Random Dude wrote:Hello brains trust.
Is there an easy way to get a small sample of the AT fluid to check colour to see its condition?
My 2016 build hilux has about 140,000km (only last 10,000km were me) and i would like to have a little check to see how it looks.
In my old prado that i have now sold i dropped the AT fluid at 120,000km and it looked brand new. Don't want to go to the same effort with the Hilux if its not worth it.
Cheers,
Yes, undo the drain plug, measure and replace . (when cold/ room temp... cold out/cold in)
The colour will look dark compared to new fluid, but the fluid turns dark anyway.
The 2-3 lts that come out, will be refreshed with new obviously.
At your milage , its perfect.Certainly no sooner.
What you don't want to do, is a flush.
The fibres from the plates "float in the system and re-bed into the plates".
If you "Flush", those fibres are removed and the plates will now wear, ALL OVER AGAIN.
The secret is, not having "so many" fibres in the system that clog the galleries, but having some to be utilised.
So no flush!!
If you really want to be anal about the "level"
Drive the car around the block ( after the refill), use a scan gauge or other method
Get the temp of the pan, not torque converter to 42 plus or minus 1 deg wont matter.
Undo Check plug ( the guy with the 5mm allen head) and allow fluid to flow to a trickle and replace plug.
No fluid? .... add a little more and repeat