Automatic transmission lifespan?

F

fivegear

New member
I apologize to everyone if there is a past thread on this subject, I did a couple searches and didn't find one.

I am wondering how many miles you guys are seeing on the original transmission? An average or expected lifespan so to speak.

I have 165,xxx miles on my 98 V6. I have fully bypassed the radiator cooler with a B&M external one, and there is no evidence of the pink milkshake, the radiator appears to be original. The previous owner had the vehicle for 7 years and claims he did regular fluid changes on the transmission but had no paperwork to prove it. Everything seems fine, fluid is decently clean and doesn't smell burnt. It's just that I have been bitten by the bad transmission bug with multiple past vehicles and I am very gun shy.

Thanks, for any replies! :thumb3: Brian
 
Register to hide this ad
FWIW, I know a guy that has a T-100 with the same engine and trans. The last time I saw it several years ago, it had 360,000+ miles on the all original drivetrain, and still ran fine.

A little preventive maintenance goes a long way.

Since the trans fluid history is in question, I'd be inclined to change it.
 
I am a firm believer in preventative maintenance, so even though I'm not experiencing hard shifts or anything I'm still getting ready to install an external cooler and get the transmission flushed/inspected/new filter installed.

That's just not something I want to have to fix.

I'd definitely recommend getting it flushed. Other than pink milkshakes, I've never heard of any major issues with these transmissions.
 
Last edited:
Sounds good so far! Like I said, I have had bad luck on other vehicles I have owned in regards to transmission lifespan, even when properly cared for. My biggest problem is I can't afford to buy an SUV like the 4Runner new and have to hope for the best in something used :)
 
fivegear said:
Anybody else have experience to share on this? Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Change the fluid and stop worrying about it, as long as your not doing neutral drops and brakestands, your transmission should last you however long you own the truck. If you are that concerned you should just a manual transmission.
 
Between myself and my family we have owned plenty of both, manual and automatic transmissions. I am convinced at this point that the lifespan of a manual is no better than that of an automatic in many brands. I feel fairly confident that the automatic in my 4Runner is healthy and should be fine, I am just leery of transmissions in general after my past bad experiences. Sorry for the ramblings and paranoia :D
 
mine craped out at about 121,000 radiator fluid leaked into the trans..what a mess....so new trans and radiator and she is runnin smooth..its a 2000..
 
G-mny said:
mine craped out at about 121,000 radiator fluid leaked into the trans..what a mess....so new trans and radiator and she is runnin smooth..its a 2000..
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did the external cooler upgrade as soon as I got it to avoid that issue. :eek:
 
200k on my bypassed tranny. Have been supercharged for the past 15k miles. Regular fluid changes will make it last a long time. Knock on wood!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 313 (members: 4, guests: 309)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,307
Messages
3,554,048
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top