I love how excited this guy is to see dirty fluid. Total car guy. Thanks for the video!

For anyone wondering why you always crack the filler bolt before the drain it's to ensure you don't drain all the fluid then strip the filler or break it having no way to refill the gearbox.

Peter - just use the same yellow jug that you have the fluid in. I keep clean ones always ready. Mark it with a sharpy or a piece of tape. Drain the bad fluid - leave it draining for several minutes so the remaining 'bad' fluid is super negligible. Refill to the sharpy mark. So easy. Identical containers works well too.

I must say in addition to your expertise, I find your personality and voice to be quite warm and charming. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

ALL fluids need to be changed regularly. Often, service intervals are not listed in the owners manual, so you have to give it your best guess. Every 2 years or so, I have my transaxle fluid changed, and also, have the brake system flushed, as well as the oil changes.(which I do every 5,000 miles) If your car uses power steering fluid, that too, needs to be changed every so often. I also have my cooling system flushed and changed every couple of years, as well. My '06 Prius has 280,000 miles on it, and it still runs like new. I'm still on the original water pump, catalytic converter, and main battery. I haven't even had to replace the oxygen sensor yet, because the low oil consumption of my engine hasn't fouled it yet. When ever I acquire another used vehicle, I change all fluids, regardless of what I've been told. Even if it turns out that it had been serviced recently, it never hurts to flush everything out again, so all the fluids are as clean as when the car was new.

I believe Toyota insist it is a 'life-time oil' for environmental reasons only. This apparently saved them several millions .... If I ever buy a Hybrid Toyota new - I would change the trans fluid at no more than 20 or 30 000 miles, to get rid of any swarf or wear particles from the running-in process. Then again at 60 000 and so on... I also stick a big round neodymium magnet on the outside of the drain plug too.

Better safe than sorry, the new owner should change all the fluids and start from point zero again ;)

This guy seems to love the Toyota’s he works on very genuine 🧰🔧🤠

My 14 Corolla has the "old" 4 speed auto but I was able to drop the pan and change the filter too. I then disconnected the return line from the radiator right before it went back into the transmission, attached a hose, and ran it into a 5 gallon bucket. I filled the pan with new fluid then had my wife start the car and I kept adding new fluid till the almost 7 quarts was replaced. I did this at 71,000 miles and the fluid was not as dirty as this, but I'm glad I did it. I used Amsoil's signature series fluid. Now at almost 81,000 miles, it still runs like new. I plan doing it again at 140,000.

My 2005 Gen 2 had about 255K on it last week when I did 2nd Trans Oil Change. It was done at about 125K before so now its on this 3rd fresh batch. 1. Factory File, 2. 125K Fill, 3. 255K fill. It was fairly dark but not alarmingly so. I just observed this is normal and did the change. I did use the WS spec but not from the dealer. I got a 4 quart bottle from Walmart for $17. Its called MaxLife and is for Toyota with WS spec. Works fine, drove it to LA to Phoenix and return, now issues.

Its not really getting mad at not cracking the filler plug first its just a good tip. As if your standard DIY person just drains all the oil out to find out the fill plug is stuck then they are in for a fun time. Big thumbs up on addressing it

Lifetime fluid = Good till your transmission explodes aka end of lifetime.

Thank you my friend,,greetings from TANZANIA,,we love toyota too as long as they are reliable no matter what part of the world

I use Redline D6 ATF and have done this to my 06 prius needing WS. the first time it was kinda red with the previous fluid at 135k over 3 years ago -it looked like it was changed by the other owner- I did it again at 165K this past summer and the Redline was still bright red and clean. . Good stuff

My Toyota Tacoma calls for Toyota w .s. at fluid . I bought it in 2007 with 20k miles and changed the fluid with valvoline dexron 6 full synthetic transmission fluid and I changed it every 20k miles and I just sold my 2004 Tacoma with 350k miles on it and it runs great and tows my trailer with no problem . I would buy the valvoline DeX 6 from Walmart for $18 dollars in a 1 gallon bucket . Full synthetic /great products and it kept my truck going TOYOTA STRONG.

There is no “flush” for a Prius transmission as there is no torque converter or pressure valves. It’s a gearbox and electric motor windings. That’s it. So replace only. Changing at 60k Miles is a cheap and good preventive maintenance though.

In the UK I requested Toyota dealership to change my Prius transmission fluid with the standard service and guess what they charged me but didn’t change trans fluid as I caught them on camera. Well Done UK Toyota Dealership it’s sound like you guys don’t want hybrid cars to last long.

My sister has owned her 2014 Corolla S for a year and a half now. It has just reached 100,000 Kilometers. It has the CvT transmission and I don't know if the previous owner ever changed the fluid. It has the "lifetime fluid" which is the craziest thing I have ever heard. Planned obsolescence is the only reason I suspect. I will be sure to tell her to have it changed soon!

I have 2011 Highlander Hybrid at 59000 miles. Hope to see more contents of it. Love your steady simple procedures!

On my 2015 camry @134k miles, transmission had a noise, at very cold winter in Michigan, transmission will not engage to gears. I drained and filled twice with Valvoline maxlife, now it works great.

just changed in mine 2008 Prius 2nd gen 75k miles. was same black. now after def. less movement when engine starts in P , less noise when breaking or in B. I think regenerative breaking wear the oil more than in other auto gearboxes.

The underside is quite clean.

Thanks for the info and your contagious joy. I got confident I need to have the fluid changed, and a happy smile.

Thanks for humoring me on that fill plug! BTW, for anyone (justifiably) irritated with Toyota’s pricing on such a low quality (albeit very specifically designed) transmission fluid, Idemitsu sells the same spec under the name TLS-LV, and it can be had at your local NAPA dealer during their monthly sales for as little as $5.25/qt.

My son changed hybrid transaxle fluid on a 2002 Prius at 209K miles. It looked pretty murky (gray) but the transaxle never complained. Our 2014 maintenance schedule calls for inspecting the transaxle fluid at 30K miles, or replacing it in severe service at 60K mile intervals. It does not have a replacement schedule for normal service.

Great video. I just do a drain and fill (1x) every 50k with Toyota Type-IV OEM fluid. Gotta love the drain bolt on the pan (also a 10mm allen). My 2006 Matrix with 140k mi. runs perfect. I use two labelled identical Mobil-1 5qt containers. One gets old dirty fluid and the other get new fluid filled until level matches. Make sure level is correct before doing fluid change-it should be in "sealed" units.

We have about 50 toyota priuses in our taxi fleet, most of them are already over 300k miles, never changed transmission oil a single time. Waste of money.

Just did mine yesterday, I had 2.5 liters ( around 2.3 quarters) in my 2012 prius c, 151k miles. I already changed the fluid- for the cooling system ( hybrid and engine). Oil changes every 5k miles with full synthetic and original oil FILTERS + Militec. Next step will be spark plugs and brake fluid. Everything is gonna be toyota, it's really cheap. And I'm doing it by myself at parking lot 🙂 I think that these cars last almost forever with certain care.

Yes, changing the transmission fluid is so important. Toyota is part of the problem, though--for many of their vehicles, they claim that the transmission fluid never needs to be changed. But we both know that there is no such thing as "lifetime" transmission fluid, all fluids break down over time...and so do transmissions if the fluid is not changed

I had my Lexus dealer tell me it doesn’t need to be done. We have a 2013 RX 350 AWD with only 50,000 KM. I know it’s overkill changing it, but it’s our vehicle, just take our money and change it

Actually , this one time I tried to loosen the bolt on the front diff on my Tacoma , it was fkn so stuck..So I went into town to ask a few garages if they could loosen it. Most of the mechanics at several different places , just pointed to a impact wrench and let me go to work. From Snap on , Klutch , nitro cat , IR. nothing worked. I was tripping out a little . So I came up with an idea of putting a jack under the wrenches handle and started pumping, it almost lifted my truck off the ground, before it finally made a loud pop. It finally was loose and I got to change my fluid......I put anti-seize on the threads, and have changed it several times since then , with no issues of corrosion weld. So the point of this story is that I would have been screwed , if I drained it first. At least for a few hours , until I figured it out. I ended up buying a I R 2235TIMAX with 1350 ft. lbs. of Torque , the trick is give it a high flow inlet and high flow outlet from the tank too......So now you wont lose air pressure with 100 ft of hose. Well not as much. Hope this helped someone out ...Peace.

The sauerkraut test never lies! You are doing god’s work Peter! 🙏🏼

On my 2015 Camry I replaced it with Redline D6 fluid rather than the Toyota WS. Runs Great. I replace the filter and fluid every 40-50k miles.

Always great maintenance videos! Greetings from San Diego California

Thank u,i have 2013 lexus rx 350 bought used at 69k miles ,i have the carfax but theres no record that it was changed the trans oil.now im decided the change it The thing is i dont know how many quarts of trans oil i need to buy Im estimating i need to buy 5 quarts

I changed it on 2016 RAV4 at 60k and it was clean and clear.

Very good video. I have a lexus ct... and very soon I will change this fluid.

What was that drip on the left side at 5:03-04? Water?

... "Max-Life" Full-Synthetic Transmission Fluid by Valvoline meets Toyota's "World Standard" (WS) Specifications ... It is the only alternative that I have found, and that I regularly use in my 2010-Corolla ... $18.00 per gallon at Walmart ... $28.00 per gallon at Amazon ... Works Great, and Saves Me Lots of Money ...

Pretty normal for a 72k fluid. Obviously it's not new. Some oxidation and that's about it.

i tow a trailer every day w/tundra and changed at 35000 first time. I wa s surprised how dirty the fluid was

I changed my ATF on my 2002 Yaris at (77,000 miles) 3 years ago and mine looked worse than that.Doesn't the owners manual say "Under normal driving conditions" ? 80% of vehicles do extreme driving ie in town/short trips/idling etc. Remember how long you sit in traffic nowadays/red lights? There's your answer.....that's why it's called "Extreme driving" incl cold/hot temps.

And don't forget to change the rear diff fluid at the same time if you have AWD.

Transmission fluid lasts a long time because it's made to last a long time, and it runs through the radiator to keep cool. Not saying you shouldn't change it, but it does last a long time. Edit: Oh, and oil is supposed to look dirty because it's designed to carry dirt and such to the filter.

brilliantly clear video!

I watched your video on how to change transmission fluid on my Prius V with 190,000 miles. After completing the process of filling and pulling the hose from the fill hole I accidentally slipped the plastic sticker that was sticking at the end of the hose into the transmission( I did not remove the home depot prize tag sticker at the end of the hose thinking it can hold the hose in place at fill hole) . My concern is , will this plastic sticker cause any damage to the transmission if left inside. Or do I have to take that sticker out by draining the fluid again and ( if I am lucky ) I might see that sticker at the drain hole. My car is still in the garage and I did not want to start until I get that sticker out ( if that's really required). I am thinking of running the old transmission fluid that I took out , to run it down the fill hole again simulating the process of flushing or what other fluid can I use to force it into fill hole and make that sticker get near the drain hole. If the water was not destructive to the transmission, I would have put water hose into fill hole and try to push the sticker near to the drain hole. I'll try to suck that sticker by placing vacuum hose into the drain hole and see if it works Any suggestions is greatly appreciated. I subscribed and Thank you.

Excellent thanks thats a huge warning, im changing my atf asap

You really can't judge an oil's remaining lifespan or protective properties based on appearance alone. When I change the oil on my sailboat's 11HP diesel inboard, the oil is solid black in about 30 minutes of use.

I was told by the dealer that the transmission fluid is maintenance free IDK 🤔 They also told me I didn't need synthetic oil and to use regular unleaded. I have 235,000 mi on my Prius and it is still running perfecto.

Every TMUSA dealership has records for service performed under warranty. After warranty, who knows? But when buying a used car, check to see the color of the synthetic motor oil. And change all brake fluid, ATM, etc. after purchasing the vehicle. Toyota only says "Lifetime Warranty" because they want you to buy a new car after the transmission goes. Fortunately, Toyota sells remanufactured transmissions for warranty use.

Thanks for sharing this video, definitely needed.

Come on, Peter that can't be transmission fluid! That has to be motor oil!! LOL Peter, I have a question that maybe you can answer: Does the Tow Package add more transmission fluid (beyond 3.5 quarts)? I just helped a friend do a transmission drain & fill on their 2007 RAV4 V6 Limited WITH Tow Package with 86K They bought the car new and NEVER had any transmission oil or work done, so I am the first person to open the drain plug I asked them to purchase 4 quarts of WS fluid [since I just recently did my second transmission drain and fill on my 2009 Highlander, and I purchased a case (6) of WS fluid, so had two quarts extra] since I looked up the spec that stated 3.5 quarts was needed. Plus watched a bunch of other YT videos about it, and they, too, show either 3.5 or 3.75 quarts of transmission came out, and they measured it, so the 4 that I asked them to order should be fine. But to my surprise, when I took out their transmission fluid and measured it, I got 4 quarts and 22oz!! I measured it again, and it was the same. I asked them again if anyone had touched the transmission, and they said no. I have looked EVERYWHERE online and I even looked in their manual and found no reason why 4 quarts and 22ox came out. So in my mind, I am saying whatever came out must be put back in, but it didn't add up. Then I remembered that the car came with a Tow Package and I thought maybe there is an extra transmission cooler that Toyota added to help cool the transmission fluid faster when towing but again I could not find ANYTHING on how much more the extra cooler takes. Again couldn't find anything about it, Google was no help until I pushed it and found a small comment in a Reddit post about how the added tow package adds a little under one quart of transmission fluid. So there it is I found something to make sense of the extra fluid that came out, and I will be putting back the full 4 quarts and 22 oz to make sure that all is correct for them. I was really shocked that I wasn't able to find anywhere this simple info that should be easy to find, plus no mention of the transmission fluid difference, but there WAS a difference in the amount of coolant, with or without the Tow Package. Thank you Peter

So did you add 3.6 or 3.25 quarts?

I replaced my transmission fluid, the old fluid looked like new, my Toyota prius 2010. With 78000 miles. I think i could wait much longer.

this was absulutely great

Very nice video. I would’ve liked to have heard you put a little more emphasis in replacing the crush washers when installing the fill and drain plugs, and used a torque wrench and speak about the importance of torque settings, especially in aluminum housings.

I took my Camry to Toyota dealership for transmission fluid change , I had the car back it was shifting hard on the freeway, went home check the dipstick the fluid was low. I had to add one quart of transmission fluid for it to shift correctly smooth

Very surprised to see you don't use a torque wrench - the spec is 29 ft/lbs so it sure looks like you over torque them.

Beautiful job, very correct and thorough.

Odd.. I changed my fluid today. 92,000 miles on my Prius Prime owned since new, and the fluid was still very red. Wonder how that turned dirty so quick

Has anyone checked out Idemitsu Type TLS-LV Transmission Fluid? It’s a fully synthetic ATF that’s compatible with Toyota’s ATF-WS fluid. Idemitsu also makes Type TLS, which is for older Toyota vehicles that require Type I-IV ATF.

Thanks for sharing this video.

The dealership (service advisor) in Shreveport, LA (name withheld to avoid embarrassing the innocent) tried to explain to me that my 2008 Prius contained a "lifetime" fluid and it wasn't recommended that it be changed. The service advisor even went as far as to tell me that my transaxle would have a higher chance of failure if the fluid was changed and the transaxle "messed with" and didn't recommend me changing it. This conversation took place 61/2 years ago when the car had 104K miles on it and was at the dealership because the car died on my way to Dallas and really put me on the spot at the worst possible time. The car had to be winched onto a specially arranged flatbed to get it to the dealership. After five days, it turned out that the cause of death was one of the ECU's that had unceremoniously failed, and this failure caused the car to not go into "ready" mode. The defective part was part of a recent recall, so it was replaced free of charge. Meanwhile, the car has racked up 236,000 miles and the WS ATF has been changed 3 times. No, the tranny has not failed me. But the ABS actuator is in the process of failing. Keep up the good work, because I love your channel.

Will you really change it twice, to flush it? I would of just pumped some (just a little) clean fluid in the fill hole with the drain hole still open, this would push a little more dirty fluid out. A very good clear video on how it's done, thanks. I love the oil bowl/catcher that has a drain spout.

So may people in this chat are confusing eCVT fluid changes and CVT. This topic is about changing an eCVT on a hybrid vehicle. Then you have people talking about the automatic transmissions and changing the filter, etc. Just stay on topic, please!!

I thought the Prius had a CVT transmission and would require a separate formulation. Your videos are great. I sure wish I had a lift. Thank you.

did my first change at 192k. Im surprised the transmission still works.

Oil hits the pan at 3:45

What could be the reason for the fluid turning that dark in about 5 years? If I am not mistaken, the Toyota manual recommends replacing the fluid the first time in 100,000 miles or 10 years. I replaced the transmission fluid with ATF WS in my Prius 2013 after purchasing it in 2021 since I had no idea how the previous owner handled it. It had about 57,000 miles on it and the color of the fluid was way more clear (and better) than the one I have seen in this video.

Just wondering, since the Prius transaxle is more similar to a manual gearbox/differential than it is to a planetary gear automatic, and there is no torque converter in a Prius, why does Toyota use ATF instead of 90W high-pressure Hypoid gear oil? I would think that 90W would provide far more lubricating and wear resistance than that water-thin ATF fluid. My car is a 2019 Prius Prime. Only 12,000 miles on it so far, so it's not time to change transmission oil yet, but I am preparing to do it at 30K.

Excellent video ,. Thank you !!

Real service interval Is every 30k miles regardless of the driving condition, I just changed on a newly owned ct200h with 120k where no one changed the transmission fluid and it was black like engine oil I was thrilled though

My Toyota dealer said use CVT FLUID BECAUSE IT HAS CVT TRANSMISSION. A LOT OF CALL DEALER AND GIVE THEM YOUR VIN # TO GET THE RIGHT FLUID...

Only the rich can afford the dealers hourly rate for example $165 dollars in North Texas an hour they want almost $400.00 to drain and fill the Radiator and Inverter when it takes a person with two hands and the information regarding drain and refill both is only 1-1.5 hours not there nearly $400.00 labor???

Great video!

Excellent work! Thank you.

Manual only said Inspect every 60k Miles, I have no idea how to inspect without draining it. I went with Full synthetic Valvoline Dex/Merc maxlife or Mannol WS wich has characteristic better than Toyota semi-synthetic WS for less than $5 per liter and after 40k miles later, it still running smoothly. I used Valvoline as alternatives for more than 10 years and as usual, Dealer always mark-up the price of fluid 2-3x. I know Mercedes Benz and BMW used Castrol Syntec/Edge Titanium but they sell it 3x more expensive, and Toyota used Mobil 1 0w-20, only the sticker is different but charged 50% more than market price. I think Peter also use VAlvoline Dex/MErc in Toyota many years ago and none of them had issue either

While color is no indication of fluid condition I change mine out every 60k. Helps make them last

Could you do a video on how to change a 2017 camry 6 speed automatic transmission fluid. It would be very helpful.

My Prius has 235k miles. The transmission fluid has never been replaced. I always took my Prius to Toyota for maintenance and they never recommended this. I had them changed the oil every 5k miles, have changed the spark plugs twice. I guess I should habe know better but when I asked them to recommend what I should do for regular maintenance they never once said I should have the transmission fluid replaced. Is it safe to do at high mileage like mine or do I leave it alone? My car isn’t giving me any issues. I do want to drive the car at least 300k miles.

My 2012 Prius as 310,000 miles that's bullshit it's not in the owner manual.

Maybe its quite normal looking after 72.000 miles..who knows..? That it doesnt look new isnt so hard to understand.

How about Toyota hybrid that has 160k miles can I change the transmission fluid

My 2010 Prius took 4.5 quarts to the fill level. 1.8, right,?

Why does my car say "LIFETIME" transmission fluid is good because it's "sealed"? No need for replacement. Did they lie to me?

Is the drain plug magnetic (most are) and if so was there any steel shavings on it (show close up), be sure to wipe off all shavings before reinstalling.

My moms POS 2013 Prius blew a head gasket at 160k miles.. $4,000 for a new engine installed and now it doesn’t get over 35mpg.. Whats up with that? She bought it new and had regular maintenance at Toyota and ofc it happens the same year the warranty ran out..

No service history = Likely abused, possibly had the odometer tampered with (there is software available to do this). Check Toyota's service history that doesn't show up in Carfax. Airbag recalls are great for mileage notations.

Hi! Thank you for your video. Here in Italy some garages do the wash recircle of the Prius gear before putting inside the new oil. Did you ever tried?

Do you recommend Toyota synthetic oil or outside synthetic Oil? I wanted to try Valvoline Advance synthetic but wasn't sure to try or stick with the Toyota brand. They said Toyota brand has special additives.

looks like excellent fuel ;)

I changed the transmission fluid on my 2015 prius at 80,000 miles, when should I change it again? Thank You

This is why I buy new. I don’t trust people to properly maintain their vehicles. At least I know where ever mile came from and everything is kept up service wise.

I changed my diffs and transfer case fluid at 28k and it was dark one small metal flake and full of metal shavings bought new 2017 tundra. I do tow a travel trailer in good months. Soon I will be doing the trans fluid. No liability on you but would u suggest drain and fill pan 4 times or drip pan clean magnets and one full fluid service using the cooler outlet line? My only fear is being off on fluid by any small amount. I've heard it has to be within proper ounces thanks

How about the INVERTER?

Is it 60,000 miles or 60,000 km that is recommended? I have a 2014 Toyota Fielder Station Wagon with the 1.5L NZE Engine. I would love to get a manual in English, as the manual I have is completely in Japanese.

Hi thanks for the video, I’m in Ireland, weather here is harmless enough here, I have a Prius Plus 2013 . I called 2 x Toyota Dealerships here. One said change the ATF at 50km (aprox 30k miles & the other said every 60km ! So confusing. What have you seen recommended ? I’d much prefer to leave it to 100 at least as it’s expensive enough if doing it every 40 😅) Kind Regards

10 people who downvoted prefer grape drink (left container) over fruit punch (right container): 7:08

Fluid level is critical. The temperature must be right [quoted in manuals] and the car must be dead level.

Just remember Prius has a hybrid xmsssion which is more like a manual. There is no filter either