Tow prep

[perkdog258]

Hard to say just looking at the pic there. You have to remember that transmission fluid is just another oil. The job of that oil is keep the dirt suspended and lubricate things. A real check to know if the oil is bad after changing it is check the viscosity of the old oil and run it through a filter to check how much dirt and metal is in the oil. If the oil does get too hot then it flow too fast through the bearings and not remove the heat or lubricate the bearings. Then you will find some metal in the fluid.

Basically just because the oil looks black does not mean it is bad.

 

[hamlet]

Quick question on the wiring - does the 5th gen run a 2 or a 3 wire system (basically, a 3-wire system means that the left, right, and stop lights are independently wired, while in a 2-wire system the stop lights function along with the left and right turn signal wires) in regards to the trailer tail lights? I know the trailer I am getting are wired for a 2 wire system and am wondering if I will need an adapter.

Otherwise the trailer side pin wiring is as follows:
1 - Ground
2 - Electric Brakes
3 - Taillights
4 - 12V
5 - Left Turn
6 - Right Turn
7 - Aux.

It appears to be a mirror image of the 4Runner wiring diagram I saw on another thread.

 

[ShooterF16]

[MENTION=83211]perkdog258[/MENTION]. Yep, I know it's really just anecdotal. I didn't send it off anywhere to get analyzed. It did appear to be in decent condition, meaning I didn't see sludge or crap sinking to the bottom. (I also don't know how the toyota tech acquired the sample).

So, was it worth the $300 to get it changed? Yeah, for me it was but I'll be waiting for a longer interval next time. Also I don't anticipate towing through Nevada, over a 10k' pass in the Rockies, etc now that I'm getting settled in NY.

Cheers, Nate