Trans Dip Stick

[Spider5]

This summer I did a lot of towing with my 2005 and I'm concerned about the trans fluid. I think the 2003 has a dipstick for the trans but they stop putting them in for 2004. I know they are suppose to have some super duper fluid in that does not need replacing. This has, however, not been proven. For the V8 trans are they the same 2003 to 2005? Could I add the dip stick assembly from the 2003 to the 2005 so I can check the fluid condition after a summer of towing?

 

[Spider5]

Anyone?

 

[Koz]

You might be better off posting that question on yotatech.com.

Koz

 

[Kanab]

This summer I did a lot of towing with my 2005 and I'm concerned about the trans fluid. I think the 2003 has a dipstick for the trans but they stop putting them in for 2004. I know they are suppose to have some super duper fluid in that does not need replacing. This has, however, not been proven. For the V8 trans are they the same 2003 to 2005? Could I add the dip stick assembly from the 2003 to the 2005 so I can check the fluid condition after a summer of towing?

I have a 2004 V8 without the dipstick. I checked with Toyota on this issue. They stated that if you need to have the transmission serviced because of towing (fluid changed) that a service the transmission light will come on and you will then know to take it in for a fluid change or service. You have the WSATF in your 2004 and newer 4runner V8 and it is considered a lifetime fluid. It is good to know that if it needs to be changed/serviced that the 4runner will let you know.

 

[greasefingers]

I would like to know how the service lamp knows when the ATF is spent.

 

[Kanab]

I would like to know how the service lamp knows when the ATF is spent.

They indicated it had a sensor. I guess BMW and Mercedes does the same thing for the transmission and engine oil.

 

[greasefingers]

What I mean is, what type of sensor. Is it a light source that that detects particulates or is it mileage/time based like the oil change maintenance light.

 

[Kanab]

What I mean is, what type of sensor. Is it a light source that that detects particulates or is it mileage/time based like the oil change maintenance light.

Since it analysis the condition of the fluid it could not be time/mileage based (lifetime fluid : right) Toyota stated that it detected if the fluid had been damaged and turned on the light so you would know that it needed to be serviced. I did not question any further since I was just curious at the time and I don't tow or even carry heavy loads. You might follow up with the Toyota help line on the corp. site and find out what type of sensor. Would be interesting to know. I put up a post on this information before I moved and changed my user name. Its under my old name "Pitbull" sorry I did not question them further.

Here is my previous post from Toyota http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12336

 

[Spider5]

Re: Re: Trans Dip Stick

I have a 2004 V8 without the dipstick. I checked with Toyota on this issue. They stated that if you need to have the transmission serviced because of towing (fluid changed) that a service the transmission light will come on and you will then know to take it in for a fluid change or service. You have the WSATF in your 2004 and newer 4runner V8 and it is considered a lifetime fluid. It is good to know that if it needs to be changed/serviced that the 4runner will let you know.

By chance did you find out if this sensor is for level, pressure, temperature, etc. Most often the problem is burned fluid and/or a significant viscosity change that causes problems, and this change occurs gradually over time so a sensor would not help unless it measures viscosity which I doubt.

I guess I'll find the time to crawl under the Runner and draw a sample, thanks a lot Toyota for making a basic maintance check a PITA.

 

[greasefingers]

Be thankful for the drain plug! My jeep has none, so I must remove all those pan bolts every other year, to change the fluid

 

[Spider5]

Be thankful for the drain plug! My jeep has none, so I must remove all those pan bolts every other year, to change the fluid

I will probably use the fluid level plug, a tube and a small hand pump of some kind.

 

[greasefingers]

Yea either way is difficult to some extent. I once overfilled my jeep tranny by 1 qt. Since the jeep has no drain plug in the pan, I fished a very small diameter hose down the tranny dip stick tube and hand pumped it out.

 

[Koz]

Yea either way is difficult to some extent. I once overfilled my jeep tranny by 1 qt. Since the jeep has no drain plug in the pan, I fished a very small diameter hose down the tranny dip stick tube and hand pumped it out.

Put a plug in.

Koz

 

[slowginjoe]

Re: Re: Re: Trans Dip Stick

By chance did you find out if this sensor is for level, pressure, temperature, etc. Most often the problem is burned fluid and/or a significant viscosity change that causes problems, and this change occurs gradually over time so a sensor would not help unless it measures viscosity which I doubt.

I guess I'll find the time to crawl under the Runner and draw a sample, thanks a lot Toyota for making a basic maintance check a PITA.

From the link of Pitbull's previous post, looks like it's a temperature sensor:

"In the effort to minimize service required, the new transmissions do not require a fluid change, unless necessary with very heavy load conditions. There is a temperature sensor in the transmission that would alert the driver, if the load was super heating the transmission."

 

[Runnin]

Yeah they make it so you cant check it, that away, you go back to the dealer...more money for them.

 

[alpha]

Yeah they make it so you cant check it, that away, you go back to the dealer...more money for them.

A lot of the time, with the "lifetime" fluids, they have to be completely sealed as to not let any air in, which will cause deterioration of the fluid. hence why they don't add a dipstick, so no outside air can get into the container.

 

[Mulepick]

My '04 doesn't have the dipstick and, believe me, I've crawled all over it seeing if I could fit one. They did more than stick a plug in the old hole. I believe the hole isn't even tapped in the tranny. I noticed this while spelunking for a place to stick a trans temp sender in .

I'm changing my to a different synthetic at 30k. Luckily it's a side entry hole. My Trooper had a vertical drain AND fill hole.

Bob

 

[jeober]

Mulepick,

Isn't there a 15/16" hex plug in the side of the transmission case? This is supposed to the be fill point.

 

[greasefingers]

Tranny dip sticks have an O-ring on them. It may not be vapor tight but I do not think water vapor from the atmosphere is likely to get in there? Not sure if ATF is hydroscopic or not. Brake fluid is and that is sealed. They could provide a screw type seal as well for the tranny dip stick.

What bugs me is sometime in the far future, the tranny output seal will leak. (where the rear drive shaft connects). Many times it seeps before actually leaking or pouring out. Now you have to replace this seal right away because one cannot check the tranny level.

Also I do not like the fact that some tranny temperature sender will activate a code. I do not want an over-temperature condition. This to me is too late.

 

[WilfriedKS]

I bought my 4Runner for the towing capacity. Since I fried four transmissions on my last tow vehicle. I decided to put in a transmission cooler from Earl's.
I learned some interesting things:
1) No dip stick. The fluid level is checked from underneath. There are two plugs. The lowest one is to drain, the recessed one to check the level and add if needed. If I recall correctly the recessed one is further back.
2) My manual calls for WS fluid, even though the dealer's computer had some other fluid listed. WS fluid costs about $80 per gallon. yes eighty bucks!
3) There is a small cooler already installed on the drivers side, the normal cooling loop is trough the radiator is on the passenger side.
4) For a normal cooling loop the liquid is pushed in from the bottom through a heat exchanger and exits out of the top. That is half-way true in my vehicle: The bottom line is the feed from the transmission, it enters the radiator loop at the TOP, then exits out of the bottom, crosses over to the drivers side, enters the aux cooler on the bottom, exits out of the top, and finally returns to the transmission on the top.

I never completely hooked up the cooler, my way of thinking was to run it through the aftermarket cooler then the radiator then the aux cooler. I do tow a lot through the desert with temperatures usually above 100F, but we also go to the mountains in the winter.
Any thoughts?