confused about tranny and radiator flush

[Trip_84]

Is one of them not ok to flush and fill because of high mileage?

i thought i heard or read somewhere either the tranny or radiator shouldnt be flush and filled with high mileage

I bought a 98 runner about 6 months ago, it just hit 200k miles and want to service it since i dont know how well it was maintained.

checked today and the tranny fluid was below cold mark when it had been driven about an hour so i topped off with some transmission conditioner

the radiator reservoir is bone dry! so im waiting for it to cool down to take the cap off actual radiator to fill that and then the reservoir. I have a gallon of O reilly Universal Antifreeze & Coolant, is that the stuff i can but in the 4runner?

And is it ok to flush and fill the radiator and transmission at such high mileage?

Thanks!

 

[fblainen11]

Drain fluids. Replace radiator (or add external cooler which some people will say to do). Fill fluids.
/end thread

 

[Bumbo]

You might have more problems than worrying about a flush if the rad was bone dry and or if the trans was starved for juice. You might have a leak if those levels are constantly dropping over time.

Consult the service manual for the right fluids. Coolant should be Toyota specific or Asian car specific for generic.

IMO its fine to flush... if those force machine flush that might cause a problem.

Using the cooler lines for a fluid exchange/flush is also fine. For the radiator I would just drain and fill until you are happy. That would work fine for the trans too.

If people are complaining about a flush causing issues... those are pre-existing damage, not just a fluid issue. Drain/Fill is generally less problematic if that is something you are worrying about.

 

[Trip_84]

Drain fluids. Replace radiator (or add external cooler which some people will say to do). Fill fluids.
/end thread

well that doesn't end the thread. hell it doesnt answer any questions lol. why would i need to replace a perfectly working non leaking radiator? If i can just do a radiator flush and fill?

should i just replace the trannmission too lol?

 

[Trip_84]

You might have more problems than worrying about a flush if the rad was bone dry and or if the trans was starved for juice. You might have a leak if those levels are constantly dropping over time.

Consult the service manual for the right fluids. Coolant should be Toyota specific or Asian car specific for generic.

IMO its fine to flush... if those force machine flush that might cause a problem.

Using the cooler lines for a fluid exchange/flush is also fine. For the radiator I would just drain and fill until you are happy. That would work fine for the trans too.

If people are complaining about a flush causing issues... those are pre-existing damage, not just a fluid issue. Drain/Fill is generally less problematic if that is something you are worrying about.

i only ask because i called a place when i bought the 4runner i just cant remember what i was trying to flush, either tranny or radiator and the service shop said they do not flush and fill with such high mileage. That it usually causes problems even if there were no problems before. I want to say it was a transmission shop but i just cant remember. but i specifically remember him ending the call after he asked my mileage and i told him. back then i had about 178k

 

[StreetCreeper]

Is one of them not ok to flush and fill because of high mileage?

i thought i heard or read somewhere either the tranny or radiator shouldnt be flush and filled with high mileage

I bought a 98 runner about 6 months ago, it just hit 200k miles and want to service it since i dont know how well it was maintained.

checked today and the tranny fluid was below cold mark when it had been driven about an hour so i topped off with some transmission conditioner

the radiator reservoir is bone dry! so im waiting for it to cool down to take the cap off actual radiator to fill that and then the reservoir. I have a gallon of O reilly Universal Antifreeze & Coolant, is that the stuff i can but in the 4runner?

And is it ok to flush and fill the radiator and transmission at such high mileage?

Thanks!

Drain and fill from the pan is fine. That's about 4-5 quarts usually. Also, you can flush your tranny gently and easily by using the transmission to pump out a little at a time (a quart or so) then stop and add a fresh quart or so. There are plenty of write-ups on this method. I did a full 16qt flush at 387,000 miles. I'm at 419k now with no issues. Just stay away from the shops that use flush machines.

As for the radiator, before you put anything in there, determination first what is already in there now and why it's low. You don't want to mix coolants, e.g., red in there now and you add green which will make a mess and cause issues. So figure that out then add or flush the appropriate fluids. Lots of guys swear by Toyota red or Asian red like Zerex. Me, I just put green in mine.

 

[fblainen11]

well that doesn't end the thread. hell it doesnt answer any questions lol. why would i need to replace a perfectly working non leaking radiator? If i can just do a radiator flush and fill?

should i just replace the trannmission too lol?

Read the stickies and you'll learn about pink milkshake.
You replace the radiator so you don't have to replace the transmission.

 

[catrains]

much info on this subject with very old vehicles and miles like yours.


on the transmission being this old you added a conditioner this is good. now after a few hundred miles drop tranny pan clean out and fill it up .. put in what you took out check level so its on the stick then drive it a while till its at normal temp then on level ground fill to hot mark slowly.

keep checking fluid when it starts to get dark drop pan and do it all again.. new fluid cleans out the system so that is why it is best on OLD high mile vehicles to do this slowly .. flush disturbs the debris to much to fast then problems with torque converter.. shop you went to is correct on flush ....

 

[catrains]

on radiator check for leaks . use a UV dye . then with a UV flash light look for leaks. if or when the leaks are fixed drain system and engine flush out best you can use new T stat and fill with what was in there if you know ... use same color type coolant.. only use distilled water with the antifreeze ...

good luck ..

 

[eng208]

Your water pump is probably what is leaking. That is most likely why the coolant reservoir is dry. If the timing belt and water pump were not replaced at recommended intervals, I can just about bet the pump is leaking at the mounting surface. It will be a very small leak and you won't see it unless you remove the timing belt cover.

 

[Trip_84]

Drain and fill from the pan is fine. That's about 4-5 quarts usually. Also, you can flush your tranny gently and easily by using the transmission to pump out a little at a time (a quart or so) then stop and add a fresh quart or so. There are plenty of write-ups on this method. I did a full 16qt flush at 387,000 miles. I'm at 419k now with no issues. Just stay away from the shops that use flush machines.

As for the radiator, before you put anything in there, determination first what is already in there now and why it's low. You don't want to mix coolants, e.g., red in there now and you add green which will make a mess and cause issues. So figure that out then add or flush the appropriate fluids. Lots of guys swear by Toyota red or Asian red like Zerex. Me, I just put green in mine.

thanks for the advice! The car cooled down and i was able to open the cap. it is filled to the top with green coolant. So it is just the reservoir that has nothign in it. i went to the toyota dealer while it was cooling down and bought the toyota coolant which is red. The service guy said that while green is ok red is the best overall for the life of the engine.

I think i will just take it in for a radiator flush and fill with red and just keep the gallon as a spare. Like you said i shouldn't mix them.

 

[Trip_84]

Your water pump is probably what is leaking. That is most likely why the coolant reservoir is dry. If the timing belt and water pump were not replaced at recommended intervals, I can just about bet the pump is leaking at the mounting surface. It will be a very small leak and you won't see it unless you remove the timing belt cover.

the owner i bought it from had receipts for me and he had it serviced with new timing belt, water pump and spark plugs. last July i think. I pressured was the front of the engine and underneath a few days ago to check for leaks so today i looked everywhere and i couldnt find any.

 

[Trip_84]

Read the stickies and you'll learn about pink milkshake.
You replace the radiator so you don't have to replace the transmission.

i know what the milkshake is. the truck was serviced less than a year ago with new timing belt and water pump so new coolant was added and flushed out.

my topic was asking which flush you SHOULDNT do with such high mileage... fyi i just got back from the dealer and it is the transmission. they wont do a flush but only a drain and fill. a flush on high mileage cars can cause problems with the tranny. the radiator is fine to flush though

 

[gamefreakgc]

i know what the milkshake is. the truck was serviced less than a year ago with new timing belt and water pump so new coolant was added and flushed out.

my topic was asking which flush you SHOULDNT do with such high mileage... fyi i just got back from the dealer and it is the transmission. they wont do a flush but only a drain and fill. a flush on high mileage cars can cause problems with the tranny. the radiator is fine to flush though

The dealer's got it right, flushing a high mileage transmission isn't good without dropping the pan. At the bottom of the transmission pan is 3 magnets and a filter that keeps all the harmful metal shavings out of the transmission to make it last longer. If a power flush is done without removing those, they get re-circulated in the transmission and cause more shavings, which then cause more shavings, etc.

You're on the right track. And for the record... the pink milkshake is extremely rare. If you're paranoid then replace the radiator, but otherwise you are fine.

You can run green, Toyota pink long life, or Toyota red fluid. All three are just fine, just can't mix them. I think I have pink long life fluid in mine right now.

 

[Trip_84]

The dealer's got it right, flushing a high mileage transmission isn't good without dropping the pan. At the bottom of the transmission pan is 3 magnets and a filter that keeps all the harmful metal shavings out of the transmission to make it last longer. If a power flush is done without removing those, they get re-circulated in the transmission and cause more shavings, which then cause more shavings, etc.

You're on the right track. And for the record... the pink milkshake is extremely rare. If you're paranoid then replace the radiator, but otherwise you are fine.

You can run green, Toyota pink long life, or Toyota red fluid. All three are just fine, just can't mix them. I think I have pink long life fluid in mine right now.

Thanks a lot for the explanation! I plan on just doing the drain and fill with the transmission but should i use dex3 regular or full synthetic? does it matter? there were 3 options i think from Valvoline, the regular dex3, high mileage, and full synthetic

 

[gamefreakgc]

Thanks a lot for the explanation! I plan on just doing the drain and fill with the transmission but should i use dex3 regular or full synthetic? does it matter? there were 3 options i think from Valvoline, the regular dex3, high mileage, and full synthetic

Doesn't matter a whole lot. I have valvoline high mileage synthetic in there right now, had regular old Dex 3 before.

 

[StreetCreeper]

Thanks a lot for the explanation! I plan on just doing the drain and fill with the transmission but should i use dex3 regular or full synthetic? does it matter? there were 3 options i think from Valvoline, the regular dex3, high mileage, and full synthetic

I would recommend this stuff. It's what I used when I did my flush and it also has a good reputation while not being expensive. You can find it everywhere too.

​

 

[catrains]

Thanks a lot for the explanation! I plan on just doing the drain and fill with the transmission but should i use dex3 regular or full synthetic? does it matter? there were 3 options i think from Valvoline, the regular dex3, high mileage, and full synthetic

dexron III is no longer an approved GM transmission fluid. 2006 is when it was banned from use . GM will not warranty any transmission with dexron III in it .
The tranny fluid to use would be mobil synthetic dexron/mercon fluid. this is a synthetic replacement of the dexron III. this fluid does not turn to acid like III .

good luck ..

 

[mtbtim]

Ok, here's my thoughts on this. Until this last year, I would have never thought it would be bad to completely renew the transmission fluid but there are situations that I now believe it wouldn't be recommended.

If you have a good maintenance history of your rig and the transmission has been regularly serviced, regardless of the miles, I'd say go ahead and do a DIY flush to completely renew the fluid using the transmission pump to move the fluid for you, not an external machine.

If you bought a truck and you don't have a good maintenance history and the ATF looks black and nasty, this is the situation where a full flush might cause you problems. If the rig was abused and the ATF hasn't been changed for a very long time, it has caused excessive wear to the clutches. That thicker dirty fluid could very well be holding suspended clutch material and it's allowing the worn clutches to not slip. Now, if you drain out all that thicker fluid and replace it with new thinner fluid, you could end up with a slipping transmission afterward. That new ATF also has detergents in it. When the new fluid gets in there, it will clean up sludge deposits between the clutches and contribute to your transmission slipping afterward.

I'm not a transmission expert by no means. There's just been enough reports of high mileage abused automatic transmissions slipping after full fluid changes and that's why many shops will steer you away from a full flush. Like others have recommended, I'd just do a drain and refill of the pan which will replace around 4.5 quarts of your 12 quart system. In another 10,000 miles, I'd do it again. I actually do a drain and refill every 10,000 miles so I've sort of renewed the entire capacity over a 30,000 mile period which is the interval you should renew your fluid at if you run conventional fluids, not synthetic.

As for the radiator, replace it as preventative maintenance. Until I bought a 3rd Gen, I had never considered replacing a radiator as preventative maintenance but i bought into the pink milkshake scare at some level, and since I do long trips in my rig, having a new radiator is just good insurance to prevent a leaking radiator leaving you stranded somewhere in Bum F*ck Egypt. If you end up replacing the radiator, you might want to consider adding an external trans cooler ran in-series with the OEM radiator cooler.

Here's a couple videos for you related to the subject matter:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RumPXivBlk8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2nVbwe2t2T8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[frodiesel]

dexron III is no longer an approved GM transmission fluid. 2006 is when it was banned from use . GM will not warranty any transmission with dexron III in it .
The tranny fluid to use would be mobil synthetic dexron/mercon fluid. this is a synthetic replacement of the dexron III. this fluid does not turn to acid like III .

good luck ..

Have another glass of kool-aid bro. And by the way this is a toyota forum, you must be lost. Maybe some non anecdotal evidence would help.

Avoid power trans flushes. I have had crazy success with lucas trans slip fix.