transmission flush - need DIY instructions

[Jeffrey Olson]

Does anyone have instructions on how to flush a transmission from a 99 6 cylinder? Flushing is different from changing the fluid.

Jeff

[unbalancedwood]

A flush can be done i read somewhere you have to do somthing weird...

But we have a tutorial section here and this is a drain and fill
http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php?t=18452
http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php? ... sion+flush

http://www.greenhydrant.com/~drees/auto ... annychange

[Jeffrey Olson]

Here's the suggestion from the camry list - anyone done this with a 99 solara?

Really Changing the Automatic Transmission Fluid
Take it to a shop and let them 'power flush' it for $69.95. Or, do it yourself. Hey, there's a pump inside your automatic, so why not use it?

This works the best when the engine and tranny are completely warmed up. The fluid is hot, so use gloves or be quick!

Get a fresh gasket for the pan. Drain the fluid from the pan. pull the pan, clean it up, drop the filter screen and clean it up too. Put it back together. pour in (slowly) a GALLON of fresh ATF. Disconnect the return (driver side) line from the radiator cooler, and attach a short (6") piece of tubing to direct the flow down into your oil change pan. Start the engine. let it idle till no more fluid come out then shut it off. You noticed that brown icky color, right? Dump the burned, dirty fluid into the empty gallon jug. pour in another GALLON, start the engine, watch the color of the stuff coming out. When the fluid stops, shut her off. I usually find that on the 3rd gallon, it starts to look pretty nice. then you quit. Double check the fluid level till its perfect.

Have done this more than once, and seems to work pretty well. I use the cheap dexron III from Wal-Mart (about $4/gal), and figure cheap, clean stuff is better than anything that is filthy. I just put a cooler on today, so hope to see the stuff stay clean longer.

[Jeffrey Olson]

Here's another way of flushing the tranny. Anyone other than the author tried this?

For the past 3 weeks i have been just doing oil changes on the tranny using the hex bold to flush it out. Finally today i actaully took down the pan and changed the strainer and washed the pan and magnets.

It was not that difficult I thought it would be much harder to do. I did not run into any complications and it took me about 2 hours to the whole thing.

I have never used royal MAX ATF. It made a noticible difference, it even better then the Toyota type IV ATF (which is what i was using to do the flush).

Overall I can say that from now on I will only be using Royal Purple fluids

[unbalancedwood]

I plan on doing the drain and fill a few times (2-3) then putting a new filter and gasket in on the last Drain & Fill...I would say it works 'about' the same and deffently at least $50 cheaper.

[Jeffrey Olson]

Here's another description of how to flush the transmission...

While it's much better for the transmission to change the fluid using the method in [the above] article than it is not to change the fluid at all, this method only replaces about half of the fluid in the transmission. The best thing to do is to change out ALL of the fluid, and this is also something a person can do themselves.

First, drain the fluid from the pan, just like you would using Mr. Macfairlane's procedure. Once you've replaced the filter, the pan gasket, and reinstalled the pan, you're ready for the next step.

Fill the transmission to the proper level using the proper type of transmission fluid. Then disconnect the return transmission line (the line in which transmission fluid flows from the transmission cooler back to the transmission), located near the bottom of the radiator. There's two transmission lines connected in this location, and the bottom line is usually the return line. Once the line has been disconnected, attach a clear piece of tubing to the transmission cooler, the same diameter as the transmission line, approximately 5-6 feet long, using the transmission line clamp to secure it.

Place the unattached end of the clear tube in a plastic, one gallon milk container and place it where it can be seen (like not under the car).

For the next portion of the procedure, make sure that the parking brake is set prior to continuing. Start the engine. The transmission needs to be put into "Drive" so the torque converter fluid is changed as well. Some transmissions will only circulate fluid through the torque converter only in drive. This especially applies to the electronically controlled transmissions. [Craig Sherman noted that Drive is needed for most transmissions, based on technical manuals]

After approximately 4 to 5 quarts (obviously, if it's more than 4 quarts, you'll have to turn of the engine, and fetch another milk jug) of fluid have been pumped out, you should notice a change in the color of the fluid. It should go from a brownish red color, to a bright pinkish red color. When this happens, all of the old fluid has been replaced with new fluid.

Be careful not to overfill the tranny during this procedure.

When completed, reconnect the transmission return line to the transmission cooler. Check the fluid level as you normally would, and add fluid as required.

This fluid change method is twice as good for your transmission as the method of only changing out half of the fluid is. Happy shifting!