2020 4runner
what is the best way to maintain the transmission? Should I keep it sealed or drain and fill every so often? Looking for suggestions as far as intervals if drain and fill is the right way to go. Thanks
If you just drive it like a car, … drain and refill every, … say, 60k. If you tow, off-road, load heavily often, … cut that 1/2. Cheap insurance, …
F.S.
So just replace what comes out ever 60k? I don’t need to get it all out?
Precisely. Warm up the car, drain it, measure what you drained. Pour exactly the same amount as you drained, … but adjust volume for temperature.
That is, drain it, let it cool to a room temperature - same temperature as your new ATF cans you purchased prior. Measure drained volume at room temperature. Pour the equal volume of new ATF into the transmission. Check level, … done!
Note: … on one occasion, when I poured drained fluid into an empty 5.73 litre jug, … after drained ATF cooled down to room temperature, level dropped by close to a 6 millimetres. Substantial difference, …
Best,
F.S.
does the manual say keep it sealed?
5th generation 4Runner: … 5-speed is an over-flow level adjustment type of a transmission. There is three ways of how fluid can be drained, changed and level adjusted. Rather than me rambling how it is all done, lets hear out a genuine Toyota tech on this. Here it is, … applies to all “filled for life” Toyota automatic transmissions:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eRxSu4-4ojo
F.S.
ok but I asked him what his manual says.
Whole manual here:
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM35B54U/pdf/OM35B54U.pdf
… very little on transmission, section 8, page 529
Toyota often publishes the maintenance schedule in a separate document
Sure, … when I assisted my son in buying his new ‘19 RAV-4, we shopped around a four different dealers. Each dealer had their own "recommended maintenance service" handout with 8,000 km intervals with overriding time intervals in weeks. Three different services were tabulated, each service more extensive. They all were similar but not the same. They all were a photocopies on each dealer’s stationary, … and not a Toyota Canada printed matter. None indicated anything about ATF change or drain or whatever, other than check for leaks, … just curiously, one dealer had indicated "Replace Transfer Case Fluid” at 48,000 km, … and same at 96,000 km. Oh, Canada, … I guess.
Anyway, … that’s my experience with Toyota. Yours may differ substantially.
Best,
F.S.
I only see one on the corporate website
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms-s/T-MMS-204Runner/pdf/T-MMS-204Runner.pdf
"Life", "lifetime" in the automotive world means until it fails. Most automotive items are designed to last average of 100,000-150,000 miles. Its called planned obsolescence.
Technology and materials exist that could be used to make a vehicle last forever. Won't see that happening...too much money too be made off planned obsolescence.
