Brown Transmission Fluid Question

My Toyota Tacoma Prerunner 4 Cylinder has 54K. I've noticed no performance
or transmission problems. When I checked the transmission fluid it was brown
with no burned smell. Without doing the pan, I drained it and refilled. I
drove it 20 minutes and rechecked it. It was still somewhat brown, so I
drained and refilled again. It looks a little better but its still not
right. The last time that I checked it, it was OK. I did pull a
quarter-ton trailer with some firewood 120 miles in October; I use the
trailer less than 5 times a year...usually lightly loaded. I read the
posts on the subject and learned that when you change the fluid, you are
only changing about a third of the fluid in the transmission; I should have
dropped and cleaned the pan; I also should have checked and changed the
fluid earlier. Today, I plan to change the filter if appropriate, clean
the pan, and do the third fluid drain and refill. My question: If the pan
and filter look OK, am I done, or should I have it flushed?

Tommy

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 12:08:37 GMT, "Tommy Taylor"
> wrote:

>My Toyota Tacoma Prerunner 4 Cylinder has 54K. I've noticed no performance
>or transmission problems. When I checked the transmission fluid it was brown
>with no burned smell. Without doing the pan, I drained it and refilled. I
>drove it 20 minutes and rechecked it. It was still somewhat brown, so I
>drained and refilled again. It looks a little better but its still not
>right. The last time that I checked it, it was OK. I did pull a
>quarter-ton trailer with some firewood 120 miles in October; I use the
>trailer less than 5 times a year...usually lightly loaded. I read the
>posts on the subject and learned that when you change the fluid, you are
>only changing about a third of the fluid in the transmission; I should have
>dropped and cleaned the pan; I also should have checked and changed the
>fluid earlier. Today, I plan to change the filter if appropriate, clean
>the pan, and do the third fluid drain and refill. My question: If the pan
>and filter look OK, am I done, or should I have it flushed?
>
>Tommy
>

You have a torque converter sitting between the engine an transmission
if you have an automatic transmission. This doesn't get drained when
you pull the ATF pan. So, when you start up the engine and go
somewhere, you re-mix the old stuff in the torque converter with the
new stuff and there you go, browinish again.

What to do? since the torque converter, to my limited knowledge,
doesn't have a drain. Well, you can pull a hose ( both actually cause
you don't know which direction the ATF fluid is flowing through your
cooling radiator, run the engine for 10 seconds at idle speed, whilst
adding New ATF fluid at the same time. This is obviously a 2 person
job. Collecting the old ATF in a bucket or such, when the color
changes to red/pink, stop the engine, put the hoses back on the
radiator for the tranny, tighten clamps, and fill ATF to proper level.

This is a do-it- yourself- flush, I have never done it, as my car is
still under warranty and I will let the Dealership handle this little
bit of hell under warranty.

If by chance I need a NEW Transmission, this is going to be
interesting! They cost a damn fortune, and I will watch with
-delight- as they replace it for FREE !!! 8-)

Lg

> You have a torque converter sitting between the engine an transmission
> if you have an automatic transmission. This doesn't get drained when
> you pull the ATF pan. So, when you start up the engine and go
> somewhere, you re-mix the old stuff in the torque converter with the
> new stuff and there you go, browinish again.
Thanks LG

Therefore , the key is to get rid of all the bad ATF and replace it with
new...

This morning, I cleaned the pan, changed the filter, and did my third drain
and refill. The pan and magnets showed a little grey dust. Now when I pull
the dipstick the fluid is pink again. I think that I'll drain and refill
the next few times that I change the oil and maybe that'll be good enough.

Tommy

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 23:50:07 GMT, "Tommy Taylor"
> wrote:

>> You have a torque converter sitting between the engine an transmission
>> if you have an automatic transmission. This doesn't get drained when
>> you pull the ATF pan. So, when you start up the engine and go
>> somewhere, you re-mix the old stuff in the torque converter with the
>> new stuff and there you go, browinish again.
>Thanks LG
>
>Therefore , the key is to get rid of all the bad ATF and replace it with
>new...

Well, sort of yes, sort of no.
IOW, there is a -reason- the tranny fluid got burned. Chances are if
you put new stuff into it, it will buy you a *little* time until it
becomes burned also.

So the key is to find out what is burning the ATF. That is the key,
and since I'm not a tranny guy, this is, IMO, something best left to a
dealership or tranny shop.

>This morning, I cleaned the pan, changed the filter, and did my third drain
>and refill. The pan and magnets showed a little grey dust.

That is perfectly NORMAL. I usually remove the magnets and clean them
like new.

> Now when I pull
>the dipstick the fluid is pink again. I think that I'll drain and refill
>the next few times that I change the oil and maybe that'll be good enough.
>
>Tommy

It is the cheapest thing to do at the moment, yes. The only reason
I'm going to dealership tomorrow a.m. with my car is because it is
under warranty, and if I even *touch* the tranny it goes out of
warranty.

I hope they replace the dang thing. I would love to watch. That's
major $$$ that Ford is switching out. Better them than me.

Lg

Tommy Taylor wrote:
> > You have a torque converter sitting between the engine an
transmission
> > if you have an automatic transmission. This doesn't get drained
when
> > you pull the ATF pan. So, when you start up the engine and go
> > somewhere, you re-mix the old stuff in the torque converter with
the
> > new stuff and there you go, browinish again.
> Thanks LG
>
> Therefore , the key is to get rid of all the bad ATF and replace it
with
> new...
>
> This morning, I cleaned the pan, changed the filter, and did my third
drain
> and refill. The pan and magnets showed a little grey dust. Now when
I pull
> the dipstick the fluid is pink again. I think that I'll drain and
refill
> the next few times that I change the oil and maybe that'll be good
enough.
>
> Tommy

Why not put a pan on with a drain plug or add one? Heat is what kills
the trans so put a cooler on it.

Tommy Taylor wrote:
> > You have a torque converter sitting between the engine an
transmission
> > if you have an automatic transmission. This doesn't get drained
when
> > you pull the ATF pan. So, when you start up the engine and go
> > somewhere, you re-mix the old stuff in the torque converter with
the
> > new stuff and there you go, browinish again.
> Thanks LG
>
> Therefore , the key is to get rid of all the bad ATF and replace it
with
> new...
>
> This morning, I cleaned the pan, changed the filter, and did my third
drain
> and refill. The pan and magnets showed a little grey dust. Now when
I pull
> the dipstick the fluid is pink again. I think that I'll drain and
refill
> the next few times that I change the oil and maybe that'll be good
enough.
>
> Tommy

You've had that pan off so many times. Why not get one with a drain
plug or put one in? Then you can change it more often and quickly.
Also, if you are going to two something you could make the transmission
live by adding a cooler. Heat is what kills the trans.