How does dealer do the trans flush...

[Brian3676]

Anyone know how the dealers do the trans flush. I am wondering if I just got a half ass flush or even one at all. Paid $189 at the dealer, on the invoice it says 12 qts WS fluid and the flush kit. They also did 2 recalls that were due on the truck. Somehow all this work was done in 1 hour, and I was originally quoted 3-4 hours. I got home and looked around, I am 100% positive they dident even touch the drain plug or the level check plug, its still dirty with no shiny wrench spots. The hoses look un touched going to the oil cooler and there is no wrench marks on metal hose fittings coming out of the transmission.

How do they hook up the machine to do the flush on the 4runner tranny?

 

[boondoggle]

This doesn't answer your question exactly, but I asked my dealership about maintenance on our sealed systems and he said for a drain/refill (not a flush) I'd get about 4 quarts of the 12qts replaced. That's $150 and they need to have it for at least 5 hours. It has to cool or something before they start doing their thing on it.

He said he recommends a drain/refill over a flush but that they can do the flush if I want - but it costs quite a bit more. I don't remember what he quoted me but I believe it was closer to $350-$400.

Would be surprised if they did it in an hour for $189. That sounds more like a differential flush or a transfer case flush or something.

I've actually had decent experience with my local dealership. They seem to be pretty up to date on their 4Runner knowledge.

EDIT: looks like the WS ATF fluid is around 9.43/Qt from Amazon. Doubt it's that cheap from the dealership. Even at $10 a qt. for 12 Qts. They'd want $120. Would be surprised if they did the work for only $69 more. But maybe so...

http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyot...ie=UTF8&qid=1413901594&sr=8-1&keywords=ws+atf

 

[Brian3676]

I defiantly paid for a full 12qt flush, even the flush kit is invoiced as well as the 12 qts. If I wanted a drain and fill I would have done that my self haha. Thats why I am wondering how they did it so quick, and if I got a 1/2 ass flush or even a flush at all. The reason they have to have it at the special temp is for the level to be correct, fluid expands with heat and the way they check the level is the through an overflow. I know you usually hook up to one of the lines, drain the pan, perform the flush through the line you hook up to and last check level.

I am not familiar with the 4 runner though, hence my question.

 

[boondoggle]

Yeah. That seems odd. Maybe BlackworksInc knows.

I'm thinking about doing the drain/refill thing on mine and it seems pretty straightforward, as you say. Plenty of writeups around on how to get the AT Temp check light to come on etc.

Anyhow, don't want to derail your thread any more than I have so consider this a friendly 'bump'.

 

[Brian3676]

Haha thanks for the input! Maybe when I have time ill do a small drain and fill and see how it looks, if it looks clean ill leave it be, if not ill call the dealer and file a complaint.

 

[Gatafly]

With the help of a friend to start and stop tge engine when needed I did a complete flush on mine in about 30 minutes. Saying they did it in an hour is totally believable, but no sign of them removing the fill plug to check level at temp would have me concerned. Also, what is this so called flush kit? I would loosen the drain plug just enough to leak out some fluid on a white cloth and check the color to see if in fact they actually did the fluid exchange.

 

[t-man]

[MENTION=66389]BlackWorksInc[/MENTION]

 

[Jagerzel]

Well if you're a Haole in Hawaii:::::: First they go through your glovebox and center console: loose change and valuables cause magnetic interference with the torque convertor. Then after pulling the oil dipstick and realizing that's not the one for the tranny, they leave it resting on the engine and check the other one. If its bright red then they put it back in and its Aloha Friday brudda! If its not bright red then its time to do some work:: First they find the drain plug. The proper size vice grips are selected (medium usually) and get that sucka off. They drain all the fluid out into a kitty litter filled 5 gallon bucket and off to the dumpster it goes. Slam the plug back in thats still attached to the vice grips and tighten to a rounded circle spec. If no metal shavings come off the plug while tightening, the vice grips should be readjusted tighter and spun around again. Next its time to fill her up. This step should only be preformed after the 4 hour mark if customer is in waiting room. If customer is gone for errands (i.e. repeat offender and knows the time involved) than no worries - break the temperature sensor and tell them over the phone. So on to filling up - grab a funnel and and throw it at your friend in the next bay to get his attention. Tell him its his turn for lunch. Now get the bottle of transmission fluid and free hand pour that crap down the tube. Spillage will occur and is expected - so that the customer can smell their new fluid. Now how much fluid should you put in? Well - who cares (gives a shaka sign). Now you are finished. Slam the hood as loud as you can and send the Runna on its way. When the customer discovers the oil dipstick - remember - the porter must of forgotten during the courtesy fluid check.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Are you sure it was only an hour? Seems a bit quick for the BST & 90L (only 2 Recalls I think we have on the 4Runners at the moment) and a tranny fluid flush.

Usually the machine hooks up inline with the transmission cooler lines, though I suppose if the vehicle doesn't have a transmission cooler they'd use the plugs that they'd come out of. They still should have done the inspection procedure afterwards, so I can't really say what they did or didn't do; just that an hour seems pretty quick for one technician to do all that work (if they split it up, i.e. one guy did the 90L while the other did the flush that might make more sense.)

 

[Brian3676]

Yeah, dropped it off at 11, they called at 1215. Not sure how many techs actually worked on it. They could have used the rubber tranny cooler line up front and there is a possibility I could not notice. They deffanity did not touch the drain or level check plug though, that I an 100% on.

Yes those were the recalls, gas pedal modify and ecu update for if throttle ever stick open

 

[A.Wilson013]

Is the fluid bright red...? If it needed a flush I am doubting the fluid would be red. So if it's red I'd say there's a good chance it was done. If not, they didn't do.

When I had mine flushed they told me two hours and I was on my way out in a LITTLE under an hour and a half.

Which dealer were you at?

 

[Brian3676]

I dident even check it before. Just bought the truck and wanted to do all fluids to be safe. I did the oil, f&r diff and transfer case. Paid to have tranny done rather then just drain and fill.


Royal Moore Toyota in Hillsboro. Older dealer, but fair prices. Beaverton Toyota wanted $399. Other dealer was $200 or $220 I don't member, but they are 45 minutes away.

 

[m85476585]

Are you sure it was only an hour? Seems a bit quick for the BST & 90L (only 2 Recalls I think we have on the 4Runners at the moment) and a tranny fluid flush.

Usually the machine hooks up inline with the transmission cooler lines, though I suppose if the vehicle doesn't have a transmission cooler they'd use the plugs that they'd come out of. They still should have done the inspection procedure afterwards, so I can't really say what they did or didn't do; just that an hour seems pretty quick for one technician to do all that work (if they split it up, i.e. one guy did the 90L while the other did the flush that might make more sense.)

I think all of them have cooler built into the radiator, and some of them have an external cooler, too.

You could get a used oil analysis on the new fluid, but I'm not sure if that would be useful, and it costs some more money. At least if it was really dirty you could use that as evidence to make them redo it since they should have changed all 12 quarts.

 

[4RunnerFan]

I had mine done by dealer in July of 2013. I waited about two hours. That was the only service done. Service adviser explained it takes a little time as they need to bring the transmission up to a certain temperature to check the level when refilling. Cost was $262; Costco discount on parts and labor brought it down to $226.

 

[radlynx]

well, to avoid the doubts, go under there and slightly loosen the fluid check port and see if the color is red. if not, they did not do their job.

maybe, your fluid is still new and red when they checked and didn't bother replacing it and just mentioned that they did. this way, they got 12 qts of free fluid and labor they did not do. those are the possibilities.

I dident even check it before. Just bought the truck and wanted to do all fluids to be safe. I did the oil, f&r diff and transfer case. Paid to have tranny done rather then just drain and fill.


Royal Moore Toyota in Hillsboro. Older dealer, but fair prices. Beaverton Toyota wanted $399. Other dealer was $200 or $220 I don't member, but they are 45 minutes away.

 

[Ventil8]

I'm debating doing a transmission flush vs drain/fill. Round Rock Toyota quoted me $350 for a flush. Charles Maund Toyota quoted me $128 for drain/fill. I have 115,000 miles and the transmission has never been touched. I don't off road, and have never towed anything.

 

[4RunnerFan]

I'm debating doing a transmission flush vs drain/fill. Round Rock Toyota quoted me $350 for a flush. Charles Maund Toyota quoted me $128 for drain/fill. I have 115,000 miles and the transmission has never been touched. I don't off road, and have never towed anything.

Yeah, you might be a bit overdue for the service. I think they recommend having it done every 100k miles or 10 years unless you tow, in which case it is every 60k miles or 6 years. Regarding price, maybe you could ask each dealer if they include genuine Toyota WS fluid, how many quarts, and how they check to see if the level is correct afterwards.

 

[Brian3676]

Update to my case. Fluid is nice and red, so maybe they did it, they must have done it from the front oil cooler hose on the external cooler as thats the only spot where if the tech was really good they would leave 0 evidence of ever being there. That being said, they level was definitely not checked after. I still need to do that, but will assume they just did a 1/1 ratio and its fine.

As for flushing a higher milage tranny, I would not worry about it I dont think. If my owners manual it actually only says you need to change it if you tow, everything else just says to check level. If you wanted to be really safe you could do a drain and fill, see how it looks, if its really bad just leave it at drain and fills, if its just dirty red your proble ok to flush.

Call around, my quotes were everywhere from $180-$399. 12qts of genuine WS fluid

 

[blackfc3s]

Just so that we are clear here, toyota WS fluid is not a lifetime fluid. Web wisdom says to change it every 60K. You can do the tranny cooler line method or consecutive drain and fills of the pan.

Also, i went back and fourth deciding between WS fluid and the red synthetic Valvoline stuff. Chose WS fluid in the end because no one knows the additive package in WS yet. paranoia was the main reason.