Can't enter temperature check mode in transmission

[gsrthomas]

I want to do a full flush on my 2009 4runner 4x4 V6 this weekend. Bought 13 quarts of WS fluid from the Toyota dealer a few days ago I wanted to practice the transmission temperature check mode before I tackled the job.

I have tried the procedure like 6-8 times already and the AT TEMP light won't blink at all.

I followed this procedure to the exact letter. Read it many times too.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/63851-how-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.html

Is there a trick to this? Has anyone done this to a late model 4runner??

 

[gsrthomas]

I forgot to mention that I tried the procedure after driving the vehicle 6 or so miles tonight? Maybe the transmission was to hot so it did not want to enter the temp mode? Its very cold outside and it sat for 10-15 minutes.

Not sure what it is. Will try again tomorrow morning when engine is completely cold.

Any help appreciated!

 

[gsrthomas]

Anyone ever do this? Seems like it's mandatory when changing your fluid. No one does this?

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I have no experience with the manual transmission fluid check mode. Usually you can either utilize a scantool capable of pulling trans temp on a datastream or an infrared thermometer on the trans pan. I also believe that for the 4Runner the temperature is more like 97*F -115*F or at least it was something like that when I did my V8 4Runner.

 

[chmura]

Wish I could help.

 

[gsrthomas]

Well I changed the fluid today.

Tranny fluid was dirty at only 50k miles. I highly recommed people to fully flush their transmissions as these can go 200k miles easily when maintained well.

I even dropped the pan. Pan is very easy to remove so I cleaned up all the magnets on the bottom inside the pan. You can see the little magnets in the pics. They collect tiny metal debris. Magnets had a very small film on them. This means transmission is healthy.

I used a IR gun to get the temp. I drove for 10 miles and took the pan temperature before changing the fluid. It was 42C. After changing the fluid I let it idle for 20 minutes and temp reached 41.8c and I called that good.

I measured the old fluid precisely and put in the same amount of new fluid back in.

I'm anal so I might buy a the scan guage just to read the transmission temps and check the level again.

 

[JB.]

Thanks for posting the pics. I enjoyed getting a look at the pan and innards.

Not a bad idea to be proactive on it if that's what suits you. It seems this synthetic fluid really is very long lasting and that calling it lifetime is not a complete exaggeration. Many transmissions are getting some pretty high mileages without even so much as a drain and fill.

Drains and fills seem to be the most popular way to service these. That's what I'm most comfortable with. This is a very robust transmission and fluid combo.

 

[NJshadow93]

I am going to have a drain and fill done at Toyota this week. When I went in for a price quote, I wanted to clarify that the transmission service was a drain and fill and not a flush. I was told, "We do not flush them here." Good enough for me! But OP, I think flushing it with only 50k on it makes sense. I heard that flushing the transmission is actually very bad for it unless you have low mileage (something to do with the metal particle/debris build-up, and forcing fluid through the transmission from an external force (flushing) puts those particles where they can cause some potential problems).

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Toyota and most Transmission Flush Machine manufacturers do NOT want you flushing a Sealed Transmission. This was made very clear to use by the MOC rep who explained the process on our machine. You're right that on higher mileage vehicles with a machine flush it can cause sediment or deposits to break loose and clog or damage the internal components.

Keep in mind that some people (myself included) will refer to "flushing a transmission" as filling it up and draining multiple times to "flush" as much of the old fluid out, versus a simple drain and refill where you do this only once.

 

[f1 fan]

Hello gsrthomas

Thank you for the pics! I will attempt this for the first time myself soon.
Question: Did you use any rtv sealant with the gasket? Did you get the scan tool capable of pulling trans temp? If yes, what brand, where to get it?

Thanks

 

[wyobow]

Recently changed the tranny fluid in our '06 V6. We've had it for 5 years and got it with less than 20K miles on it. I never changed the tranny fluid until now. The vehicle had almost 160K miles. Honestly, my old tranny fluid didn't look any worse than yours did at 50K. I followed the same instructions for "flushing" the transmission that you did and it worked perfectly. I changed out 12 quarts. A few days after changing the fluid out, we headed out on spring break and 3,000 miles of pulling a camper trailer through Utah, Nevada and Arizona. The transmission shifted beautifully. Needless to say, I waited far too long to change the fluid, but the WS fluid held up incredibly well. I highly recommend the method of changing the tranny fluid used here. I bought the WS fluid from a local Toyota dealer for just under $10 a quart. The same dealer was going to charge $180 for a 3 quart "fluid change". It took my wife and me a couple of hours to flush the old fluid out and it was well worth it.

 

[f1 fan]

Did you use any sealant in addition to the gasket?