tranny fluid flush; adjusting timing on 95 4runner?

hello

i am finally (almost) a 4runner owner!

i did a pre-purchase check at a local toyota dealer, and they told me
my "transmission fluid was dirty" and i need a flush service for $70.
with 93K miles and no record that this service was ever done before
(previous owner got it at 48 K mi from carmax, i will ask him if he
knows if it was done but i have doubts), should this be done? another
local toyo dealer told me that it shouldn't be done, just do a drain
and fill. reasoning is the particles or debris or whatever that's in
there, you don't want to mess with it or whatever the explaination.
the owner i'm buying from told me this also. i called the first
dealer back and asked again if they ever heard of not doing it they
said no, do it every 15-30K mi. what should i do?

also, they suggested a "tune up" for $170 stating my spark plugs were
dirty. i called them back and they said they "adjust the timing,
check the timing" as well. do i need it at this mileage at this time
if they said so? i'm told just changing and gapping the plugs is a
cheap and quick job.

cheers
james

James Y. Yang wrote:

>hello
>
>i am finally (almost) a 4runner owner!
>
>i did a pre-purchase check at a local toyota dealer, and they told me
>my "transmission fluid was dirty" and i need a flush service for $70.
>with 93K miles and no record that this service was ever done before
>(previous owner got it at 48 K mi from carmax, i will ask him if he
>knows if it was done but i have doubts), should this be done? another
>local toyo dealer told me that it shouldn't be done, just do a drain
>and fill. reasoning is the particles or debris or whatever that's in
>there, you don't want to mess with it or whatever the explaination.
>the owner i'm buying from told me this also. i called the first
>dealer back and asked again if they ever heard of not doing it they
>said no, do it every 15-30K mi. what should i do?
>
>also, they suggested a "tune up" for $170 stating my spark plugs were
>dirty. i called them back and they said they "adjust the timing,
>check the timing" as well. do i need it at this mileage at this time
>if they said so? i'm told just changing and gapping the plugs is a
>cheap and quick job.
>
>cheers
>james
>
>
The tranny flush and fill is a good idea. Your owner's manual
should tell you how often. Draining and auto tranny is not like
draining a manual, transfer case, or crank case. There's a lot of fluid
up in the assages and in the torque converter. If you don't get all
that old nasty oil out, you won't be accomplishing much. 6 qts of clean
oil + 2 qts of dirty oil = 8 qts of dirty oil. A drain and refill is OK
if done per the schedule. But if it's not been done in 93K miles, do
the flush.
As for the tune up, forget it. The computer controls the timing,
so base timing doesn't really need to be checked/adjusted anyway. And
spark plugs are about $10 and 30 minutes time. Do it yourself. While
you're at it, change the plug wires, cap, rotor, and air filter. All in
all you're looking at about $40 in parts, and 1 hour or so in time.
Probably way over due for those items.

--
..boB
97 H-D FXDWG - Turbocharged!!
01 Dakota Quad Sport, 5.9/Auto/4x4
83 GMC Jimmy (beater)
66 427SC Cobra Replica - Project
66 Mustang coupe - Daily Driver



-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Approximately 8/26/03 18:24, James Y. Yang uttered for posterity:

> hello
>
> i am finally (almost) a 4runner owner!
>
> i did a pre-purchase check at a local toyota dealer, and they told me
> my "transmission fluid was dirty" and i need a flush service for $70.
> with 93K miles and no record that this service was ever done before
> (previous owner got it at 48 K mi from carmax, i will ask him if he
> knows if it was done but i have doubts), should this be done? another
> local toyo dealer told me that it shouldn't be done, just do a drain
> and fill. reasoning is the particles or debris or whatever that's in
> there, you don't want to mess with it or whatever the explaination.
> the owner i'm buying from told me this also. i called the first
> dealer back and asked again if they ever heard of not doing it they
> said no, do it every 15-30K mi. what should i do?
>
> also, they suggested a "tune up" for $170 stating my spark plugs were
> dirty. i called them back and they said they "adjust the timing,
> check the timing" as well. do i need it at this mileage at this time
> if they said so? i'm told just changing and gapping the plugs is a
> cheap and quick job.
>
> cheers
> james

I'd go to the second dealer, the one that doesn't want to
flush and fill the transmission ever 15-30K. 60K perhaps,
but 30K is a ripoff unless racing.

Just one experience that I've seen: A friend bought a 94 4Runner V6
Auto. He drained and filled the tranny a begillion times... (I dont
know how many, but it was more than 3 or 4) until he had clear tranny
fluid. This was a little over a year ago. He just got back from a
trip up a pretty hilly highway. His tranny started slipping. We're
not sure why, but he's pretty convinced it was the tranny flush
deal... so just be careful.


Lon Stowell <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Approximately 8/26/03 18:24, James Y. Yang uttered for posterity:
>
> > hello
> >
> > i am finally (almost) a 4runner owner!
> >
> > i did a pre-purchase check at a local toyota dealer, and they told me
> > my "transmission fluid was dirty" and i need a flush service for $70.
> > with 93K miles and no record that this service was ever done before
> > (previous owner got it at 48 K mi from carmax, i will ask him if he
> > knows if it was done but i have doubts), should this be done? another
> > local toyo dealer told me that it shouldn't be done, just do a drain
> > and fill. reasoning is the particles or debris or whatever that's in
> > there, you don't want to mess with it or whatever the explaination.
> > the owner i'm buying from told me this also. i called the first
> > dealer back and asked again if they ever heard of not doing it they
> > said no, do it every 15-30K mi. what should i do?
> >
> > also, they suggested a "tune up" for $170 stating my spark plugs were
> > dirty. i called them back and they said they "adjust the timing,
> > check the timing" as well. do i need it at this mileage at this time
> > if they said so? i'm told just changing and gapping the plugs is a
> > cheap and quick job.
> >
> > cheers
> > james
>
> I'd go to the second dealer, the one that doesn't want to
> flush and fill the transmission ever 15-30K. 60K perhaps,
> but 30K is a ripoff unless racing.