when should I change trans. fluid???

What does your maintenance schedule recommend? It's usually a separate booklet from the owner's manual. It's in your glove compartment, with 7 years worth of old insurance cards, and all those extra ketchup packets you couldn't bring yourself to throw away.

My low mileage kind of offsets the whole maintenance schedule. I was wondering if anyone had any non-Toyota advice.

And why would you trust these people over the people who know enough about Toyotas to build them?

jeff

LOL, thats not ketchup, its Taco Bell hot sauce.

According to Toyota's web site, there is no specified time or mileage interval for replacing the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) unless you operate off road, tow, or use a car top carrier although there are inspection intervals with replacement as needed. At 7 years going on 8 years old, now would be a good time to inspect the ATF. The manual specifies a drain and refill for the ATF, although many service centers will recommend flushing the ATF. At this point, you can do either, but if you wait much longer, skip all future flushes and go for drain and refill only.

The factory recommendation for replacing coolant is 48 months or 60,000 miles, whichever occurs first. You should follow this closely, as the additives in the coolant deteriorate over time and can cause rust in the cooling system. It is not necessary to flush the cooling system if you follow the maintenance schedule.

I'd change the trans fluid about now and maybe never again, and if your 4Runner is like the Toyotas I've owned, there's a drain screw that makes the operation simple.

Bite the bullet and change the coolant with genuine Toyota fluid. I first fill with 100% distilled water and run the engine for a minute with the heater control on hot, then I drain and refill with the right amount of antifreeze and top off with more distilled. Don't add distilled if you buy premixed 50/50 antifreeze (big rip-off, almost the price of pure antifreeze). BTW distilled does not mean softened water, which is the worst kind you can put in.

Under normal driving conditions, you are at a good time for a drain and refill. A flush is probably not needed unless you have been pulling a load.

Coolant can be checked for anti-freezing effectiveness, but normally can't be checked for lubricity, corrosion inhibitors, and other properties that manufacturers formulate in their product.

Now is a good time to change your coolant. Under normal driving conditions, a flush is probably not needed. Coolant "wears out" by the heat and cool cycles you place on your vehicle. The more cycles, the sooner you need to change coolant due to the chemical break down. Coolant can remain in bulk for many years without degradation.

There's some sticker under the hood about the Toyota long life coolant. My camry says drain and replace after the first 100k miles. There maybe a different sticker under your hood. If you DIY your coolant, please use distilled water when mixing the 1:1 ratio of Toyota long life coolant with water, or buy the diluted kind.

My ATF dipstick also has a sticker that tells me NOT to change the ATF under Normal driving conditions. Check the stickers and then inspect the ATF, watch out for brownish, burnt smelling fluid, some even says you may find debris in the fluid. And if you choose to DIY your ATF you may find it easier to suck the oil out from the dipstick, (a recommendation from other group members that beats going under the car but you need some pump to suck it out). I have only 18K+ miles on my camry, I check the ATF once in a while especially before getting my 5k mile service. I may follow the severe maintenance schedule for my ATF, but this really depends if I see some kind of decrease in performance and ATF degradation overtime. If not, I will follow the warning label on my ATF dipstick.

Oh and by the way, I just added Techron Fuel systems cleaner in my tank this morning, I'm using the cheaper... or should I say the more affordable gas =)

That's fine just as long is not a durex

I've never used distilled water to dilute antifreeze to 1:1, just tap water out of the hose. The only problem I've ever had with a coolant system is a pin-hole leak that developed on the solder joint on the top tank on a '67 Plymouth. Fixed it with acid-core solder and a blow-torch.

You want to be careful recommending not changing the ATF, I did that once and had about 60 people jump down my throat. Seems like a lot of folks are offended by common sense and experience (or maybe they make their living changing ATF).

Jack