Accidently emptied transmission fluid?? Help?
(2010-10-04 14:10:17) 1. Says: My husband drives a 2008 toyota tacoma. Yesterday my husband went to his parents house to change his oil and accidentally drained the transmission fluid instead of the oil. So, as he drove the seven miles back home, the engine light came on. When he got home he checked the oil level and it was double what it should be, obviously. Needless to say, we figured out the problem pretty quick when he checked the oil level. Since it is a sealed transmission, we are going to have to have it towed to the toyota dealer. Did he do major damage to his transmission?? As we were trying to figure out the problem he tried to pull it into the garage and it would even go into gear..as if it were in neutral. Please, somebody tell me that he didn't screw his transmission.2. Says: I'd be more worried about major problems to the engine. When the oil is that high the crank shaft can stir the oil and cause it to foam, which means it is a mix of air and oil which is not lubricating as it should.Once you tow it in, the dealer will let you know what the problem is. Hopefully they will just have to add fluid to the transmission. Hopefully not much happened in those 7 miles.3. Says: he did,nt drain it all out or he would,nt be going no where. it still had some in it or it would,nt move.4. Says: Oops....He may need a new transmission.
$30005. Says: You are going to have to wait for the verdict from the professionals. My guess is that the transmission suffered some damage that may shorten its life but I expect it to work okay for the present. There probably was a significant amount of oil remaining in the transmission - typically only 1/3 to 1/2 can be simply drained - and that is why it worked at all. The big question is how well the remaining fluid lubricated everything. I am not surprised the transmission did not go into gear with low fluid. Just an educated guess, though.
Don't be too hard on your husband - I started to drain the tranny on my Prius before I noticed the fluid coming out was redder than I expected. Toyota drain plugs look pretty much alike. Tag: Accidently emptied transmission fluid?? Help?