How do you know when you need to change your tranny fluid?
When chanign fluid, you start draining, should i be put under pressure?
Can someone find the location of the nut for the tranny on a 2001 4Runner, I tried searching, but couldnt get it... i also checked manual...

Maybe 75k ish is about where it should be changed. I have no idea on a 4 Runner location though.

well i bought the car with 150.... and i dunno if it was changed or not.... and fluid aint cheap... so is there a way of looking at the color... look for something specific?

it should be red, smell like new fluid, and be clear with no clouding. if its not red, doesnt smell new, or is cloudy then it needs to be changed out. you can do a simple drain and refill.

drain it into a clean oil catch, then pour it into a 1qt bottle, filling that one bottle then dumping it into another container. count how many quarts drained out and then put that much clean new fluid into it. also add about 1/2 bottle of gunik brand seal sweller. it comes in a yellow bottle and is sold at pepboys. on a higher mileage trans it can really firm up the shifts.

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wow, thanks... as far as i saw mine is red in both cars, i was more concerned about the 4runner.... do you by any chance know how often you have to change the 4x4 oil? or if there is an actual 4x4 fluid? I think the proper word is differential fluid

This post has been edited by kerosene: Oct 18, 2007 - 8:27 PM

yes, there should be fluid in both the front and rear differentials. there may not be drain plugs, instead the cover may have to come off to empty that fluid. if its a limited slip then a special fluid or an additive is needed, check either the owners manual or call a dealer to see what you need.

even if theres a drain plug, its a good idea to remove the differential cover, inspect for damage or odd wear, clean the sludge from the bottom of the case, and reseal it. there should be a fill plug either on the stamped metal cover or on the input side of the case. usually its a plug with an inset square, often a socket wrench or breaker bar can be used. some however may be a large hex. it'll probably be difficult to remove if it never has been, spray it with penetrating lube every day for a couple of days prior to removing it, heat may even be needed to help loosen the gunk sticking it place.


one more word of warning, gear lube is some FOUL smelling thick nasty feeling oil. it stinks when its new, it stinks worse when its old and is nasty to clean up if you get it on your clothes or driveway. put down cardboard so you contain what you spill. if you do get it onto your clothes i suggest you use a chemical called Carb-o-Sol. its a dry cleaning degreaser that will remove the smell and the oil from the clothing item. but it has very strong fumes so use it in a well ventilated area and wear gloves.

wow dude... you explained everything to me... thank you for the detail... now.. how often would you have to change it.. the car has about 80k on it, and its a 01... it was replaced a while back...year ago or so... is there a # where you should change it, i read on some forums to look into changing 15-30k or even more often... but that adds up quickly... additionally the car has to be straight so that you can spill it out completely... so means i have to get a lift....

again, thanks for all the help... i greatly appreciate this...

Edit: oh, and do we have to change it on our cars...

btw, where do you live in chicago? area wise...

This post has been edited by kerosene: Oct 18, 2007 - 10:16 PM

i'm out past the south side triangle (57, 80, and 94) in university park.

probably OK with every 30K or every 60K. really you should go by whats in the owners manual. limited slips usually have a shorter interval then an open differential since theres more mechanical action happening.

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Well, in the owners manual for the 4runner it doesn't say... i checked today, that was the first place i checked... and I dont own a Celica manual... is there a synthetic oil that will last longer? or something of that sort....

so you live closer to midway.....

way past midway. im about 2 hours to 90 minutes from downtown on a good day. i'm FAR FAR south side.


well you could call the dealer or ask on toyotanation.com
a synthetic gear lube, im not sure if it will last longer but it will have a more consistent viscosity than regular. meaning that in the cold cold it will be closer to the thickness it should be than the regular lube which will be much thicker. may reduce some unwanted noise on really cold days. im not sure what goes bad with gear lube over time, if its the additives which break down or if it just becomes contaminated. if theres a breather tube on the differential case (some have, some dont) you can put a small breather filter onto the end of it and ziptie it up and out of the way. as the differential gets hot and cold the fluid expands and contracts, air is pushed out and sucked in. a small filter on the end of the tube can guarantee that dust and road salt do not get into the lube.

ahh, so it could possibly explain why im getting a tickin gnoise when i hit a bump.... or would that be suspension... anyways, you have answered enough questions for me... 1 last one... do you know how much it costs...more or less.... to replace the differential oil in our car...

ouch man... thats bloody far....

hmm, not sure how many quarts. a tick over bumps could be a few things, ball joints and tierod ends come to mind, but you should have it checked out.

well they charge 200 to JUST main check, look at things ... and then they can say they need to look more, and its 65bucks every hr after the main search... so it adds up quick... If possible i'd rather do things... and if this car goes out of use, then its ok not my daily driver...

well if thats the case then you can check the ball joints and tierods yourself. look around online about how to and if you cant find something then just post and when im home tomorrow i'll post up a little how-to here.

ahh man, you are very bloody helpfulll!! Thanks for spending so much time on helping me out! Ill check it out tomorrow

This post has been edited by kerosene: Oct 19, 2007 - 12:10 AM

everything seems fine... the only bad thing i see is there is no rubber covering the springs.... axle seems fine, and everything aound seems fine...