My Transmission Service

[campbeam]

Highly recommend that you read Tony's initial post so that you know the correct procedure. It will save you from a lot of trials and errors until you get the desirable end result of a smoothly changing transmission. 

Following YouTube video by The Car Nut emphasises getting the fluid level correct. I noted how he described/defined the ATF fluid changing to a trickle. Original Toyota procedure was having the ATF fluid changing to a series of drops. This difference in methods would explain adding the additional 200ml. 

Following shortcuts/workarounds are suggested only after you know how get the correct fluid level. It also assumes that your transmission currently has the correct fluid level and the ATF is cold. 

Method : Drain and replace the exact same amount of ATF.

For this, I have used a number of 1.5litre plastic bottles to compare levels between the drained ATF and the new ATF. I have found this to be very accurate. With this method, you do not need to have the engine running and it can have the benefit of being able to change more of the ATF. 

Method 2: Do the ATF change procedure without measuring temperature. I am located in Brisbane so more likely to use this method later in the morning after ambient temperature has increased. You will need to be organised and move quickly.

I start with parking the car on a level driveway and measuring the ride height for the front passenger wheel. Jack up front passenger and remove wheel to be able to access the transmission fill plug.

Remove the fill plug and inserting a plastic tube ready for the refill. I use a length of plastic tube and a funnel inserted down near the battery to the side of the transmission. 

Remove the drain plug and internal fill level plastic straw for the pan drain. Lower passenger side to the previously measured ride height. Refit the plastic straw and finger tighten the drain plug. Fill with new ATF; at least same volume as drained.  

Start the (cold overnight) engine and with foot pressed down on the brake pedal then cycle through the gears Park , Neutral, Drive then back to Park. I use a slow count of 10 for each gear change. Remove drain plug then refit after drain of ATF has slowed to a series of drops.

Turn off engine and add another 200ml of ATF. Tighten fill plug and refit wheel.  

On a final note, there is another video (5:00 minute mark) by The Car Nut where he talks when you should be replacing the ATF. This made me realise that I had been doing too many frequent pan drains and causing more wear on the friction plates. A pan drain approx. every 2 years should now be quite adequate for my vehicle.

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by campbeam
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[Evgeniy]

On 6/24/2022 at 9:49 AM, Tony Prodigy said:

My pleasure. I did the detailed write up especially for people like yourself and I'm happy it was of some use to you.

No, it's not necessary. The reason I did a full flush as because I was going to use the Penrite LV fluid and a pan drain would mean for me some Penrite and the rest Toyota's WS fluid. 
Me being the fussy person that I am, I didn't wan to mix up two brands of fluid. Either have on or the other, so that meant a full flush. Being a low mileage vehicle and a transmission in excellent order, a full flush was always possible.

The reason why some mechanics don't recommend a full flush, it's mainly aimed at  much older vehicles with high mileage. and by fully flushing the fluid, it can alter the behaviour of the transmission and slippage may occur between the bands. 

I'll explain. When an old transmission circulates old fluid, it usually carries around with it the debris from the clutches. Not a bad thing and not a good thing either, but things can still go wrong if the debris builds to a point where it clogs the filter an the valve body. So it has to be a gently, gently approach and by doing a pan drain, you are not removing the friction material circulating in the fluid on which the old clutches still rely on and you get to partly refresh the fluid pressures on which the transmission relies on. Usually at that stage it is inevitable the trans will either need an overhaul anyway.

So a well maintained and well cared for transmission can be either pan drained or fully flushed in my opinion. Just be weary of the higher miler units. Approach those gently.

Not too sure, I haven't looked into the fill hole to see myself. I would strongly recommend taking the pan off to inspect for any metal filing captured by the pan magnets though. This will give you an opportunity to clean the pan and the magnets and replace the old pan gasket. I made the mistake of using a generic service kit, in that it had an after market fluid filter and a cork sump gasket. Cork is ok but doesn't stand up to the original Toyota gasket. I have since purchased one and is on standby for the next service, which will be a pan drain, because I know the fluid in mine is good following the previous flush. Mind you, my transmission, at the time, was carrying the original factory fill fluid. So now it is running the Penrite LV and will continue to use it.

It drives as good as it ever has. Absolutely no change. I did the fluid change at 123K and it's now at approximately 142K and still drives like a new car.

Shifts are smooth and precise. I can honestly say that it's never put a foot wrong. Great car !

How many kays are on your Aurion and do you have a full service history ? More to the point, do you have history on the trans ?

Thank you again Tony. I have changed the oil in Trans like for like and only in a pan (Toyota ATF WS, expensive fluid, but not required full flash). Washed the pan as per your recommendation and changed the filter and gasket. Oil surprisingly was not too bad (I did change at 170K, but I just bought this 2007 Presara). Still red colour and not much debris on the pan at all. I did it because I did know the history of this car, may be someone already did it. Car itself very beautiful despite it is 15 YO and I just did not want to take a gambling with Trans.    

[Tony Prodigy]

No problem. The pan drain will be fine for a vehicle with a known history. If you do this annually (you don't have to), it will ensure a prolonged life of your transmission.

Did you measure how much fluid came out ? Did you also perform the fluid level check ?

Like for like fluid change is ok, but there is the possibility that it may be slightly overfilled or under.

[Evgeniy]

On 7/5/2022 at 1:16 AM, Tony Prodigy said:

No problem. The pan drain will be fine for a vehicle with a known history. If you do this annually (you don't have to), it will ensure a prolonged life of your transmission.

Did you measure how much fluid came out ? Did you also perform the fluid level check ?

Like for like fluid change is ok, but there is the possibility that it may be slightly overfilled or under.

Yes, I dropped hot (around 60 C) fluid from the drain bolt and after pan has been opened, from the pan to the 5L measuring jar (I called it the Bunnings jar). I was awaiting for several hours to make sure that the fluid in the jar and new ATF WS will be at same ambient temperature. Meantime I have installed the pan and new filter back. In jar it was around 2.8 L of old fluid at temperature of 22 C in my garage. Than I have injected exactly 2.9 L of new ATW WS to the transmission (for 100 ml more than was). So, I did not check the fluid level because I do not have the controller to connect it to the car computer. I do not have even simple temperature laser gun. So, it was a risky exercises, but I have used simple logic - substituted absolutely same volume of drained fluid with same volume of new fluid and make sure that these two fluids have same ambient temperature. Plus additional 100 ml. So far, so good.  After 50K will do it by more scientific way - will buy a controller to connect car's computer and use the drain plug to get the level in pan at 42.5 C.        

[Tony Prodigy]

5 hours ago, Evgeniy said:

Yes, I dropped hot (around 60 C) fluid from the drain bolt and after pan has been opened, from the pan to the 5L measuring jar (I called it the Bunnings jar). I was awaiting for several hours to make sure that the fluid in the jar and new ATF WS will be at same ambient temperature. Meantime I have installed the pan and new filter back. In jar it was around 2.8 L of old fluid at temperature of 22 C in my garage. Than I have injected exactly 2.9 L of new ATW WS to the transmission (for 100 ml more than was). So, I did not check the fluid level because I do not have the controller to connect it to the car computer. I do not have even simple temperature laser gun. So, it was a risky exercises, but I have used simple logic - substituted absolutely same volume of drained fluid with same volume of new fluid and make sure that these two fluids have same ambient temperature. Plus additional 100 ml. So far, so good.  After 50K will do it by more scientific way - will buy a controller to connect car's computer and use the drain plug to get the level in pan at 42.5 C.        

You did great. I'm sure it will be ok. The reason for the fluid level check is to ensure correct operating pressure so you don't get strange gear shifts.

If you assume that the transmission fluid level is ok from  the beginning, and the gear shifts are good, then your procedure is acceptable. Like for like plus an additional 100ml is ok.

When performing a full flush, it is absolutely necessary to follow the correct fluid adjustment procedure.

At least you had a go and you did well. Some people are hesitant to fiddle with the transmission and that's understandable, but you applied logic to your approach and it has saved you money and time. 

[jacko16]

On 10/17/2020 at 4:59 PM, Tony Prodigy said:

G'day Gents,

I finally stopped procrastinating and did the auto transmission service today. This service consisted of 3 parts. 

Current Odometer reading 123,050 Klm. Original factory fill for transmission.

1. Pan drain and replacement of filter.

2. Full System Fluid flush.

3. Fluid Level Adjustment.

Ok, so here we go:

1. PAN DRAIN AND REPLACEMENT OF FILTER

Had to jack the car up on all fours to get the level required. This took some time but was able to get it nice and level. Being level gives more accuracy when doing the fluid level adjustment as you know, so I took my time here and got it pretty close. Be sure to not only check the longitudinal balance, but also the lateral balance too. You don't want the car to be dipping to any one side. Nice and level everywhere.

Shop lifts make this so much easier as the car lifter is already installed on level ground, but for us who don't have that luxury, we must do it with a trolley jack and adjustable axle stands. I prefer the threaded adjustable axle stands for this purpose. If you don't have such stands, then you can just use some packing at the base of the stand as required to achieve the desired result.

After this I proceeded to drain the pan before undoing all the pan bolts to further drain the residual fluid. The fluid was darkish but by no means bad like the brown sauce we're used to seeing. It still had a tinge of redness to it but more of a purple/red colour. Definitely due for replacement though. 

 This was the total amount of fluid from pan drain. Approximately 2.6 Lt.

 

That pesky bolt we've discussed was quite easy to remove as I had just the right tool for this. I was able to use the socket end of this Snap-On 10mm and was able to get just enough clearance to rotate it out. 

With the pan out, I was pleasantly surprised to see how clean the fluid actually looked for never having been serviced. The magnets did their job well and collected the fine material too. 

The valve body and innards were nice and clean, and you can still see the translucent nature of the old fluid clearly. This car has never been thrashed or driven harshly or towed with, so it was expected the fluid wouldn't be anything close to brown. The inside of the original filter also looked very clean. I was tempted to re use it too. It's a Denso filter and it looks to be of high quality.

  

 

 

      

Gave the pan and magnets a thorough clean until shiny new and fitted new pan gasket and proceeded to install. Straw was screwed back into place during this time.

After installing new filter and pan, torqued everything up and filled with the amount that was initially removed, which was 2.6 Lt plus an additional litre to commence the flushing procedure.

 

2. Full System Fluid flush.

 

I searched out this method because I wanted to purge as much of the WS fluid in there and have mostly the new Penrite LV. It took several flushes to get the required result, which was clear red fluid. I removed the return line from the radiator and attached a clear hose to enable the dirty fluid to collect in the clear jug. I would start the car momentarily  and watch the old fluid pump itself into the jug. When it got to around 1 Lt, I shut the engine off and repeated the process. I ended up doing six flushes, each time adding a litre or more in. To demonstrate the colour change from old fluid to new fluid, I dipped a piece of paper into each sample collected from each flush. By this stage I had used up nearly 3 containers of fluid.

I also saved 200 ML for the final top up as per the update in the service bulletin. You thought I was going to forget this hey Ash ? LOL..

 

  

This was after the 6th flush and the results speak for themselves.

Handy "Tom Thumb" fluid transfer bottle. These are a high quality item and will serve you well when you need to add fluid without making a mess. I purchased half a dozen of these a while back and I assign one of each to a specific fluid type so no cleaning required between use.

Hook design dispensing tip allows the tip to remain in place whilst pumping the fluid through. Neat touch I thought.

 

These below are the fluid samples taken at each flush. I used a different jug for each sample collected so no cross contamination of colours.

This one has all six plus a "control" sample from new fluid straight out of the Penrite Container.

You can clearly see the change after the fourth flush. I decided I'd keep going until I used up the contents of the 3rd container for best results.

Happy with this I fitted the return line back to the radiator and proceed to do the final step. Fluid Adjustment.

3. Fluid Level Adjustment.

So now it was time to commence the fluid level adjustment and after having topped up the transmission for the final time, I hooked up my Autel Maxysis and dialled into the transmission live data to monitor the transmission fluid  temperature. The given target is somewhere between 40-45 degrees C. I opted for 42.5 degrees.

I started the engine and waited for everything to warm up. During this time I cycled the fluid by going through the gears (with foot on the brake). I went from P to D back and fourth a few times to enable the fluid to cycle itself thoroughly.

As soon as it hit 42.5 I went under and loosened off the drain bolt, and with engine running, collected the overflow until it slowed to a trickle as specified. Torqued up the drain bolt and then I added the extra 200ml as per the bulletin. 

Cleaned up the area, put tools away, re assembled the various bits on the car, removed off the axle stands, washed up and took it for a drive. I decided to go for a drive to the local garage, that way I could also check tyre pressures too.. 

The car drove magnificent. Gear changes still smooth, both on the up shifts and downshifts and nothing unusual.

Just happy it's done now. I think I'll just do a pan drain on an annual basis from now on.

Need new tyres soon....

Thank you for reading my report guys. Hope you all liked it.

Thanks for this, good job.

Do you still have the Toyota bulletin showing to add 200ml? Please and also haw save is it to user after market ATF.

Thanks.

[campbeam]

U660E AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID ADJUSTMENT.doc

2 hours ago, jacko16 said:

Thanks for this, good job.

Do you still have the Toyota bulletin showing to add 200ml? Please and also haw save is it to user after market ATF.

Thanks.

  On page 12 of the attached document, there is mention of adding another 200ml of ATF.

I have been using aftermarket ATF in my Aurion for about 6 years. Penrite ATF LV meets the Toyota WS specification. I have been using this ATF for at least 3 years and intend to keep doing so.

Remember that it is your vehicle and you make the final decision. It is more convenient for me to go to my local SuperCheap Auto or Repco than to the Spare Parts Dept of the nearest Toyota dealership.

[jacko16]

On 9/28/2022 at 2:42 PM, campbeam said:

U660E AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID ADJUSTMENT.doc 1.13 MB · 27 downloads

  On page 12 of the attached document, there is mention of adding another 200ml of ATF.

I have been using aftermarket ATF in my Aurion for about 6 years. Penrite ATF LV meets the Toyota WS specification. I have been using this ATF for at least 3 years and intend to keep doing so.

Remember that it is your vehicle and you make the final decision. It is more convenient for me to go to my local SuperCheap Auto or Repco than to the Spare Parts Dept of the nearest Toyota dealership.

2 good thanks.

 

[campbeam]

What I have learnt from previous YouTube videos by The Car Nut is that I am guilty of over-servicing the transmission and changing the ATF too often. Having an older transmission, I am staying with a pan drain method. Recent YouTube video by The Car Nut answers the main questions about when to change the ATF. Now rethinking when I will do the next pan drain to refresh the additives in the ATF.

Interesting balanced approach of what not to do with automatic transmissions that are well overdue. I bought my 2006 Aurion ATX with 165K kms on the odometer and 9 years old. There was a significant build up of sludge on the pan, deep enough to write your name in it. Definitely worthwhile cleaning the inside of the transmission pan.

 

[ZZT86]

^ ^ ^  This is typical Toyota recommendation - pan drain & fill & life is good. Min 50K kms, max 100K kms. Certainly easier to do, 2.6L out of 6.5L is 40% of the fluid. If done every 50K kms then the tranny should be happy for a very long life. Having said that my old Camry had regular ATM fluid changes (flushes from memory) & the tranny behaved beautifully especially when hot. Food for thought. Need to do mine asap as time is ticking & the temp isn't on my side - Melb crappy weather 😐

Edited April 10, 2023 by ZZT86

[ZZT86]

@Tony Prodigy  Hi mate, curious to know how your Aurions ATM is holding up after that fluid flush you did in October 2020 ? Same as pre-flush or different ? Need to do mine now . . . . . 😀

Also on your Autel scan tool did you select the Active Test item: "Connect the TC and TE1 / ON" ? I'm guessing not & just kept an eye on the temps & when in range go hell for leather ?

Cheers 😉

[campbeam]

On 2/15/2024 at 12:16 AM, ZZT86 said:

@Tony Prodigy  Hi mate, curious to know how your Aurions ATM is holding up after that fluid flush you did in October 2020 ? Same as pre-flush or different ? Need to do mine now . . . . . 😀

Also on your Autel scan tool did you select the Active Test item: "Connect the TC and TE1 / ON" ? I'm guessing not & just kept an eye on the temps & when in range go hell for leather ?

Cheers 😉

Looks like Tony has not seen your post or is super busy working all hours including on call weekend.

Knowing or appreciating Tony's meticulous procedural approach, I fully expect that there has been no noticeable difference between a full flush or a pain drain with gear changes being silky smooth.

I would suggest starting with a pan drain and compare the colour of the drained ATF will new ATF. If a dark colour, then consider a full flush or alternatively do a pan drain and refill and a drive around the block to mix and circulate the ATF. Next step is to do another pan drain and fill. A full flush will replace all of the ATF so going to be good for another 70,000 kms. The pan drain and refill method should be good for 1-2 years, as a general rule. 

[ZZT86]

Hi Ash / guys,

I actually have been liaising with Tony via email & I'm yet to reply to him as I have been busy myself. He did in actual fact report back very promptly that all is very well with his car, as I expected & as such have proceeded to do the work required which was done this Sunday 18th Feb just gone.

I jacked up the car & leveled it off as best as I could but I can now see I was off by about 7mm lower in the rear after confirming the raised & on ground levels. My mate mechanic confirmed at the time that it's no big deal & makes little to no difference in the end.

What I also confirmed after the pan drain was that only 1.5L came out ! I'm also 100% sure the red "straw" fitting was not screwed all the way in meaning a lower hold capacity in the pan? Anyhow, I was actually also gob-smacked as the oil started to pour out into the pan & then into my measuring bottle just how clean & red it looked for 98,149kms. So much so I was in two minds about pouring it back in & calling it a day for a while longer.

But since I purchased this 20L drum of LV back in Feb 2021, I thought I better use it & just go through with the whole operation. I connected to the "return line" & commenced flushing about 1L at a time, using 2 identical bottles all measured up, 1 for old oil & another for new so that what came out goes back in. There was a 3rd 5L bottle with new fresh oil as it was easier to pour than the 20L drum. I kept notes of the whole process as I flushed out a total of 7.3L in 6 individual attempts. So all in all 8.8L of new fluid plus I added an extra 0.5L for the adjustment phase.

I prepped for the adjustment by having an extra 1L on hand just in case nothing came out with tools also at the ready. I plugged in my new Autel MK808S scan tool which is virtually identical to Tony's & is the same model as my mate mechanic & confirmed A/T oil temp to be below 40C - it was in fact at 34.3C.

According to the Toyota RM for the GSV50R using the intelligent tester, ie: laptop with Techstream or a scan tool, you are supposed to switch "TC and TE1" - ON before starting the engine, observing the dash lcd for "D" signal as you quickly cycle the tranny b/w N & D for 6 seconds or more. The "D" will light up for 2 seconds then go off completely, which it did. This causes the engine to go into fluid temperature detection mode. Then select "P" on tranny, release foot brake & on the scan tool switch "TC and TE1" - OFF. Doing this activates engine idle speed control mode which becomes active as soon as the oil hits 35C & at which point raises the engine idle speed to a constant 800rpm & keeps it there to precisely adjust oil temps until it's switched off, which it did on queue.

I waited for 5 minutes for the oil to reach 40C & as soon as it did the engine fan came on precisely at the same time. I had the scan tool on the windscreen showing a custom list of parameters - coolant temp, engine speed, TC terminal on & A/T oil temp 1 on the same screen. Engine speed hovering about 800rpm, temps all looked ready. I quickly got under the car on my creeper, got my right shoulder stuck under there as it was a tight fit, lost the drain plug in the pan whilst draining, found it again, flow started to trickle & as such I closed it off with 41.2C on the screen. Piece of cake ! Oh, I added the final 200ml in the end as per Toyota Adjustment TSB as posted many times here by Ash.

I didn't think the Aurion could get any smoother or quieter but it has. Despite the oil looking great for it's age, the shifts between all gears especially the lowest are impeccable, smoother, quicker change of gear, acceleration & deceleration. I'm really amazed at the 2GR/U660E masterpiece. You may as well call it an EV.

So job done in the end, all that procrastination & worry of fluffing the tranny over nothing. As AMD suggests, I may very well re-check/confirm the oil level again in a week or two to be sure, but I've already driven about 150kms in my usual drive routes, hot & cold & it's really pleasing to see a great result thus far. What's also impressive is the Penrite LV oil, a virtual perfect full synthetic swap for the Toyota WS. I love it 🙂

Of course this wouldn't have been possible without the help of all the guys on this forum including Ashley for his persistent knowledge & Tony's for this informative thread. To you all , I thank you 🙂

One final note, I have owned this car since 28K kms & I fully understand its history & know that it has been driven sedately & babied all its life which allows me to get an excellent result with an AT fluid flush. As they say YMMV, especially if the history is questionable.

Edited February 20 by ZZT86

[Steeevo]

@Tony Prodigy

 

Hi mate, great write up, just a quick question, I have the same trans U660e in my GSR50 V6 Estima I just acquired, im told it had a trans service recently but was keen to do a drop and flush anyways and change all fluids, I did it cold and removed the “straw” from the drain hole as required and only got out about 1.8 litres of ATF fluid in total, can you tell me if the 2.6 litres you go out is the required amount please, (it seems to be around the mark from my reading at 2.6-2.8 litres) I’m assuming it was underfilled? 
 

care to chime in?

 

thanks Steve 

[Baxter190388]

According to this documentation 2.8 litres is correct. No personal experience though.

[Tony Prodigy]

On 4/3/2024 at 9:01 PM, Steeevo said:

@Tony Prodigy

 

Hi mate, great write up, just a quick question, I have the same trans U660e in my GSR50 V6 Estima I just acquired, im told it had a trans service recently but was keen to do a drop and flush anyways and change all fluids, I did it cold and removed the “straw” from the drain hole as required and only got out about 1.8 litres of ATF fluid in total, can you tell me if the 2.6 litres you go out is the required amount please, (it seems to be around the mark from my reading at 2.6-2.8 litres) I’m assuming it was underfilled? 
 

care to chime in?

 

thanks Steve 

Hi Steve, my apologies as I've been quite busy and have not had much time to get on here.

Regarding your 1.8 L, I couldn't tell you if it was underfilled or not. Not sure if the pan you have is the same as what's in the Aurion's U660E. If it is, then most likely it was underfilled or the fluid level was not checked correctly previously. You also need to have the vehicle level to do this procedure correctly too.

When you do the pan drain and then go to refill through the fill hole, you always put more in than what you took out anyway because the excess will come out during the fluid level check at the appropriate temperature range anyway.

Mine was never touched before this service, so the fill level was factory hence the 2.6L. The bulletin called for the additional 200ml, so the amount could vary between 2.6 and 2.8. You will be safe either way.

Your next pan drain amount will be interesting to see.