4RunnerFever

What a nightmare changing the entire atf via the amsoil method. I had to disconnect the sway bar and then I poured fluid all over myself and the garage. The gasket was a bit@h to remove.

Now, I'm having trouble judging the level.

I need some help on how to 'read' the dipstick. On the first test drive it was slipping like crazy. I've checked the level and added a bit of fluid, but how do you know the level is correct and not just coming from the inside of the dip tube?

I'm so exasperated!!

4RunnerFever

I think I might of fried the tranny with my short 10 mile 'test' drive. The fluid seems to have a few small metal flakes in it and it smells a little burnt. It is still bright red though.

Somebody tell me to take a deep breath. Maybe I should go ahead and change the fluid in the pan again??

AgRunner06

Alright just slow down. How much does Amsoil say to add back into the tranny? When you check your fluid you should have the vehicle running and shift it through all the gears first and end in park. Then check the level on the dipstick. This will give you the cold level which should get you in the ballpark of how much fluid you should have. Once you have that level right, take it for a drive to get it all warmed up. Then check the level after moving through all the gears again. Add fluid as necessary.

:bounce2:

4RunnerFever

I went ahead and changed the fluid in the pan again. I'll take your advice AgRunner06 - thanks.

How do you know the level on the dip stick is correct? I've got fluid on the sides of the dip stick well past the hot line. But the level where there is full coverage of the dip stick is below the cold line.

Amsoil says 11 quarts for a total refill, but folks here on yotatech say 16. I ran 16 through it just to make sure I got all the old stuff out. It is really hard to tell when the old stuff is out and the new stuff is in because the old fluid was pretty much the same color.

MTL_4runner

Take it easy on that poor tranny of yours with the S/C when doing maintenance. Make sure to check the level of the fluid with the engine running, tranny warm and on level ground. You should also get the valve body upgrade done if you have not already. I doubt you fried your tranny with the fluid change but careful putting all that power through before you have things set up right. I agree that if there are metal flakes in the pan, just change the fluid again until you get clean fluid.

TechWrench

If you have just added fluid to the trans thru the filler tube, it will give you somewhat of a false reading on the sides of the dip stick. It is best to wait 10-15 min when cold to check the fluid level after adding fluid because some of the fluid sticks to the sides of the tube. This could give you a false reading on the sides of the stick. If you are trying for a 'hot' reading, you have to drive until the trans is at operating temp. Remember, the engine temp gauge will reach normal operating temp way before the trans. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground, and after stopping, shift thru all positions and back to park and wait a min or two for things to settle before taking a reading. It is best to have the cold level reading as close to correct as possible before driving at all. If you have drained the pan, and are refilling, add the fluid slowly, and wait for the level to settle before checking. Once you get to the cold mark, start the engine and shift thru the gears to get pump pressure up and any 'drain back' back in place. Then check the cold level again and add more if needed until the cold level is correct. Only then go for the hot level check. Also, be careful on how you insert the dipstick into the tube, try not to twist it and make sure you have it all the way in to get a proper reading. I always pull the stick, wipe it clean and reinsert it to get a clean reading.

4RunnerFever

Keep the advice coming folks. I had a and calmed down a little. I'm going to wait until the morning to check it again. I just need to get away from it for a while because I've literally spent about 10 hours on this damn fluid change.

Is it possible to burn the tranny with low fluid in just 10 miles? I'm hoping Amsoil saved me.

BTW - I disconnected the line before the oil cooler rather than after (my bad), but I can't see how this would matter to the flushing procedure. I ran an extra two quarts through after the fact with the return line disconnected. Any cause and effect here?

TechWrench

The only problem with disconnecting the wrong line from the oil cooler would be possible added difficulty in catching the flushed oil without making a mess. Remember, once disconnected, the return line has no pressure, and if I remember correctly no suction. The fluid only returns to the trans because of the pressure in the closed loop circuit. If you open the pressure side from the trans, the return line goes neutral. As long as the fluid level is correct after the flush, everything should be OK. The only other possible issue could be the flush process dislogged some material in the unit, and it is now clogging the filter. Did you change or clean the filter when the pan was off?

4RunnerFever

Yep - changed the filter so that should be good. I'm pondering starting over from scratch. It will just be expensive to buy new fluid and filter. Still, it would be cheaper than a new tranny.

ColImport

so what ended up happening here???

95ToyotaPU007

I'm glad I took mine to a respectable transmission shop. They did the job for $65. Oil, filter, and flushing included (including the torque converter).