1987 Camry - 200K miles - automatic - 4 cylinder

Hey Friends:

My mechanic changed the
- automatic transmission fluid
- differential oil
- engine oil + filter

On automatic transmission fluid, he had run out of filters, so he did
not change it. I had previously changed both about 2 years (30K miles
back). The old fluid was fine .. and the transmission does shift
properly. My mechanic told me not to worry about it .. and get it
changed the next time i.e. 30K miles later.

Should I worry about it ? Should I take it back and have him change
the filter too ?
Of course, he did not charge me for it .. but that is not what I am
concerned about.

Thanks for your assistance

What did he charge you, the trans has a drain plug its a 2 minute job to
drain and fill, to drop the pan is a 30 minute job. I drain from my plug
every 10-15, and drop the pan at 30-?. If he charged trans fluid cost
that is fair. but he did an incomplete job. The only way to know if a
filter needed changing is cut it open. If color was good before you
changed it and it shifts ok I would wait.

Hi ..

he charged me $50 for the transmission fluid change + differential oil
change.
he said if he had to change the filter it would have taken him (1-2
hrs) and would have charged me $60 more.

Is this a reasonable charge ?

(Engine oil change + filter was $20 .. but that is separate)

The 88-91 take trans fuid in the differential, check what he used and
what yours requires. A full trans service is maybe 60+ in itself so I
guess you are ok. I believe your Power Steering takes Trans fluid also,
I just use a turkey baister to remove the old.

Thank you, Sir.

I will follow up with my mechanic.

m Ransley wrote:

Is using a turkey baster the recommended way to change the power
steering fluid?

How about brakes? Just use a turkey baster (sounds easy), or is it
better to drain the master cylinder and purge the air out (more work)?

A turkey baister is a quick way for power steering, and really not the
best way. Brakes should be flushed with new fluid as water is absorbed
by the brake fluid and corrodes brakes parts from the inside.

Was this transmission fluid change a drain-and-fill or a complete flush?

m Ransley wrote:
I just did the turkey-baster method with the power steering. I don't
think it's ever been changed in 10 years, but my dad might have done so
before he gave me the vehicle. I was able to get maybe 1/2 of the
liquid out of the reservoir with the baster - the baster was really
wide.

Is the fluid from the reservoir mixed thoroughly with fluid throughout
the power steering system, like the fluid from the transmission would
be thoroughly mixed? Or is the liquid just sedentary, resting with no
mixing?

It mixes, in 6 months it wil be dirty again, change a few times and it
will be clean, but most camrys use ATF in the power steering, the cap
should state what to use.

m Ransley wrote:
Oh good. Yeah, my manual said Dexron II, but of course I put Dexron
III in there. No incompatibility I hope.

I guess I'll just do it along with the regular oil change (and tranny
oil change). Sure seems easier than disconnecting the hose and pumping
it out.

Now about that brake fluid... :)

the Dexrons are compatible, and the same. They have just come up with
newer improved versions hence the I,II, and III