2008 RAV4 Transmission Fluid?

Jun 16, 2011 7 Replies

I'll be fogged if I can find any indication as to which transmission fluid to put in my 2004 RAV4, 4 cyl,



2-wheel-drive, limited.

The last time at the dealership the service manager(?) said that the trans fluid was looking "a little old, but not a big deal".



Was he just probing for a soft touch, or should I have the fluid replaced.



If I have the fluid replaced, which new fluid should be used?


Very likely Toyota type WS is the correct fluid.

WS=World Standard.

If not WS then type T-IV

The information is generally in the specifications section of the owner's manual or on the transmission dipstick. The dealer service department or parts department can also tell you whether or not your vehicle takes T-IV fluid.

Thanks Ray--right you are--I looked everywhere except specs.

It states "Genuine Toyota ATF WS".

That's the "World Standard" fluid. It's not compatible with T-IV. My Corolla uses that. Toyota considers it a lifetime fluid if not heavy duty use. But I've been thinking about doing a dump and refill on mine as I've passed 60k miles. I just sleep better at night with clean fluid.. With the WS fluid, myself I would not use anything but the OEM Toyota fluid. It's different than T-IV, and I imagine most others. It's supposedly a bit thinner for one thing. I would not use anything else but OEM for WS fluid. The risk of problems is not worth any price differences. Being as it's a so called lifetime fluid, using the eyes and nose to check it is probably about the best way to know if it's shot.. If it's getting brown and burnt, it needs to go. Mine is not too bad.. I'd like to change it more prevent problems over the long haul. Clean is always better than dirty. :/

Original Chrysler 4-speed Ultradrive transmisison dipsticks indicated Dextron, not that I'd expect Toyota to make a mistake like that. :(

It (WS) looks like water with black rust in it.

Seriously? I'd dump that stuff pronto. Clean WS fluid will look about the same as any other ATF fluid. If yours is that bad, I'd probably dump and refill

2-3 times over a period of time. The reason being that when you drain and refill, it's only a partial change. Some stays in the tranny and converter. So I'd drain and refill, drive it a while, and do it again. I'd avoid the power flushes,etc.. It's better to just drain and refill. Almost sounds like it's been in a flood or something.

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