Hello Scotty, I really enjoy your videos and need you to settle a debate in my family. My 04 Toyota highlander, automatic, V6 & has 154,000 miles on it. I purchased this car new and drove it back and forth to work until I retired 1 1/2 years ago. The mileage is 50/50 highway and city driving. I plan on keeping the car. I have never changed the transmission fluid. When I check the fluid it is pink and does not smell burnt. No problems with the car shifting. I have now passed the mileage that you recommend changing the fluid. Should I change it now or change one quart at a time. Some of my family members say leave it alone. What's your recommendation?
Thank you, Kay
Leave. It. Alone.
Why fix something that isn’t broken? It may work perfectly fine after you change the fluid. However, it MAY also start slipping after.
Why take that risk?
If you plan on keeping it, then yes you need to change the fluid. If that breaks the transmission, and it's unlikely that it will, then you should get the transmission rebuilt or replaced because it needed it anyway. This is my opinion, and it seems to be an unpopular one on this forum. If the car isn't worth a new transmission to you then just keeping driving it.
see Scotty video
Here's Why Changing Your Transmission Fluid Can Cause Damage
rebuilt trans from non-dealer probably 2/3 the current price of 04 highlander???
Ya know when you do a normal change, you don't change all the fluid so the following idea probably won't work. I thought, if you think you are risking making the transmission slip by changing the fluid, why not save the old fluid? But if it slips and you want to put the old fluid back in, you probably still have 1/2 the new fluid still circulating.
Maybe you can make a business selling a clutch dust additive to temporarily revive old transmissions that were made useless because the fluid was changed. {black}:hi:
