Toyota Dealership Transmission services

Have a 2008 Toyota 4Runner, 103,000 miles. V6 Automatic transmission.

Took it to one Toyota dealership to get the filter changed and to flush the transmission. They told me my they couldn’t do that because my Toyota doesn’t have a filter in that year model ? So I didn’t have nothing done. Didn’t make no sense why the transmission wouldn’t have a transmission fluid filter.

Called two part stores both which sells a transmission fluid filter for my 4Runner, plus the fluid, pan gasket, filter gasket, crush washers. Everything needed two service the trans mission.

So I went to another Toyota dealership. The Customer Service manager not only told me that my 4th generation 4 Runner doesn’t have a transmission filter but also none of Toyota vehicles have transmission fluid filters in their transmissions.

I know that isn’t true and told him so. Told him about the parts stores I talked that sells filters for my Toyota 4 Runner and all of the videos that show people putting the filters in.

He ok that’s fine but we don’t put them in because none the Toyotas they sell are designed for transmission filters. Now this is a Toyota service manager of a huge Toyota dealership telling me all of this.

I Know he was out & out lieing to me because the only thing he was interested in was doing a flush on my transmission. Which I won’t have done there if I should decide to have that done.

Now it makes me wonder if a dealership would lie to me about that just what else would they lie about ? After all to get your transmission flushed you have to make an appointment. Wait in the waiting room while they are supposedly flushing your transmission. They could kill a hour or so and drive it up for you to pick it up. And never have touched it. It’s a sealed transmission. You can’t check it to see for yourself if the fluid was new fresh fluid.

What’s the since in putting fresh fluid in a transmission that has a dirty filter still left in it. What’s the purpose of dealerships trying to convince their customers that their Toyota vehicles don’t have transmission fluid filters ?

 

I just had my transmission flushed and I sort of remember the shop owner saying there isn’t a filter, or maybe a metal mesh filter… definitely don’t think there is like a paper type filter in there.

 

Yeah, it's a strainer. Metal. No actual filter in the A750 trans. The strainer is 100% replaceable. But there is no actual filter.

@Less, that dealership sucks. They should have explained to you that it indeed doesn't have a filter but it does have a strainer that is replaceable. And at 100k miles, I would advise having it replaced, just for good measure. I'd find a new dealership or dedicated transmission service shop, that will actually explain that to you before servicing. Or learn how to do the work yourself. And it's NOT a sealed transmission. You are able to check it yourself, it's just not as easy as checking the dipstick since it doesn't have one.

 

I have found a few videos showing people changing the filters on Toyota 4Runners. One of the guy making the video cutting the filter into with a small hand grinder in order to show how dirty the fluid was and how much sediment was caught in the wire mesh filter. And the wire mesh filter had a lot of silt built up.

Because just about all part stores sell Toyota transmission fluid filters and because I have found several videos showing people replacing them. I feel pretty confident they have transmission fluid filters. And the filter element is a wire mess element that makes up the filter. It is a fine mesh wire that resembles a window or door screen on a house. But yes in my opinion Toyota transmissions does have transmission fluid filters regardless wether you want to refer to it as a filter or a metal strainer. But when you go to the parts store they will call it a filter and that is what it is called on the box it comes in.

And for a big Toyota dealership’s service manager tell me that Toyota doesn’t put any type of filters in any Toyota transmissions makes me wonder why he would say something like that. Even when I showed him a new in the box with my purchase ticket stating on the ticket and box that it is a transmission filter for a Toyota 4Runner. All he had to say was “ Ok we don’t have transmission mission filters in any of the Toyotas we sell here. “. This was as big of a dealership as they come. I was referred to this guy by a Mechanic who knew this Toyota service manager personally and have known him for years who told me I should take it to him. And to be sure and have a new Toyota transmission filter and fluid replaced and I would be good for another 100,000 miles.

So wether you want to call the filter a metal screen or filter both are the same thing. They both catch sediment from the transmission fluid and can get so dirty if they aren’t changed after a certain amount of time will
Restrict the flow rate of the fluid along with other problems.

Personally The reason I don’t think the dealerships want to change the transmission filters is because of the liability potential problems that could happen just from having to take the sump pan off. The mechanic could break one of the pan bolts or strip one out, pan gasket leak after replacing it. Which all
could happen to the best of mechanics.

Had I of known about sealed trans missions before I got this one. I wouldn’t have ever bought it.

 

The same service manager also told me Toyota doesn’t put filters in none of Toyotas vehicles.

 

Here you go! It's a 3rd gen but I immediately thought of this video after reading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuGazNhuEtM&t=7s

 

I replaced my filter at 102k miles. It's not too difficult to do. There are threads on here. Here's my thread:

https://www.4runners.com/threads/transmission-pan-drop-filter-replacement.32643/

 

That’s one of the videos I was talking about. Very good video and lots of good information. Debunks the idea that the transmission only has a screen which the filters element is a screen but it is called a filter that needs to be changed after so many miles. And a transmission flush isn’t going to clean.

Am surprised at how many people assume that taking their Toyota’s in every so many miles and having them flushed is the only thing that needs done. And was shocked when a major Toyota Service manager told me that no Toyota automobiles has any type of transmission filter wether it be a screen like a lot of people refer to which is actually a filter.

These sealed transmissions is just another way of taking away the consumer’s ability to do their own maintenance or for that matter finding someone who can. Because it’s a little complicated process to change the transmission for an average person or mechanic.

And really lessens the dealerships liability of getting sued from a new hired sub par mechanic not knowing what he is doing.

 

I agree it’s not too difficult for someone with the mechanical abilities to do it. But wouldn’t recommend the average person with no mechanical abilities to try it. Big difference than a oil change on a engine.

 

I'm no expert mechanic, it's easy to follow the instructions and do it yourself.

 

On a 15-year old vehicle I'd advise against dicking around with dropping the pan. One rusted bolt snapped in the aluminum transmission casing and your 30-minute job becomes a full day affair. Leave the "lifetime" strainer alone and just change the fluid. It may be the reason the service writer was refusing the work.

Toyota doesn't even publish a transmission fluid change schedule for your year. Just by changing the fluid you are doing more than most 4Runner owners.

 

It’s not a life time strainer, it’s a filter that is supposed to be changed at 90,000 miles which I am going to do. The owner’s manual that came with says it’s supposed to be changed at 90,000 miles.

Your advice isn’t the kind of advice I would listen to. Rather perform maintenance on it verse’s not doing preventative maintenance. You don’t work for a Toyota dealership by any chance do you ? Your advice is exactly like something a dealership would give and is worth less.

As far as breaking a bolt I am not the least little bit worried about that happening. Have dropped the oil and transmission fluid pan more than the average person in my lifetime. Never broke a bolt yet. On vehicles a lot older than 15 years old.

I would recommend you risk dicking around and changing the fluids and filters instead of burying you head in the sand like a ostrich and hoping nothing will happen. But then again just by reading you ridiculous suggestion I can tell more than likely you’re still trying to figure out where to put the gas in. Lol !!!

 

No it’s not a paper filter. Watch that video of the guy replacing the filter. The guy cuts the filter into so that he can inspect the screen filter element to see how dirty it is. And it’s covered up with silt. That’s why the filter is supposed to be changed. Clogged up filter like that causes the fluid to flow slower and is restricted. making the transmission to run hotter. It’s not good to burry your head in the sand like the other moron who mentions to never change the life time filter. That’s the dumbest comment I have ever heard. Life time filter ! Now a 3 year old can figure out there is no such thing as a life time filter. That’s why part stores sell replacement filters. That’s why you change oil every so often. But I am sure the jack ass who commented on not to change the filter because you might break a bolt while removing the pan also uses a life time oil filter because he might cross threading the new filter when replacing it. Really makes a lot of sense to put clean oil in and filter it with a dirty filter. Zeeeese !!!

 

Op quit being a jackass. People are trying to give advice and their opinions you don't have to be a Richard Cranium

 

If the ‘filter’ is a metal mesh, can’t it just be cleaned and reused?

I honestly don’t remember so I’ll have to go back and look at my paperwork, but I took my 4Runner into a transmission specialty shop recommended by another member here (@xtremewlr) and all I know is they did a full flush and whatever else they did, transmission shifts great now and is a big improvement over what it was like prior to bringing it in.

 

I just googled the ‘transmission filter’ for our 4Runners, and it definitely doesn’t look like what I would consider to be a “filter”. It’s like a metal contraption. It almost looks like a baffle or something.

probably just getting verbiage or semantics mixed up when you were talking to the dealerships.

 

It.

Is.

NOT.

A.

Filter.

Get that out of your head. And FYI, Timmiy is a fucking hack and a douchebag. I've dealt with that asshole before and he can take a flying fuck off a cliff. He's been banned from several forums for being an asshat and douchebag.

Seriously. When you physically look at one, it is in NO WAY a filter. It has a simple mesh screen that will strain out larger particles.

A FILTER will strain out microscopic particles and consists of a paper or synthetic filtering element.

These are the strainers from the first time I changed them out. Left is new, right is old with over 310k miles on it.



You would not be able to see through a filter like you can see through the strainer mesh on the new one. This is why the Toyota dealer told you there is NOT a FILTER in or on the transmission.

I would not attempt to clean and reuse the old strainer, it's cheap insurance just to replace it with a new one and don't forget to get a new o-ring for it. You can see the o-ring placement on the strainers below.



Part number for the strainer is 35330-60050. Yes, Toyota has it listed as a "filter" because people are stupid and believe that's what it is so they try to make it simpler for the masses to find. IT'S NOT A FILTER.

Part number for the o-ring is 90301-31014. Note that when you look that part number up, it shows up as Strainer O-Ring - Toyota (90301-31014).

You're welcome.

 

Unless you live in the rust belt, where corrosion is plentiful and stuff like what you describe happens often, this is horrible advice.

Dropping the pan on a non-crusty 15-20 year old 4Runner is not a big deal. Not having a dipstick makes verifying fluid levels a bit more of a pain than using a dipstick but there are methods described in the service manuals from 2005 and up on how to properly verify fluid levels.

On a used vehicle that you don't know the service history of prior to the point of your purchase, I would 100% advise to drop the pan (yes, it uses a gasket, don't use gasket maker either) and replace the STRAINER while you are doing a fluid change.

The fluid nor the strainer are lifetime. That's just a dumb gimmick used to try and sell more vehicles to the misinformed public.

 

You accuse the service writer of lying, now Thurman you're doing the same. Show me where in the owner's manual (or more accurately, the maintenance booklet) that says to replace the transmission filter at 90k?
https://assets.sia.toyota.com/publications/en/om-s/OM35897U/pdf/OM35897U.pdf
https://assets.sia.toyota.com/publications/en/omms-s/T-MMS-084runner/pdf/T-MMS-084runner.pdf