kurtk Posted March 19, 2008 Posted March 19, 2008 Howdy Gang! Picked up a choice 1999 400GS last month. 79,000 miles orginal owner, an older guy who own a tow shop in Manhattan beach, but anywho I was doing or having done the usual stuff draining/changing fliuds, filters etc and the tranny fliud was dark and actually had BLACK sludge at the bottom of the pan, no shavings though. About a month later tranny fliud was still kinda dark,not nice pink/red so just had my tranny guys drain from a hose ,no pan drop this time, and refill. Am hoping it stays nice this time. Think I have a problem with the tranny overheating? Engine temp is always good, straight across and it shifts and drives nice but my tranny guy is worried. If the tranny was gunked up ,would it take one or two or more? changes before it stays pink/red? Appreciate any wisdom y'all can share. Love the car and the performance!!!!
djspawn00 Posted March 19, 2008 Posted March 19, 2008 Howdy Gang!Picked up a choice 1999 400GS last month. 79,000 miles orginal owner, an older guy who own a tow shop in Manhattan beach, but anywho I was doing or having done the usual stuff draining/changing fliuds, filters etc and the tranny fliud was dark and actually had BLACK sludge at the bottom of the pan, no shavings though. About a month later tranny fliud was still kinda dark,not nice pink/red so just had my tranny guys drain from a hose ,no pan drop this time, and refill. Am hoping it stays nice this time. Think I have a problem with the tranny overheating? Engine temp is always good, straight across and it shifts and drives nice but my tranny guy is worried. If the tranny was gunked up ,would it take one or two or more? changes before it stays pink/red? Appreciate any wisdom y'all can share. Love the car and the performance!!!! the drain and fills don't really remove too much fluid... like 2.5 out of 10 or something like that... make sure you're using the recommended fluid which i believe is toyota atf+4 or amsoil fluid. you can install a tranny cooler if you want, its easy and inexpensive and might buy you some extra life on the transmission assuming there isn't already catastrophic damage.
mburnickas Posted March 19, 2008 Posted March 19, 2008 Well, if your fluid is turning color (non red) you could have heat issues, slippage or poor fluid issues. Or the tranny could have been dirty and the fluid is cleaning it (ATF does clean). Or the fluid might have been too low at one time for a long(er) duration. I do not put much faith in fluid (tranny/engine oil) clarity. Did the ATF smell burnt (important)? I have not used non-synthetic fluids in many years (like over 15). But I know Amsoil ATF goes in smelling new and new color and comes out the same way; and that is with up to 3X with manuals “recommends”. I also drain and re-fill every other filter drop. I get about 4 qts out of my ES. Filter is done 60K to 70K. You could do any of these things. Pull a UOA (best method), keep draining and refilling (costly) or maybe have a tranny guy check it out (no clue on what they will do). Also a tranny cooler would drop temps a tad but the bigger question is why would you need it. To me it is a bad-aid to a problem and no fixing the issue…..but YMMV But if you follow the manual….LOL
kurtk Posted March 21, 2008 Author Posted March 21, 2008 Great advice! Thanks even if slightly tinged from Homey the Clown. Think I will just keep refreshing and hope for the best. Amsoil seems like a reasonable choice over Toyota 4. Not sure where to buy it but When the pupil is raedy the teacher will appear, ( KF)
Lexusfreak Posted March 21, 2008 Posted March 21, 2008 Contact Amsoil directly www.amsoil.com & ask them for a list of dealers near you. :)
mburnickas Posted March 21, 2008 Posted March 21, 2008 Yup, Amsoil knows but where are you located? Also Amsoil is going UP in prices again on May 1, 2008 due to oil price.. 3rd increase in 6-months....... ****Also engine temp IS NOT integral to tranny issues.
kurtk Posted March 22, 2008 Author Posted March 22, 2008 Yup, Amsoil knows but where are you located? Also Amsoil is going UP in prices again on May 1, 2008 due to oil price.. 3rd increase in 6-months....... ****Also engine temp IS NOT integral to tranny issues. Found a local dealer, I'm in San Diego. How many quarts do you need for a drain and refill. Also I'll bite..."UOA"?
Lexusfreak Posted March 26, 2008 Posted March 26, 2008 Yup, Amsoil knows but where are you located? Also Amsoil is going UP in prices again on May 1, 2008 due to oil price.. 3rd increase in 6-months....... ****Also engine temp IS NOT integral to tranny issues. Found a local dealer, I'm in San Diego. How many quarts do you need for a drain and refill. Also I'll bite..."UOA"? Go to the amsoil website & you can look up your specific vehicle with all fluid capacities (also in your owners manual). UOA = Used Oil Analysis. ;)
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