Why would you not want to drop the pan and change the filter?

 

Its not a time frame to get it back in other than you have to have the fluid in a certain temp range to be accurate.

BTW I flushed mine at 30 and will do again at 60, why not change all the fluid? Removing 3-4 quarts by draining is only half or less of the fluid, so there is still more than that used fluid left in that you are going to mix the new with. Not effective in my opinion.

 

If having it up on ramps makes you nervous, maybe you can use a local shop? Personally, I think you can make some decent ramps out of 2x10's or so, and those won't collapse. Then you know the job will be done to your satisfaction.

I didn't care to have it running, but I started mine up while it was sorta cold, and the exhaust wasn't that warm by the time I checked fluid level. Shame on Toyota for removing the stupid dipstick, sometimes I wonder who was the bigger dip (the maker or the buyer).

 

For the "flush" thing, the vehicle manual in the truck says to never flush the trans. On any other truck I've had, my transmission guy never (and I mean NEVER) recommends a flush. So I just didn't want the "flush". If what I am calling a "flush" (where the force heated fluid through the transmission and take a chance on blowing crud all through the thing, plus blowing the seals) is not what Toyota is calling a "flush", then maybe I need to get more details on what the dealer will do.

As for not wanting to change the "filter", isn't that just a screen that gets cleaned out and not really a "change" of the filter?

Thanks for the info so far, guys!

(And yes, I'm still OCD about things like this!)

 

So instead of the word flush I should use fluid exchange. There is no pump on the equipment the transmission pushes out the old while the new goes in at room temp. Tranny guys get weirded out about it because people usually wait to long to service then the trans takes a shit and the customer wants to blame it on the service, done as maintenance before there is an issue has no effect.

 

Parts counter called it a strainer, and it certainly looks like a strainer. I don't think the "filter" does any real filtering. So probably best to leave alone.

That said, I'd do a pan drop at least once. You can examine the magnets and look for fuzz, and clean them. Also, the ATF looked worse in the bottom of the pan. I'm not sure how well the trans sucks up oil from the bottom of the pan, so I wonder if the most loaded up oil gets there? Doing a drain on the pan does not get all the oil, but dropping does. Would new ATF help to loosen up that oil, and then that new-ish ATF be changed? Dunno. Maybe it's just fine to not remove the pan. But for the effort I'd drop the pan.

 

Do it right the first time. Have them change out all the fluid and clean the pan. The strainer can get plugged up if there were a failure/friction material in the transmission. The level needs to be set at around 133deg to operate properly. Toyota removed the dipstick to prevent people from doing improper maintenance on the transmission.
I'm on my third time changing the fluid...

 

All good advice. Thanks for that info, guys. I will use the word "fluid exchange" and not "flush". That may be what's causing some of my confusion and apprehension.

Again, thanks all!

 

Reading your post at first I didn't know what u mean why you would be nervous being under your truck while running and lifted. It doesn't need to have the wheels actually spinning to get the tranny oil to operating temp. Look it up in the manual it eves sais it there" idle" until 115 is reached to check corect level. Leave the filter and do your own "flush" thru the return line of the termostat from the cooler. Just like the toyota tech told you truck does it by itself while circulating the fluid around you just add new fluid to the pan and truck replaces it by spitting out the old. There is a great post in this forum with pictures and all. Look it up tundra transmission flush

 

I'm a Toyota tec I towed with my 07 up to 180k miles and never changed the fluid. The new fluid now a days is way better than the older stuff. That's why u now have a simple wire mesh screen instead of a filter. And bc there's not a need to change it they sealed it up that's why they took away points for contamination to get in ie the dip stick. As long as ur not towing a ton of Lb all the time u should be fine. But if u insisted on changing it a simple drain and refill is fine. It's true u have to adjust the fluid while it's running and there is a min and max trans temp to do this. It sounds easy but it's is a bit tuff to get it just right, bc if u miss it u have to let the trans cool all the way back down and try it again. And it does have to be just right. Hope this helps.

Oh and u don't have 1.5 sec to put the fluid back in. So that severe man was wrong on that. But that's about the amount of time u have to get the fluid level correct before it goes above the temp range...... Ok so it's prob more like 30-45sec but u get it point.