LostCause

Hi peeps,

I have a question regarding trasnsmission fluid. I'm a bit of a maintenance nut, my car reached 30k wanted to let them do a service. Now the shop i called said they use dextran transmission fluid. Any thoughts if that is ok to use or what is reconmended? I only want the best for my baby. Its an 06 model btw.

Thanks in advance guys

sciontc_mich

i wouldn't use anything but the toyota stuff. the other might be compatible but why take a chance on $2 difference?

Ace83

iTrader: (6)

you have a manual? I would go for synthetic transmission fluid rather than toyota.. I recommend redline MT9O 75W90 or the amsoil 75W90.. they are within the recommended spec too

thendawg

iTrader: (2)

if youre talking about dextron its prolly an auto - and no the 06 needs a fluid that meets or exceeds t-IV spec - not dextron. Amsoil ATF and the Royal Purple Max ATF both meet this spec along with several others - and of course the toyota fluid does. Im using the royal purple max atf but for a stock/bolt on car i dont know if itd really matter than much

LostCause

Lol yeah i thought so, Im prolly gonna go buy the oil myself. Im a valvoline fan, they always sponsered me with my go karting. I read up and the valvoline dex/merc seems to be type-iv. So ill be using that i guess. I cant do anything at the toyota dealership because they do not import scions where im from, you have to import it from the states yourself. So any mainatnance is up to you alone, they dont even like you mentioning scions there lol.

Tnx for the info, let me know what you think about valvoline.

sciontc_mich

^^ yeah but they have the real T-IV fluid there, toyota fluid is for all, lexus,toyota and scion. Can get the fluid and do it yourself.

Why take the chance with something that "seems" ok. I guess I don't take chances on a transmission that is worth like $5000 just my $0.02

LostCause

Hahaha well i know i feel the same.....i bought the filter from toyota already. Its just that they dont have the oil. "sigh" Here you have to make due with what the market offfers. Like i said they dont even service scions at the dealership

alltracman78

Your trans fluid [ATF] doesn't need to be changed until 60,000 miles. There's absolutely no need to change it before then unless you have a specific problem.

Also, I would also recommend using the Toyota T IV.
Even though they might not service Scions most other newer Toyotas use it [T IV] or the WS.
Try getting fluid for an 05 Camry 6 cyl. Same stuff.

LostCause

I know i always prefer oem products. But you dont know this island. I asked the dealer and they just dont have that specific oil. Or they just wont sell it to me, no clue maybe they only have bulk. Ill go tommorow and ask again.

LostCause

I was reading the SL forums and they where talking about ATF oil change at 30K. Is it a big deal?. Im really nutty on maintenance. Clean my engine every other week. Changed my plugs at 30K, oil change 3k miles on the dot, tire pressure, check all fluids weekly etc. Thats why i needs to know

alltracman78

60K is fine. If they won't sell you any, I don't know what to tell you then. Did you ask for Toyota Type IV ATF or for ATF for your Scion?
Oil change should be done at 5k, not 3.
5K Is the MINIMUM requirement from Toyota, the regular recommended interval is actually 7500 miles.

Your spark plugs don't need to be changed until 90k miles, 30k is way too early, all you're doing is wasting money.

Instead of reading what others "think" is the right intervals, take a look at your owners manual or maintenance guide.

ecko04

There is nothing wrong with doing maintenance early actually it is helpful and you are not wasting money,

To some you may be "wasting" money to others you are simply taking care of your car.

You can benefit by changing your plugs, oil and other fluid regularly on a schedule and it is fine if that schedule is ahead of the "recommended" intervals to do so.

Switching to a fully synthetic tranny fluid will help the transmission.

Changing your oil 5w20 every 3000 to 5000 miles will help the motor, I used Mobil1 Extended Performance with the extended performance filter, it is rated for 15000 miles but of course I change every 3000 to 5000 miles.

You take care of your car as you see fit; there is nothing wrong with doing the recommended maintenance early and you are not hurting your car, only helping it by doing so.

sciontc_mich

sorry lostcause- didn't realize where you were. Hmm.. no t-iv trans fluid there. I guess it's odd what is the dealer using if not Toyota parts? Don't worry.
We've got to help you find the aftermarket fluid that would be okay to use in your auto trans.

Anyone know of a good compatible aftermarket replacement for the toyota t-iv fluid?

alltracman78

Now I'm curious, how does it help to change these things earlier?

Do you have any actual input on this or are you just parroting Autozone or somewhere?

sciontc_mich

It reminds me of flourescent light bulbs. When new they put out 100% of their capacity of light. Then as they age, they still turn on, but their light output begins to drop. Sure they still work but they're not 100%. Same with doing maintenance early. Okay so spark plugs "theoretically" based off a statistical analysis will last 100k miles. But why would anyone want to want that long until they die? For me personally I'd rather have optimum performance all the time, not just because some analysis said that 50% performance at 100k was "ok". See? that's what the other post was trying to say and I agree.

I would buy parts for the tC at autozone either, btw.

ecko04

I actually don't buy anything from Autozone. You would have to be a moron to believe that changing fluids early would be anything but beneficial. Fluids degrade over time, if you change them early you are making sure that you are getting optimal performance from them. It is all about maintenance and the OP clearly states the car is his "baby" meaning he wants the best for it so changing his fluids on a schedule whether its every 30,000 instead of every 60,000 is only going to be beneficial in the up keep of his car in the long term.

LostCause

Hiya guys and gals,

Any news on what substute i can use?
Valvoline, mobil?

ecko04

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=224460 --> Auto Tranny DIY

Eneos ATF ---> FTMFW
Toyota Type-IV
Royal Purple Max ATF

Remember 05-06's are Type IV and 07-09's is WS

LostCause

We have none of those here.....sigh

ecko04

I keep forgetting about your location.

See what valvoline and mobil offer.