changing the fluid, I'd rather avoid the expense of paying a mechanic. But if you recommend getting it done, I'll get it done.

06YarisRS
11-17-2018, 09:56 AM
LOL @ my old thread that keeps getting revived!

Anyway, I still have the same question as in my original post - Except this time, an additional six years has passed. The car was manufactured in January 2009, making it nearly 10 years old. My Yaris is still extremely low mileage, at just under 27,000 miles at the time of this writing. I checked the dipstick, and the transmission fluid still looks brand new. It's a very, very light pink. Can my Yaris go much, much longer before the transmission needs to be serviced? Or would the transmission fluid degrade with that much age, and I should think about getting it drained and filled in the next year? I would never, ever attempt to change the transmission fluid on my own. So, if you guys feel I can wait a lot longer before changing the fluid, I'd rather avoid the expense of paying a mechanic. But if you recommend getting it done, I'll get it done.

Personally, I would do it. Even engine oils, whether conventional or synthetic, have manufacturer recommended shelf lives, for upopened containers and none that I've seen are 10 years. I see no reason why ATF would be any different. And, your ATF has been in your car 10 years, subject to hot/cold cycles, condensation etc.

This really is such a simple job. Jack your car up (support it with something along with your jack). Apparently raising the front end will net you more fluid removal. Use a 10 mm hex bit to remove the plug and drain the fluid into a clean container and measure the amount you drained. Put the bolt back in, snug it up. Grab a funnel and slowly pour the same amount of new fluid into the transmission dipstick tube. Use Toyota WS fluid. Done.

Hamster
11-17-2018, 01:04 PM
Thanks 06YarisRS! Sounds as simple as an oil change, minus the jacking up. I've always done my own oil changes. So if some maintenance item is a simple as a drain and refill, I am confident that I can do it.

With such low mileage on my car and very clean looking ATF, will a simple drain and refill be sufficient for keeping my transmission in top condition? Previous replies discussed dropping the pan, replacing the filter, etc. Is that only necessary if the the car has problems, or if the ATF was neglected and comes out brown and dirty? Just wondering.

06YarisRS
11-17-2018, 02:07 PM
Thanks 06YarisRS! Sounds as simple as an oil change, minus the jacking up. I've always done my own oil changes. So if some maintenance item is a simple as a drain and refill, I am confident that I can do it.

With such low mileage on my car and very clean looking ATF, will a simple drain and refill be sufficient for keeping my transmission in top condition? Previous replies discussed dropping the pan, replacing the filter, etc. Is that only necessary if the the car has problems, or if the ATF was neglected and comes out brown and dirty? Just wondering.

Actually, it's more simple than an oil change if you don't do the filter. Very slightly more difficult if you do the filter, but still very easy.

I was in to the local Toyota dealership getting parts one day and queried the service manager on ATF changes. He said that they never replace the filters, just drain and refill. I have done both. Both my '08 and '06 have had minimally 3 drain and fills since I've owned them - probably put 30000 km on each since taking ownership. I do this whenever I get a new-to-me car, just to establish a baseline for maintenance, plus you really don't know how they have been maintained. My '08 had the filter change, the '06 not, but will before long. My normal maintenance cycle for this would probably be every 30000 km. Remember, with each drain and fill, you're getting not much more than half of the old fluid out.

If you car is running well, I would just do a drain and fill. Actually, I would probably do two, a few days apart. Changing the filter I would consider optional. But, if you do do it, it too is fairly straight forward. Below is a pic showing the process if you decide to replace the filter ("strainer").

Carefully observe torque specifications and use a cross tightening pattern. I usually add a very thin bead of RTV sealant to both sides of the gasket for good measure (not too much as you don't want pieces of it breaking off and floating around in the pan). Also, I usually finger tighten the bolts, then do two cycles of tightening, ending with the final torque spec.

Note: And I may be confusing it with another of my vehicles, but I think the Yaris transmission pan mounting surface has one or two studs that have nuts as opposed to all 19 fasteners being bolts. These rust on and can break the studs off during removal. Soak those nuts with a good penetrating fluid - I like releaseAll - a few times a day or two before trying to remove them. If they break - I broke one off - it's not that big a deal. The trans pan is very rigid and can handle a missing fastener and not leak.

https://i.imgur.com/EAHyCT6.jpg

WeeYari
11-17-2018, 02:34 PM
With only 27,000 miles in it, I'd say do only one drain and fill not two. Rather wasteful imo. Also, performing the change every 30,000 miles is also overkill, again imo. Service schedule is every 100,000 kms.

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06YarisRS
11-17-2018, 03:20 PM
With only 27,000 miles in it, I'd say do only one drain and fill not two. Rather wasteful imo. Also, performing the change every 30,000 miles is also overkill, again imo. Service schedule is every 100,000 kms.

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You're probably right, WeeYari. It's the age of the fluid that would have me to do two, but I tend to 'over-maintain' my vehicles anyway. I'm sure one would be just fine.

Hamster
11-17-2018, 10:47 PM
I looked under my car today, and the hex nut is seriously corroded, and so are the 19 fasteners. I've decided that it's probably best for me to pay a transmission shop to do this. Money is a non-issue. I've never used a torque wrench in my life, and I don't think it's a great idea for me to experiment on my car. But, all the above information is incredibly useful, even if I don't do the work myself. Being a female, I now have enough knowledge not to get ripped off. I have my sister's 2010 Nissan Sentra through June of next year (she's living temporarily in Philadelphia, where there's no place to park), and her car is overdue for a CVT fluid change. If all goes well at the transmission shop where I will be taking her car, I'll take mine there as well.

Also, should I have the shop drop the pan just to replace the 19 very rusty bolts? If so, I was wondering if I should have them replace the oil filter/strainer, since the additional additional labor cost would be minimal.

IllusionX
11-18-2018, 12:24 AM
My friend was comparing trans oil change without filter change as taking shower,but not changing your panties. [emoji23] So you to judge if you need it. Although, mine was on a mazda5, without previous owner maintenance history..

Oh! Don't forget your blinker fluid change lol

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Hamster
11-18-2018, 01:21 AM
@IllusionX Cost isn't a barrier, so I guess I'll just have the shop change the filter. Especially since this will be a service I'm only going to get done once or twice a decade.

Slightly off-topic, but regarding the old blinker fluid joke - Yes, there are actually idiots who fall for that kind of stuff. My other sister (not the one with the Nissan Sentra) went to a Honda dealership for the Takata airbag recall on her 2010 Honda Civic. When she went to pick up the car, the dealership somehow found a lot of catastrophic problems during an unsolicited "complementary inspection," and these things had to be fixed immediately, and the bill would total $500. I told her that it was unnecessary services for the sole purpose of making someone a commission, and to read the maintenance schedule, and join a Civic forum online. But, nope, she wouldn't listen, because she "doesn't know anything about cars, and they are the experts.":rolleyes: So, my thought is, even if you aren't going to do the work yourself, understand your car as much as you can.

06YarisRS
11-18-2018, 07:44 AM
My wife proudly states that she knows nothing about cars. She said that before we met, she mused about how great it would be to marry someone who could look after all the vehicle maintenance. I think she has since come to regret that. :laugh:

I do think that many people really want nothing to do with their cars other than to drive them. So, even though repair bills can be high, they are preferable to having to think about them. Having some mechanical knowledge does go a long way to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous repair shops/dealerships.

I think you are making a wise choice about having the dealer/shop do the transmission fluid change given the condition of the bolts. Anyone - experienced or not - can get into a real mess if bolts start snapping off. Regarding whether or not you should have the repair shop replace the bolts, I would simply ask them how much they would charge. I have sourced bolts from a dealership and they often run on the order of a few bucks for a tiny bolt - which adds up when you're buying 19 of them. The transmission shop would probably charge a lot less than as they would not likely be 'oem parts'. That said, if the heads of the bolts aren't severely rusted, they may just reuse them.

Good luck, and if you're willing to post up what was done and the cost, I know it would be appreciated by others on this site.

Hamster
11-18-2018, 10:45 PM
Thanks for your all your help, 06YarisRS! Yes, I will definitely update this thread with the total cost, how things went, the situation with the bolts, and maybe even a scan of the bill (with my name redacted, of course). That should give others an idea of how much this kind of work costs in the Midwest. However, everyone's going to have to be patient! I'm going to get the CVT fluid changed in my sister's car first. I'll get that done in the first half of December, when I'm off of work because I have to burn up a lot of annual leave by year's end. If all goes well at this transmission shop (my parents used this shop in the past for their Chryslers, with great experiences), I'll schedule an appointment for my car. That probably won't be until January. So, if all goes well, I'll update this thread in a couple months with all the details. Stay tuned!

Hamster
12-14-2018, 10:49 PM
Okay, as promised, I will update this thread. After all this, I've decided that the best thing to do is....nothing. Yes, nothing. I don't mean to start a war on this forum, but here's what I learned over the past month.

First, I went to Toyota's website and filled out the contact form, asking if there is any recommended service interval for the ATF. Here was the response:

Dear Ms. Hamster,

Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

We appreciate your interest in properly maintaining your 2009 Toyota Yaris.

Toyota does not specify a specific mileage or timeframe for the draining and refilling of the transmission fluid. Toyota does recommend that the transmission fluid be inspected every 30,000 miles or 36 months, whichever comes first. When a certified technician performs an inspection, the technician will determine if replacement transmission fluid is necessary.

Please visit here to view the entire Scheduled Maintenance Guide. (NOTE: It didn't copy over, but the word "here" linked to the warranty and maintenance schedule in .pdf form for a 2009 Yaris, available on Toyota's website.)

Thank you for taking the time to email us, and giving us the opportunity to assist you.

If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us .

Sincerely,

Roy G.
Toyota Customer Experience Center

Okay, so the message above wasn't particularly helpful. So, on to the next thing. I get my car detailed twice a year at an independent body shop that specializes in BMW and other German cars (because I'm a snob LOL). This shop does a lot of work for dealerships, and the owner knows everything about cars. And I mean everything. He will not do any mechanical repairs that are not related to an accident. So, I like bugging him with car questions, because he's got nothing to sell me. Anyway, after a recent detail to get the Yaris ready for winter, I asked him about the 30,000 miles ATF fluid inspection thing, told him about Toyota's e-mail message I posted above, and asked, once and for all, if ATF fluid degrades with time. I also told him that I pulled the dipstick out and the fluid still looked like new. He told me that no, ATF does not degrade with time. Then he got really, really technical, and what he said went over my head. Something involving the word "hydraulics." Anyway, he said that while engine oil degrades over time due to the extreme temperatures in the engine, ATF is not subject to the same extreme environment. And if there are any problems, it's usually because the fluid is low. His message to me was, the fluid is fine, I should not service the transmission, and I should not change or mess with the ATF unless absolutely necessary.

My thoughts about all this: My guess is that when Toyota says to inspect the fluid every 30,000 miles, what they mean is add fluid if it appears low, or change if it appears discolored or dirty. Otherwise, don't worry about it. I know there are probably a few people here who are going to disagree with me. But, I see plenty of older, 90's-era Toyotas on the road, and I'm sure the owners don't obsess over the ATF. Also, my parents have owned a 1997 Chrysler minivan since new, never thought about the transmission, and the thing has always shifted just fine. If some people here want to change the fluid, well, then there's no harm. But I don't see proof that it will extend the life of the car.

Before I talked to my auto body guy, I did call a transmission shop. I was quoted $150 for a transmission flush. That's quite a bit of money for a service that is not necessary. I'll use my $150 instead to make an extra principal payment on my mortgage. Anyway, I hope the info above was useful.

06YarisRS
12-15-2018, 06:45 PM
Whatever makes you happy! I know people that have high mileage cars and have never had any transmission related issues. You probably won't either. Case in point - when my wife and I first met, she had a 2000 Echo with over 250000 km on it. It shifted beautifully and operated smoothly through the gears and it never had any kind of transmission service. I still don't believe in a lifetime fluid. Your mechanic is correct in that ATF is not subject to the same conditions as motor oil such as products of combustion, extreme heat etc. However, I dont agree with his contention that ATF does not degrade over time/use. Your fluid is probably fine due to your crazy low mileage.

IllusionX
12-15-2018, 06:57 PM
Just watch this.

https://youtu.be/o690DovjDAc

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Hamster
12-15-2018, 10:07 PM
06YarisRS - I agree, it's unlikely I'll ever experience any transmission issues. I'll just follow Toyota's maintenance schedule. In another 3 years, I'll check the color again. If it changes color, I'll get the ATF and filter changed. But I'm not going to mess with something that ain't broke. I presume that if the ATF really degraded because of time alone, Toyota would say to change it in their maintenance schedule. Based on their maintenance schedule, it appears that the fluid is to be changed on an as-needed basis. Thus, they're not implying it's lifetime fluid, it just needs to be monitored.

IllusionX - I waste a lot of time watching car videos in YouTube. LOL! I am familiar with ChrisFix's channel. However, I would not consider him a reliable source. He's a backyard mechanic, not a professional. One of his videos made me cringe - He did a chemical flush of a BMW's cooling system, and filled the radiator with cheap, off-the-shelf coolant. A really big no-no on both counts. There's a lot a bad advice on the internet, so just be careful.