Modified Drain & Fill Method - Automatic Transmission Fluid Service - Toyota FJ Cruiser

The drain and fill method of servicing transmission fluid is much faster and makes more sense than following the book procedures.
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The book has you drain the fluid out, fill a predetermined amount back in, then run the transmission up to the temp that the thermostat will open (which takes forever) so the fluid is filled in the cooler. After that, you need to wait for the transmission to cool back down to about 100 degrees (which takes even longer) before performing the fluid level check procedure.
The modified method is simply checking the fluid level 1st. It doesn't take long for the fluid to rise to the temp needed to check the level. Confirm proper level before you begin. Then, measure the exact amount removed and fill that same amount back in--done. no waiting for transmission temps to rise and fall a drastic amount.
Please ask any questions you may have about what I'm doing in this video. Thank you for watching.

[@lissandromunoz3379]

you explain how to do it better than anyone else

[@nordicpride9708]

Good to see you are using the proper fluid. So many guys think they know better than Toyota, it’s annoying. I service a lot of these AISIN units and they see ultra high mileage (above 500k) with very little service believe it or not

[@kuyper]

Top Tip: Always make sure you can remove the fill plug *before* you pull the drain plug! If it's jammed/siezed/cross-threaded for any reason, you can at least drive somewhere to get assistance, but if you drain first, and *then* discover you can't fill... I also notice that the "fill level" seemed high when you did your initial check - isn't it supposed to be just a trickle coming out at that temp? And definitely reinforce the point that the engine must be *running* when you check the level - if you turn it off, and open the level plug, a lot of fluid will come out (ask me how I know :))

[@WildRiverCamping]

You're correct, the stream of fluid appeared to be overfilled. It was pouring out like that because my driveway is sloped quite a bit. It was level front to rear, but not side to side. I did confirm the proper level earlier on level ground. I appreciate your attention to detail.

[@onenikkione]

Just picked up, Jan 2024, a 2014 FJ from original owner (72 yr old guy) that bought it new. 115k miles and has service records from same Arizona dealership where he purchased it. Only water it has seen is rain. Took me two years of waiting & searching. I'm 64 and semi-retired so it will have well under 200k when I'm ready to depart from it. Hope the values don't fall.

[@diciplinex7407]

Great helpful video !

[@davidrodrigues2300]

Thanks for the video. Got it done!

[@knugie87]

Thanks man! Appriciate it

[@matthole007]

Thank you for the info I appreciate you taking the time to show dumbass lime me how to do it

[@fishstick0071]

My A/T oil temp light doesn’t go off like yours, it just starts blinking.

[@onegreenev]

I always checked transmission fluid levels warm with the car running using the dip stick under the hood. Never from under the vehicle. I like the magnetic level. Not that I change tranny fluid in my electric car. At least not yet. Can't imagine it holding much. :)

[@WildRiverCamping]

I wish all cars had a dip-stick with Cold and Hot fill lines.

[@MYCHANNELWITHMYSTUFF]

FJ's don't have a dip stick

[@nynomadfjc3907]

If you can show me the dipstick on the transmission of an FJ Cruiser i will send you $100😅

[@marcjohnson8488]

I have an FJ and would like to do this as well. How much residual is in the torque converter ? In my previous experience with old Fords C4s and C6s the bulk of the fluid was in the Torgue converter and not the pan. Never worked on Toyota before.

[@ArtTranphotography]

Great details! Thanks! How often do you replace the oil filter for the transmission?

[@WildRiverCamping]

I haven't replaced it yet, but maybe I will at the next service. I'll post results from that in another video. I also want to do a temp vs volume video showing how much the fluid expands from cold to the temp where you check fluid level. This will determine how much overfilled it would be if drained warm, vs filling with cold fluid.

[@08Cruiser]

I've heard there's a way to snake a fill tube from the engine compartment down to the fill hole. As long as the tube stays in the fill hole, and your partner fills the top real slow, do you think that would work as well? Maybe a little easier then pump and fill, repeat. Thoughts? P.S. GREAT video!!!

[@WildRiverCamping]

Yes you can do it that way. I've done it that way when all I had was the tubing and a funnel. It takes forever. I prefer the pump. I don't like most pumps either. The one I used in the video is my favorite. At work I use a pressurized container and a long tube to fill with.

[@08Cruiser]

I ordered the pump and measuring cups off your links. Thank you for the great video!

[@jeanpicard8936]

Do you need new crush washers or use old ones? Also, do you let the fluid cool back down before draining or do it while it’s still hot? Thanks!

[@WildRiverCamping]

I reuse crush washers unless they look seriously worn. It is a good idea to let the fluid cool down before replacing, as trans fluid does expand with heat. If you drain hot and add the same amount of cold fluid, it will be overfilled. But, the fluid level set procedure is pretty easy to perform.

[@jeanpicard8936]

Thanks!

[@WinnieTheTrain]

Aren't you supposed to replace the fluid in the pan too? And replace it with the same fluid level thats in the pan all together with what came out of the drain plug?

[@WildRiverCamping]

There is fluid left inside the pan when only performing the drain and fill. It is just fine to leave that in the pan for this method. The idea behind the drain and fill is that you can replenish the fluid additives without completely flushing the transmission. Most transmission technicians would agree that replacing all of the fluid with brand new fluid can be worse for your transmission. So, any fluid left after a simple drain and fill is fine. You replace enough fluid for the transmission to be happy. If you do this procedure, say every 30k, all the fluid will get replaced over time. This is the simplest, easiest, and least stressful way to service your transmission. At some point you will want to replace the fluid filter (maybe 120k miles). At that time, the pan comes off and the fluid gets replaced. I hope this makes sense. Feel free to reach out with any more questions.

[@davidclark7352]

And then you keep doing it each weekend until the cleaner stuff starts coming out?

[@WildRiverCamping]

I landed on doing this every 30k miles. I think the consensus is that completely flushing makes the transmission run worse? But, if you start servicing at low miles I don't think it becomes much of an issue.

[@davidrodrigues2300]

Do you have a video on changing the filter? If not, would I just replace the total amount of fluid equal to the drain process and whatever comes out when the pan is dropped?

[@WildRiverCamping]

Yes, measure as much fluid coming out as you can. Pour what's still in the pan in the measuring container. Add what you took out. Go through the warm up procedure and top off fluid or drain as needed.

[@davidrodrigues2300]

@@WildRiverCamping Thank you.

[@brianshishnia3278]

6:00 Right or wrong? I thought that once the transmission was up to temp service technicians opened the Allen plug and let any "extra expanded fluid" fully drain out of the overflow hole before replacing the Allen plug.

[@WildRiverCamping]

In the video my FJ is on a hill. I checked the level when flat, but did the video on unlevel ground. That's why more fluid than you expect is draining from the hole.

[@DIEGOGONZALEZ-np9ed]

how about the metal filter???

[@timokallen1812]

First question: is this valid for all FJ years? Second: if you are bringing it up to temperature, drain warm fluid and then refill with exact amount of fluid which has not warmed up, wouldn’t the new fluid expand and not be the same amount once refilled? All the info is very helpful, just a little uneasy about that aspect. Shouldn’t the level be checked after refilling? Much appreciated.

[@WildRiverCamping]

1st: in the repair manual, you drain the fluid warm, do the repair, put cold fluid in, warm the fluid back up, then correct the level. 2nd: my method checks warm fluid level, drain and fill the amount you took out. I drained 2.5qts which is a small amount making the fluid expansion difference basically moot. However, I do suggest checking the fluid level again later on when it's convenient for you. I'm going to do a video comparing the volume of transmission fluid when hot vs cold to illustrate how moot the concern is. Happy servicing.

[@timokallen1812]

@@WildRiverCamping Really cool that you take the time to share your advice and experience. Would be the first time and prefer to do it myself. 2007, original owner, only 62K on odometer and plan on keeping it. Just changed the rear diff oil today. Thanks again 🫡

[@user-ih5ln9fj5q]

Have a 2014 that’s about to hit 53k that I bought six months ago at 47k. When should I perform this?

[@WildRiverCamping]

60 to 100k miles should be a good fluid change interval. There's no harm in changing fluid early. I'm going to do a drain-and-fill every 40k miles.

[@paw44]

My drain plug got loose while on the dirt road ( weird !! ) and most of the fluid leaked out! I got new plug and fluid. How much should I put in? Thanks!

[@WildRiverCamping]

Add 2.5 quarts, then bring it up to temp and add fluid until it starts to drain out of the fill hole.

[@gtandtiff]

How long might it take to warm up to temp on a cold day from cold start? Seems like I’ve waited a long time since the AT Temp light flashed once.

[@WildRiverCamping]

I let my FJ warm up for 5 to 10min and it's just off the cold line. Maybe 15min in your case?

[@gtandtiff]

Thanks for the reply. The temp light finally come on after 30 minutes. Granted it was a cold start and about 35 degrees.

[@kevinjomar9217]

Im having the same issue I dint keep track of time but it seems like ive been waiting forever

[@avdikukaj8145]

thank you for sharing the video. one thing i want to warn you about. transmission fluid expands when its reaches a higher temperature. the correct way to do it is to drain the fluid while its cold. then measure the amount exactly and replace it with a half quart more than came out. after that you jump the cables do the fluid transmission check procedure and bring the fluid up to temp. then go under the car and use the check valve and drain what comes out. you did the procedure with the correct steps but in the wrong order. also you must replace the crush washers on the drain plug and check valve. I advise you sincerely to do this again one more time in order to ensure the safety of your transmission. do the fluid check procedure at the end and make a new video and delete this one. or update it. this is coming from one Toyota guy to another with love and respect

[@WildRiverCamping]

Yep. I am aware. Iv been an ASE Master with L-1, diesel, and electric vehicle technician since 2001. I know the fluid expands with temp. I mentioned this In a response to another viewer in the comments section. I admittedly forgot to mention it in the video, but you don't have to do it by the book like you suggest above. All you need to do after doing my modified procedure is to run it to temp--using the check procedure, and drain it until it trickles out. When you do it exactly like I have, the cold fluid you put in will be more than the warm fluid you drained out--but not by much. The check procedure, using the instrument cluster is also a "fluid level correct" procedure. So, all you need to do in addition to my method is to "correct" the fluid level, after the service. Much easier and faster than the by-the-book method you state above. Even if you don't correct the level, it will not be over by a significant amount. The fluid is checked and drained at closer to 100degF compared to operating temp of about 195degF. The fluid is not expanded nearly as much at check temp vs operating temp. So.. I choose the faster, easier, modified method. Thanks for watching.

[@AlejandroTorresCardenas]

Hello, and is it not necessary to change the transmission filter?

[@WildRiverCamping]

I will not remove the pan unless I have a leak or other bigger repair. I don't think it's necessary to replace the trans filter. There are other Toyota master techs, that post on youtube, that agree.

[@WildRiverCamping]

Check this out, kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4PbhKhqYpmioNEsi=AbEDvjsibD3SSA0B

[@quilien7950]

why do you have to check the temperature and fluid level before changing the oil when all you have to do is to put in the same amount that you take out?

[@WildRiverCamping]

How do you know the level is correct to begin with? I check to confirm it is at the correct level first, so I know that when I add the same amount I removed it will be close to correct. With the difference in fluid temp, the new fluid will be slightly over filled when warmed up, so going back and setting the level will be easy--just rain some out when at temp. Or, even easier, let the fluid cool down completely before draining. That way the fluid temp and volume will be the same when drained and filled.

[@greyblooz]

So better to replace it in the winter than the summer? @@WildRiverCamping

[@WildRiverCamping]

I couldn't tell you what's better. I'm a rebel I guess, and change mine whenever I want.

[@greyblooz]

@@WildRiverCamping 🤠

[@rajandivakaran3902]

How many litters are you filled.. Pls replay sir

[@WildRiverCamping]

It was about 2.5 quarts. Thanks for watching.

[@loganpendleton]

does this work in a 4th gen 4runner

[@WildRiverCamping]

Yes, they have the same powertrain. I'm not certain about the trans temp procedure, but I would readily guess it's the same too.