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Transmission Drain and Fill high mileage

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Satchmo90

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Someone in our family has a 2013 XLE AWD with about 117K. I believe the transmission is not currently having any issues. I will confirm this.

I found a very trusted neighborhood mechanic who used to work for Toyota and I have been sending him other cars. He said the only thing he would do for this transmission is drain one quart and put in a bottle of Lucas transmission fix. Should I encourage him to do a drain and fill if the transmission is not currently having any issues. His reasoning is that it has been too long without a change, but if the forum thinks it's ok, I'll tell him I accept the risks and will also make sure he uses Toyota WS fluid.

I was very concerned that there was no way forward for this transmission but it seems like others on this forum have attempted a first drain and fill at a higher milage. This same mechanic is going to perform other catch-up maintainance later on this week. I would really appreciate your feedback. This car is extremely sentimental to the family member, they do not want a different car. Thank you.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Thanks. What do you think of his idea of draining a quart and adding Lucas transmission fix?

What are the repair options in the future? If it needs a new transmission it will be around 8,000?

The person might be willing to spend that as the car is sentimental.
 
#5 ·
If the trans has no issue, I would personally drain it completely (what ever comes out which is about 2/3s, not a flush), drop and clean the pan and debris magnet, replace the filter with OE. Then fill with a high quality aftermarket synthetic compatible ATF like Amsoil or Redline.

I know there is a lot of debate on the WS vs other ATF. I don't think there is anything special about WS. In fact I do not believe it to be a full syn fluid. I know that when I drained my WS the first time at 50k is was a little burnt. Fill with amsoil .My next drain and fill was at about 70K and fluid was in much better shape. I do drain and fills at 30-40K. Now my trans is at 170 and still shifts like it was new. I also have no issue mixing fluid brands. Have used MAxlife (though not preferred), and Redline (IMO the best).
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Yeah. It's exciting to think there could be a solution here. For a long time I figured we were screwed. I have until Saturday to make some choices but I want to run it by the mechanic soon. Not sure how much of a risk we should take. I welcome any and all other comments. It's sad we didn't just have the drain and fills done at 60k. This is not my car but we were probably thrown off by the "lifetime" fluid from the maintenance book.
 
#7 ·
In my opinion one drain and fill will not hurt the transmission. I have a 2015 Rav4 LE and when I do a drain and fill I get 2.5 quarts of fluid out. I then replace the straw and the plug and add 3 quarts back. Starting the engine I shift through the gears slowly about 3 or 4 times with my foot on the brake peddle ending in Park. As the engine is running, I allow the fluid to heat up to 104 degrees using my ScanGuge II. I remove the plug (not the straw) and watch till the fluid coming out begins to trickle out. I replace the plug and torque it. I do this every 35,000 - 45,000 miles. The Rav4 always shifts smoother after this process. Don't get a complete flush. I use Toyota WS fluid just for peace of mind.

 
#8 ·
ravster2015 said:
In my opinion one drain and fill will not hurt the transmission. I have a 2015 Rav4 LE and when I do a drain and fill I get 2.5 quarts of fluid out. I then replace the straw and the plug and add 3 quarts back. Starting the engine I shift through the gears slowly about 3 or 4 times with my foot on the brake peddle ending in Park. As the engine is running, I allow the fluid to heat up to 104 degrees using my ScanGuge II. I remove the plug (not the straw) and watch till the fluid coming out begins to trickle out. I replace the plug and torque it. I do this every 35,000 - 45,000 miles. The Rav4 always shifts smoother after this process. Don't get a complete flush. I use Toyota WS fluid just for peace of mind.

Click to expand...
How many miles do you have on your RAV4 now?
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
I'm tempted to go with the drain and fill. I don't know if the mechanic would even do it. I could do a drain and fill at Valvoline though.

Should we change the filter or anything else, or just a drain and fill?

Thanks. I am going to try and go talk with the mechanic in person soon.
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
Thank you all, I posted the below in a new post: check it out if you like

Approx 115K miles parked outside for the past 11 years.

Has only had oil changes and nothing else done. Coolant was changed at 100K.
Transmission fluid is the original factory fluid.

This Saturday will do catchup mantainance with a local mechanic who had a substantial career with Toyota.

What should I tell him to do?

Regarding the transmission, he said since it is shifting well with no problems, he will drain the transmission and if he observes to much debris coming out as he watches it drain he will stop draining it and add fresh fluid from there.

I figured we could do spark plugs, replace some suspension components. What else should we do? Fuel Filter?

Thanks for your help.
 
#13 ·
Drain and refill the transmission fluid. (around 4 quarts) Since these transmissions last for many hundreds of thousands of miles, I wouldn't be worried to do that, to keep it running well for a long time. I've used WS and then Amsoil in my Toyotas without issues.
I wouldn't add any 'Lucas fix" additive unless the tranny indicated some problems.
You should drop the transmission pan and clean the sludge off the magnets, and all the sludge laying on the bottom of the pan. Lots of Toyotas have "strainers" instead of filters so check first. Strainers rarely need to be replaced.
New spark plugs are a good idea and use only what OEM recommends. They are good for 120,000 miles.
Clean thr MAF sensor with Maf cleaner only.
Check, clean or replace your PCV valve.
Coolant was changed already so you're good there and the thermostat doesn't need to be changed yet if the temp gauge reads normal all the time.
Good luck...
 
#14 ·
Greetings everyone, replying on this thread as it was the most recent that I have seen on the forum about this topic.

To begin: I watch Car Care Nut, so I understand his thinking and advice. He's an expert, but I still enjoy hearing other people's experiences.

Just bought a 2011 base Rav4, 170k miles. I am reaching out to the dealer to see what history, if any, they have on the car. Not sure how many owners, bought off FB marketplace. So while I wait for their service history, I wanted to ask you lot the question.

It has no shifting issues. Transmission fluid is a reddish brown so it's not terrible but certainly not fresh. I am safely assuming that the fluid is original from new. No burnt smell, viscosity could be better but it's definitely not degraded to the point of water.

Should I leave it be seeing as there are no current symptoms? Car Care Nut would say do not touch it.

I have seen others on this forum with less miles and a few with more miles who didnt or couldnt adhere to the proper change intervals and did a drain and fill without any consequences.

I have the WS fluid already purchased with a replacement Wix filter and gasket. After driving for about 100 miles, there is nothing suggesting the transmission is ailing. This is a car I purchased for a family member so I just told her to drive it for a few thousand miles and report back to me with any symptoms as I wouldnt gain much from my limited time with the car.

What are everyone's thoughts?
 
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#15 ·
It's always a good idea to "prevent" problems by checking and or replacing wear out things like air filters, spark plugs, oil, antifreeze and transmission fluid. Clean the MAF sensor and PCV valve.
I ALWAYS change ALL the fluids when I buy a used vehicle. Doing these things will help make the vehicle last a long time. I think your mileage is still safe to change it. If it had 270 thousand miles, I probably wouldn't bother, but I wouldn't buy a vehicle with that many miles.

It's also a good idea to start your own thread....

Good Luck
 
#16 ·
Drain/refill your ATF. Repeat 2-3x over several hundred miles or 2-3 weeks. The other option is a cooler line full fluid exchange.

If mileage is over 100k, change the ATF filter.

Mileage on transmission doesn't determine whether the fluid can be changed or not, contrary to influencers and internet fear scare hearsay.
 
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