Hello scotty I have a question I just bought a 2011 rav4 2.5 front wheel drive with a 184000 miles The previous owner who' was a lady only put 20000 miles in the last 3 years and don't know when the transmission fluid was changed should I change it now It's shifting great But I want the car to last me at least 3 years so I want to Do all the right maintenance.
I did it looks black but because is shifting great im scare to change it i been driving sticks for years so now so im scare to change it lol but im going to do it and get oem fuilds
Have a read through the link I posted. All the best!
Check the condition of the fluid. If it seems in decent shape I would change the fluid with filter if possible. Also save the old fluid incase the transmission starts to slip
So if it starts to act up put the old fuild back?
Yes
My 2 cents...
1) I would NOT do a full change or flush.
2) Examine the dipstick (2011s still had them) observe with a bright, direct light (sunlight is best) to see if there's floating metallic pieces. The more damage, the less inclined I would be to do anything as 180k is three times as long as the fluid's best intervals.
3) It may work to suck out through the dipstick tube an amount like a quart and just add new oil for viscosity and additives. The debris from the clutches should have sunk, so sucking from the top will cut down removing the slip-preventing grit.
4) The most extreme thing I would consider would be a drain and fill if the fluid doesn't look like it's full of debris. Approximately 3-5 quarts. If the original transmission fluid was ATF-WS, use that EXCLUSIVELY.
5) Buy new gaskets/crush washers BEFORE doing a drain and fill. Buy or borrow a torque wrench.
You can buy the needed materials from parts.toyota.com Look at a few dealerships because prices vary. Online is usually cheaper (15%-25%) than walk-in prices for most smart dealerships.
