Transmission service

powerstrokeaaron wrote:

Coffee Grinder wrote:
Any options on transmission service: draining vs flushing. I know draining doesn't get the torque converter. Have a 2016 Tundra and the dealers have varied opinions on service as well as mileage intervals. Some say 100,000 mi. Any info will be appreciated.

I am a tech at Toyota and our dealer recommends a drain and fill with filter replacement at 15k and then every 30k after that. One of the few dealerships I have ever seen that don't try and sell you on the flush. The whole lifetime fluid thing is a sales gimmick, while synthetic fluid lasts a lot longer it doesn't last forever and better to be safe then sorry.

Lifetime lubricants are a marketing ploy. If the fluid didn't break down and lose some of it's effectiveness, it would still be carrying trace metal and dirt, the largest contributors to wear.

I thought I was the only backyard genius just dropping the pan fluid and replacing every few thousand. I guess not. For my '03 Ford 4R100 tranny, it is recommended not to change the filter/strainer during scheduled fluid change. I'm replacing about 7 qts. out of 14 qt. capacity. This thread reminds me it's time to change, again. I have 188K on the clock.