Changing the oil in an automatic transmission Toyota Rav 4 Leave a comment

How often do you change the oil in a Rav 4 automatic transmission?

Changing the automatic transmission oil is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. The interval between procedures is 60 thousand km. On a Rav 4 with an automatic transmission, it is necessary to monitor the lubricant level in the gearbox. This needs to be done every 20 thousand km.

Checking the lubricant level in the automatic transmission

Checking the oil level in the Rav 4 automatic transmission is a mandatory procedure for every second maintenance.

The driver must know how to check the level, since insufficient lubrication will disrupt the transmission and lead to overheating. Excess oil leads to foaming, which often causes failure of the working unit.

The oil level is affected by its temperature. Before checking, the lubricant should warm up to 70-80 degrees (a trip of 15-20 km will bring the desired temperature). Towing, driving in the heat, or driving at high speed can distort the test results, so the car needs to be given a little time for the fluid in the automatic transmission to cool.

A - cold oil level, B - hot oil, C - minimum permissible oil level for cold, D - minimum hot oil level

When checking, the Rav 4 is located on a flat horizontal surface, the selector lever is set to position P. Immediately before the inspection, with the car running, you need to depress the brake and shift the gearshift lever. The inspection is carried out with the engine running and idling.

First of all, the level indicator with marks is removed from the guide tube. It needs to be wiped with a clean rag and put back in place, then taken out again. On a hot internal combustion engine, oil traces should be in the HOT zone, on a cold engine in the COOL zone. An oil drop at the bottom indicates that the box needs to be topped up with lubricant (this will take about 0.55 liters).

The lubricant is checked for dirt, chips, and you also need to pay attention to color and smell.

Dark liquid with a burnt odor indicates wear on the linings. A milky color indicates water penetration (frequent short trips lead to condensation). Sticky, darkened oil requires replacement, which you can do yourself or contact a service center.

Checking the level

I recommend checking the oil level in the Toyota Rav4 automatic transmission every 10,000 kilometers. If operating conditions are extreme, then reduce the difference to 5000 kilometers.

The verification procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Warm up the automatic transmission to 70 degrees.
2. Press the brake pedal and move the selector through all gears.
3. Place the Toyota Rav4 on a flat surface or hole.
4. Turn off the engine and open the hood.
5. Unscrew the dipstick and wipe the tip with a lint-free cloth.
6. Place the dipstick back into the hole and turn it 180 degrees.
7. Pull it out and look at the marks.
8. If the oil is at the “Max” level, then leave everything as is. If not, then add about 1 liter.
9. Then check the level again.

Read

Automatic transmission oil ATF SP3: analogues, characteristics and application

Don't forget to look at the rag. If you see that the lubricant remaining on the rag is black and has metallic inclusions, then the transmission fluid should be replaced.

Methods for changing the oil in an automatic transmission Rav 4

Changing the lubricant in the Rav 4 automatic transmission can be partial or complete hardware. What are the features of each method?

Hardware change

A complete hardware oil change involves the use of a bleeding unit. One pipe is connected to the drain hole, the other to the filler hole. The procedure is carried out with the engine running, the filter remains old. The process is stopped when the oil comes out clean.

Hardware change

The next stage involves dismantling the pan and replacing the filter. The oil pan must be thoroughly washed, and it is also important to clean the area adjacent to it for proper installation of the gasket (it is not placed on the sealant).

Using a diagnostic device, the oil temperature in the machine is determined, and when the required mark is reached, the level is set. Topping up is done through the filler hole until new oil flows from the drain. At the final stage, the Rav 4 engine is turned off.

The disadvantage of this method is the increased consumption of transmission oil.

Partial replacement

Incomplete replacement of lubricant in a Rav 4 automatic transmission is done manually. In this case, the volume of drained old oil is compensated by new oil. On the Rav 4, up to half of the entire volume of the gearbox can be replaced in this way. The method is more economical, since the liquid consumption is 3-4 liters.

Transmission oil for Toyota Rav 4 automatic transmission A241E/A247E/A540E (4 gears)

The first generation of Toyota Rav 4 received 4-speed automatic transmissions of the A241E, A247E and A540E modifications, developed by the Japanese company Aisin Warner and working in tandem with engines up to 2 liters. The Japanese automaker calls for filling these machines with transmission fluid with ATF Type T-IV approval. First of all, you should pay attention to the original Toyota ATF Type T-IV oil of the same name. However, its substitutes that have this specification should not be neglected either. For example, you can consider purchasing Motul Multi ATF, Liqui Moly Top Tec ATF 1200 and others.

Choosing oil for automatic transmission Rav 4

Changing the oil in a Rav 4 automatic transmission involves using a Toyota Type IV transmission (Toyota ATF WS) or analogues (for example, Dextron ATF).

An important factor will be the year of manufacture of the car. For older models, it is better to use the original fluid, and you need to select a substitute from other companies based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The original lubricant for Rav 4 will be the best solution for a crossover with high mileage.

Oil filter box
American-made Toyota products are supplied to the market in plastic cans (about a liter in volume). The European version is a 5-liter gray canister (made in Belgium) . Russian lubricant comes in iron containers of 1 or 4 liters (opinions differ on the quality). Gray or black metal cans come from Japan. The driver decides which oil to buy himself.

When buying a used car, you need to ask the owner what kind of lubricant he used in the Rav 4 automatic transmission. You may not get a true answer about the regularity of replacement, but it is still worth knowing what exactly was poured into the system.

Transmission oil change interval

Modifications of the 3rd generation Toyota Rav4 were equipped with CVTs. The first cars had four-speed hydromechanical transmissions. If the latter could be patient with both the quality and lack of oil, then the CVT type does not like dirty lubricant and does not tolerate underfilling.

In general, changing the oil in a Toyota Rav4 automatic transmission is not that difficult, so I recommend checking the level and changing the transmission fluid according to the following regulations:

• after a mileage of 30,000 kilometers, do only a partial oil change;
• after 60,000 kilometers, carry out a complete change using the replacement method using a high-pressure apparatus. If you don’t have one, then in a special block below, I’ll tell you how to change the oil in a garage.

You don't have to take the manufacturer's word for it. He points out that the latest box models are maintenance-free. This means that the oil in them does not need to be changed. It will last until the end of the life of the Toyota Rav 4. In fact, this is not so.

Read

Original oil and analogues for Toyota automatic transmissions

The manufacturer does not take into account that Russian climatic conditions are difficult. And sometimes the driver’s aggressive driving destroys the oil in the car’s automatic transmission literally within 100,000 kilometers.

The cleanliness of the oil is affected by overheating, wear of mechanical parts, and the cleanliness of the filter device. When changing the oil in a Toyota Rav4 automatic transmission, be sure to change the filter. Since some filter devices are made from a felt membrane, which becomes clogged over time and stops passing lubricant through the system. As a result, the pressure drops and the car begins to push and kick. You feel vibration throughout the body during stops.

Infrequent replacement of the oil and filter device, as well as negligent attitude towards the automatic transmission will lead to a major overhaul of the Toyota Rav4 after 100 thousand kilometers. That’s why it’s so important to care not only for the engine, but also for the automatic transmission.

Attention! Never mix original oil and analogue. This will lead to a change in technical properties, which will result in the box failing.

Changing the oil in the automatic transmission Rav 4

The oil in the Rav 4 automatic transmission is changed in accordance with the maintenance regulations for the Japanese crossover. Before replacing, you need to prepare tools and buy transmission fluid that meets the manufacturer's requirements.

Filter and pan gasket

Required Tools

The set of tools and materials for changing the oil in a Rav 4 automatic transmission yourself is as follows:

• spanners;
• flathead screwdriver;
• hexagon for plug;
• funnel;
• new gasket and oil filter;
• transmission fluid;
• capacity;
• rags;
• gloves;
• liquid for cleaning the carburetor (gasoline will also do).

Container for draining and topping up

Step-by-step description of a complete replacement yourself

You can change the oil in the Rav 4 system yourself.

Be careful, the oil is hot.

The box pipe that needs to be disconnected.
The procedure is as follows:

1. The motor protection is removed. The gearbox dipstick is removed so that the lubricating fluid drains better. The plug on the drain is unscrewed. You can use 5-liter water bottles as waste containers.
2. The plug is twisted. Take a clean container and fill it with the same amount of new transmission as was collected before.
3. The return hose (lower right) is removed under the car. The end is lowered into a jar (you need two of them, one for the old one for the new transmission fluid). There is no help here. The work is done quickly.
4. The containers change as they fill. The exhaust waste is replaced with fresh fluid until clean lubricant comes out of the system.
5. The engine is turned off, the hose is put back in place.

It is worth repeating once again that it is better to change the lubricant on a warm box.

Changing the RAV 4 automatic transmission oil filter

Automatic transmission without a pan
Replacing the automatic transmission oil filter on a Toyota Rav 4 looks like this:

1. The drain plug is unscrewed and the transmission fluid is drained into a clean, dry container.
2. The pan with the remaining oil is carefully removed, which is also drained into a container prepared in advance.
3. The tray is thoroughly cleaned of accumulated dirt, and the chip-catching magnets are cleaned.
4. The old filter is detached (three fasteners are twisted).

Filter

Completing the lubricant change

The final stage of changing the oil in the Rav 4 automatic transmission involves installing a new oil filter and returning the pan (with a new gasket) to its place. The liquid drained at the previous stage is returned to the box through the filler hole.

Before checking the amount of oil, you can drive several kilometers and operate the selector in all positions. We check the lubricant level as described above.

Foam on the dipstick is a sign of excess lubricant, which is also bad