When are you changing the trans fluid

I did a full fluid exchange (not a flush) recently at 53K. I wheel a lot and like to stay on top of all my fluids as they do break down over time with heat and more strenuous use. They are the lifeblood of your drivetrain.

 

That’s true for normal operating conditions. However, for special operating conditions (heavily loaded, towing, etc), the toyota maintainance schedule calls for trans fluid replacement at 60k miles.

 

No harm in keeping the fluids fresh.

 

I will be changing all fluids to amsoil.

 

Most urban driving is considered "harsh," right? Stop and go, short trips, idling, steep grades, extreme temperatures, heavy passengers/cargo, lifted, off-roading, not washing it, washing it too much and bumper stickers that read "keep Portland weird."

Ahmed (The Car Care Nut) has expressed that a drain and fill is more than sufficient at 60k if everything else is good.

On my neglected 2014 SR5 @82k-84k, I did a drain and fill, letting it drip out over a few hours. I got over five quarts out. I may be confusing it with the six-speed u760e RAV4 transmission, but I think total volume was 11.8 quarts. I then refilled with 5.5 quarts and closed it back up at 107° trickle.

 

Based on the Failure rate of 4runner Transmissions, and the variety of opinions on when & how to change the fluid, the data says, anything you choose to do, will work out……

 

This is the most helpful post Ive read so far, thanks for putting it all into perspective for me.