Avensis Atf

[seadee]

<_< I have a Y reg 1.8 vvti avensis auto and the gear change engages with a clunk when cold from N to D. The fluid needs changing anyway. Toyota say every 60,000 miles but this is contradicted by most independent auto transmission sites which suggest every 30,000miles or so. Anyway I wonder if anyone else experiences this clunky gear chnage (not all the time but sometimes and always when it is cold).

Second question, I change the oil myself, but have never yet changed the ATF would others recommend this as a DIY job and does anyone know of a web site that has diagrams of bleed nuts etc as there seems to be no haynes manual and it is not detailed in my owners manual.

Third question. It seems to be very difficult to buy ATF. Where would anyone recommed going to buy atf as it seems to be only on the shelf in small 1 litre cans and often not from known manufacturers eg Castrol, Texaco and the like.

Fourth question is about oil. My avensis seems to use engine oil, but I cannot see a leak. I am putting in about half a litre every 2000 miles. Is this normal? My old Nissan never needs any oil except for its oil changes

Thanks

[Alberto Michelatti]

Hi to everybody, and happy new year to you all!

"seadee", I have read what you're asking, and I would do some considerations:

You wrote: "the gear change engages with a clunk when cold from N to D." and "...(not all the time but sometimes and always when it is cold)"; how many miles do your car have? how many years do your car have? have you checked the ATF level?

In my opinion, I think that the best thing to do, in this case, is doing an A/T quick check-up at your Toyota dealer; however, if you want to try something by your own first, here there is an official Toyota USA tech document related to A/T diagnosis: http://www.autoshop101.com, Technical Articles, document #17, Electronic Transmission #2 - Diagnosis w/quest.pdf (file size 287KB).

However, in relation to the ATF changing intervals depending by time/distance, Toyota user manuals say that, under heavy duty conditions (urban routes of less than 10 kilometers with cold external temperatures, for example), these have to be reduced to a half.

In relation to the question related to the do-it-yourself ATF substitution job and to the founding of the ATF, personally, I think that, perhaps, the better and no-problems solution wuold be bringing the car to your delaer's technicians; consider these few things:

- for the ATF substitution, to do a perfect job, it is essential that the car is absolutely horizontal: so, an hoister is needed, as minimum;

- Toyota dealer's technicians always have the perfect technical support, the right special tools, the right ATF type (many different and A/T-model-specific ATF types are nowadays available) and the quick availabilty of the right spare parts if something goes wrong.

Obviously doing this job by yourself you could save some money, but isn't it worth while?

However the ATF equivalences are the following: “Toyota Type T-IV” = “JWS 3309” = “Mobil ATF 3309” = “GM 9986195” = “Saab 3309” = “Volvo 1161540” = "Audi G-055-025-AZ” ( http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS...il_atf_3309.pdf ).

In relation to the question related to the engine oil consumption of about half a litre every 2000 miles are valid the same askings of before: how many miles do your car have? how many years do your car have? what type of engine oil did you used the last time, mineral (15W/XX-range), semisynthetic (10W/XX-range) or full synthetic engine oil (0÷5W/XX-range)?

Consider that, if you do a lot of motorway high-speed routes, this engine oil consumption could be absolutely normal (basically, the more the rpm, the more the engine oil consumption, most of all with frequent accelerations/decelerations);

Toyota user manual say, for example, that if you do, with a normal-consumption-motor-oil-engine, a lot of city low-speed cold-engine routes, moisture and fuel can mix with the engine oil, showing you a right engine oil consumption; when you do high-speed warm-engine motorway routes, instead, the moisture and the fuel mixed in the engine oil, due to the high temperatures, can evaporate, showing you a much more higher engine oil consumption.

However, Toyota says that the MAXIMUM (so, in the worst contitions as possible) engine oil consumption is of 1,0 liter every 1000 kilometers.

For what I remember, for the anti-pollution 91/441-UE (1993) norm, the maximum admissible engine oil consumption is of 230g every 1000 kilometers,

Alberto.

[seadee]

Hi to everybody, and happy new year to you all!

"seadee", I have red what what you're asking, and I would do some considerations:

You wrote: "the gear change engages with a clunk when cold from N to D." and "...(not all the time but sometimes and always when it is cold)"; how many miles do your car have? how many years do your car have? have you checked the ATF level?

In my opinion, I think that the best thing to do, in this case, is doing an A/T quick check-up at your Toyota dealer; however, if you want to try something by your own first, here there is an official Toyota USA tech document related to A/T diagnosis: "http://www.autoshop101.com", Technical Articles, document #17, Electronic Transmission #2 - Diagnosis w/quest.pdf (file size 287KB).

However, in relation to the ATF changing intervals depending by time/distance, Toyota user manuals say that, under heavy duty conditions (urban routes of less than 10 kilometers with cold external temperatures, for example), these have to be reduced to a half.

In relation to the question related to the do-it-yourself ATF substitution job and to the founding of the ATF, personally, I think that, perhaps, the better and no-problems solution wuold be bringing the car to your delaer's technicians; consider these few things:

- for the ATF substitution, to do a perfect job, it is essential that the car is absolutely horizontal: so, an hoister is needed, as minimum;

- Toyota dealer's technicians always have the perfect technical support, the right special tools, the right ATF type (many different and A/T-model-speciific ATF types are nowadays available) and the quick availabilty of the right spare parts if something goes wrong.

Obviously doing this job by yourself you could save some money, but isn't it worth while?

In relation to the question related to the engine oil consumption of about half a litre every 2000 miles are valid the same askings of before: how many miles do your car have? how many years do your car have? what type of engine oil did you used the last time, mineral (15W/XX-range), semisynthetic (10W/XX-range) or full synthetic engine oil (0÷5W/XX-range)?

Consider that, if you do a lot of motorway high-speed routes, this engine oil consumption could be absolutely normal (basically, the more the rpm, the more the engine oil consumption, most of all with frequent accelerations/decelerations);

Toyota user manual say, for example, that if you do, with a normal-consumption-motor-oil-engine, a lot of city low-speed cold-engine routes, moisture and fuel can mix with the engine oil, showing you a right engine oil consumption; when you do high-speed warm-engine motorway routes, instead, the moisture and the fuel mixed in the engine oil, due to the high temperatures, can evaporate, showing you a much more higher engine oil consumption.

However, Toyota says that the MAXIMUM (so, in the worst contitions as possible) engine oil consumption is of 1,0 liter every 1000 kilometers.

For what I remember, for the anti-pollution 91/441-UE (1993) norm, the maximum admissible engine oil consumption is of 230g every 1000 kilometers,

Hi, Alberto.

←

[seadee]

Hi to everybody, and happy new year to you all!

"seadee", I have red what what you're asking, and I would do some considerations:

You wrote: "the gear change engages with a clunk when cold from N to D." and "...(not all the time but sometimes and always when it is cold)"; how many miles do your car have? how many years do your car have? have you checked the ATF level?

In my opinion, I think that the best thing to do, in this case, is doing an A/T quick check-up at your Toyota dealer; however, if you want to try something by your own first, here there is an official Toyota USA tech document related to A/T diagnosis: "http://www.autoshop101.com", Technical Articles, document #17, Electronic Transmission #2 - Diagnosis w/quest.pdf (file size 287KB).

However, in relation to the ATF changing intervals depending by time/distance, Toyota user manuals say that, under heavy duty conditions (urban routes of less than 10 kilometers with cold external temperatures, for example), these have to be reduced to a half.

In relation to the question related to the do-it-yourself ATF substitution job and to the founding of the ATF, personally, I think that, perhaps, the better and no-problems solution wuold be bringing the car to your delaer's technicians; consider these few things:

- for the ATF substitution, to do a perfect job, it is essential that the car is absolutely horizontal: so, an hoister is needed, as minimum;

- Toyota dealer's technicians always have the perfect technical support, the right special tools, the right ATF type (many different and A/T-model-speciific ATF types are nowadays available) and the quick availabilty of the right spare parts if something goes wrong.

Obviously doing this job by yourself you could save some money, but isn't it worth while?

In relation to the question related to the engine oil consumption of about half a litre every 2000 miles are valid the same askings of before: how many miles do your car have? how many years do your car have? what type of engine oil did you used the last time, mineral (15W/XX-range), semisynthetic (10W/XX-range) or full synthetic engine oil (0÷5W/XX-range)?

Consider that, if you do a lot of motorway high-speed routes, this engine oil consumption could be absolutely normal (basically, the more the rpm, the more the engine oil consumption, most of all with frequent accelerations/decelerations);

Toyota user manual say, for example, that if you do, with a normal-consumption-motor-oil-engine, a lot of city low-speed cold-engine routes, moisture and fuel can mix with the engine oil, showing you a right engine oil consumption; when you do high-speed warm-engine motorway routes, instead, the moisture and the fuel mixed in the engine oil, due to the high temperatures, can evaporate, showing you a much more higher engine oil consumption.

However, Toyota says that the MAXIMUM (so, in the worst contitions as possible) engine oil consumption is of 1,0 liter every 1000 kilometers.

For what I remember, for the anti-pollution 91/441-UE (1993) norm, the maximum admissible engine oil consumption is of 230g every 1000 kilometers,

Hi, Alberto.

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Alberto,

Thanks for all your helpful comments. I think you are right I will take it to the Toyota dealer for an atf change. The car has done 56000 miles and it is 3 and a half years old. I bought it 6 months ago when it had done 49000 miles. Since I had it the gears have changed in the same way and i took it to a Toyota dealer and told them my concerns but they said they could find nothing wrong That surprised me. I have checked the ATF dipstick regularly with the engine off and the car still on level ground and the level of atf is always the same and full . 5000 miles further on now and I would prefer to take some action now to prevent any problems later. It cannot be good for a gear change to be so sudden and I do not think it should be like that even when cold.

I will take it to a different Toyota dealership.

I will also take a look at the link you kindly recommended.

Your comments on the oil consuption are very helpful. My driving is almost always on the highway/motorway at speeds of 70mph and 3000revs so the oil consumption seems to be no cause for concern. I just did not realise that oil was used up.

Thanks again for all your help

Colin alias Seadee (CD)