Dirty trans fluid, normal?

[biggee72]

I checked the trans fluid the other day and it looks black. Now this car is babied w/ 60k on it and bought new. I called me trans guy and he told me it was normal for toyotas to have a darker trans fluid color real quick. I'm having it do a trans service anyway but has anyone else ever heard of this?

[Ilovemylara]

yes its very normal.. Normal driving will raise fluid temperatures to 175 degrees F., which is the usual temperature range at which most fluids are designed to operate, so im sure its gonna get a little dark.

[youngblood]

Equally important is the smell of the fluid and the feel of it between your fingers. Does it smell burnt? Does it feel gritty? Most of us don't have a huge frame of reference for this determination, so I suggest buying a new quart of fluid for comparison.

At 65k, my transmission still has reasonably red, clean-looking fluid but who can say if it was changed before I purchased it (4k miles ago).

[NightRider]

How much does a transmission flush cost these days? I need to get mine done in about 1k miles...

[MrMikeL]

I was posed with this issue a couple of years ago. My shop told me the tranny fluid was dark, and that's normal for Toyota. They recommended a drain and fill once a year. Yes, I know, I'm only removing 1/3 of the fluid, but this seems to be an acceptable practice. It's sure better than doing nothing, and less risky than a powerflush.

[youngblood]

I was posed with this issue a couple of years ago. My shop told me the tranny fluid was dark, and that's normal for Toyota. They recommended a drain and fill once a year. Yes, I know, I'm only removing 1/3 of the fluid, but this seems to be an acceptable practice. It's sure better than doing nothing, and less risky than a powerflush.

Couldn't agree more.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^