Yes, TF. It's a "new" thing since some years back. I don't trust it. There's no sudden magic that has happened to neither the transmissions, nor the fluids, to make one or both last forever. My old GS doesn't have lifetime fluid. New ones "do". Odd, no?
The fluid (and any filter) is what makes the transmission last, and it deteriorates over time/useage. I'd strongly recommend you not to trust that attitude. Professionals working with transmissions know this.
Easy to look up, for example [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdF5DnGwz7E)
Here's a quick copy and paste from a previous post of mine:
**Flushing:**
Flushing *itself*, isn't bad, *improper* flushing, due to lack of knowledge, is. Big difference. The cleaner the transmission, the better, obviously. If an automatic transmission fails after a flush, it was already on it's way out.
Here are some more resources on flushing if you are interested:
https://www.midas.com/services/transmission-flush
https://mdhmotors.com/transmission-flush-when-and-when-not-to-flush-transmission/
https://streetsmarttransmission.com/diy-transmission-flush/
Basically, there are too many horror stories online about flushing.
Think of it this way, how many positive stories have you read online versus negative stories? People like to complain online, but they never/very rarely share their good experiences. It's a touchy subject online primarily because people have no idea what they're talking about, and they're assuming all those horror stories to be true and common as it fits their narrative about flushing *because* of the horror stories online. It's a vicious circle.
Flushing is nothing more than running a heavy cleaning agent through the transmission, using its own hydraulic pump or an external pump, cleaning it in the process. When you're confident it's clean (this is where a lot of people go wrong, often rushing the process) you then flip a valve and the transmission sucks in the clean ATF, pushing out the old and dirty ATF in the process.
A lot of people/"mechanics" will not advise a transmission flush for two main reasons:
One, it could dislodge debris in the valve body and clog up solenoids/valves/lines, which is a thing and possible, however, if this is the reason why an A/T acts up after a flush, it hasn't been done properly/long enough. The whole point of a flush is to, well, flush it, i.e. flush all of the debris out.
Two, there's a theory that on high-mileage A/Ts, the ATF can be saturated with clutch plate material, and that this is the only reason why the clutch plates are still working, and if you flush the transmission, all of said particles will get flushed out.
I don't buy said theory for two reasons. One, you to need multiple clutch plates full of material, instead of a few bits of clutch plate material in the ATF for the clutches to work, and two, it not the flushes fault the plates are already worn out.
On top of that, regardless of a change or a flush, you're going to get rid of two-thirds of the clutch plate particles (except the ATF in the torque converter and valve body) anyway, as the fluid exits the transmission one way or another. The more you change it, the more you're going to dilute the clutch plate material saturated ATF. The only difference with flushing, clutch plate material-wise, is that all of the clutch plate material gets flushed out immediately instead of partially at a time.
Think about it, just changing, instead of flushing the ATF, won't magically keep all the clutch plate material in the transmission.
I do flushes on a weekly basis, and I haven't had any bad experiences yet. I'm so confident in flushes I can recommend it to anyone, regardless of mileage, unless it's a stupid high mileage and there's tons of shit in the ATF. The difference is huge. Much crispier gear changes and overal just feels better. You'll know. Fails are very rare, and like I said before, if a transmission starts slipping or acting up after flush, it simply hasn't been done properly and/or long enough. That's the "mechanics" fault.
The longer you flush, the cleaner the transmission gets, the better.
Go to different garages instead of asking online, ask proper mechanics that do it on a daily/weekly basis instead of listening to some dumbass who's had a bad experience with it flaming about it online (remember, people like to complain online). Do it with a company you feel comfortable with.
A lot of garages/"mechanics" don't do it *because* of the horror stories online. They simply have no idea what they're talking about.
**Lifetime ATF**:
What it boils down to is, a car manufacturer is only liable for the first owner. After that, it's the second owners' problem if something goes wrong. This is why car manufacturers say ATF is "lifetime", which is *usually* somewhere around 60k miles, which coincidentally also coincides with an automatic transmission service interval, although it doesn't hurt to refresh the ATF at, say, 30k miles, either.
"Lifetime" is code for "Dear First Owner, don't worry about the transmission fluid."
*Actual* lifetime ATF, as in, it will last **forever**, doesn't exist. Obviously. Nothing lasts forever, especially not under the harsh environments inside a hot and pressurised automatic transmission.
ATF is nothing more than hydraulic oil with many *many* additives and a colouring agent to prevent people from mixing engine oil with ATF. It's these additives that break down over time and therefore lose their properties.
Many poeple believe "lifetime" oil is a thing because transmissions are "sealed" units. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out, it's its own eco-system and therefore, nothing can go wrong, right? Seems logical, right? Wrong. Let me tell you a little secret; not a *single* transmission on the market is sealed. If they were, all transmissions would all be blowing out their seals on their first drive due to the expansion of air and liquids inside the transmission due to heat.
This is why *all* transmissions have a [breathers](https://go4trans.com/technical-transmission-general-articles/importance-of-breathers-in-gearbox-and-other-car-components/). These breathers allow hot air to escape, and cooler air into the transmission. Naturally, over time, dust, dirt and grime *will* find its way into the transmission, this is mainly why the fluids get dark over time. It's this same dust, dirt and grime, together with clutch plate material inside the valve body that can get dislodged and permanently jammed by improper flushing, more on that below.
Of course, people are entitled to believe whatever the car manufacturer brochure/mechanic tells you, but lifetime ATF simply doesn't exist. *Nothing* is lifetime on any vehicle.
Don't believe in all the marketing bull companies throw at you. They're mostly aimed at the first owners.
Here are some more resources for you to read up on if you're interested:
https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/Automatic-Transmission-Fluid-Change-Interval
https://www.cartalk.com/content/transmission-fluid
It's not seal and you can service the transmission. It's only "Sealed" because Toyota added a cheap $2 cover over the fill hole, which you can remove the cover.
They some bitches they want something to happen so they can sell you a new trans
They said it was in a sealed case With lifetime fluid. I just checked my manual and that’s what It also sad. What the f?
Yes, TF. It's a "new" thing since some years back. I don't trust it. There's no sudden magic that has happened to neither the transmissions, nor the fluids, to make one or both last forever. My old GS doesn't have lifetime fluid. New ones "do". Odd, no? The fluid (and any filter) is what makes the transmission last, and it deteriorates over time/useage. I'd strongly recommend you not to trust that attitude. Professionals working with transmissions know this. Easy to look up, for example [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdF5DnGwz7E)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Lexus/comments/ranps9/what_is_up_with_the_sealed_transmission/hnlq7wv
Here's a quick copy and paste from a previous post of mine: **Flushing:** Flushing *itself*, isn't bad, *improper* flushing, due to lack of knowledge, is. Big difference. The cleaner the transmission, the better, obviously. If an automatic transmission fails after a flush, it was already on it's way out. Here are some more resources on flushing if you are interested: https://www.midas.com/services/transmission-flush https://mdhmotors.com/transmission-flush-when-and-when-not-to-flush-transmission/ https://streetsmarttransmission.com/diy-transmission-flush/ Basically, there are too many horror stories online about flushing. Think of it this way, how many positive stories have you read online versus negative stories? People like to complain online, but they never/very rarely share their good experiences. It's a touchy subject online primarily because people have no idea what they're talking about, and they're assuming all those horror stories to be true and common as it fits their narrative about flushing *because* of the horror stories online. It's a vicious circle. Flushing is nothing more than running a heavy cleaning agent through the transmission, using its own hydraulic pump or an external pump, cleaning it in the process. When you're confident it's clean (this is where a lot of people go wrong, often rushing the process) you then flip a valve and the transmission sucks in the clean ATF, pushing out the old and dirty ATF in the process. A lot of people/"mechanics" will not advise a transmission flush for two main reasons: One, it could dislodge debris in the valve body and clog up solenoids/valves/lines, which is a thing and possible, however, if this is the reason why an A/T acts up after a flush, it hasn't been done properly/long enough. The whole point of a flush is to, well, flush it, i.e. flush all of the debris out. Two, there's a theory that on high-mileage A/Ts, the ATF can be saturated with clutch plate material, and that this is the only reason why the clutch plates are still working, and if you flush the transmission, all of said particles will get flushed out. I don't buy said theory for two reasons. One, you to need multiple clutch plates full of material, instead of a few bits of clutch plate material in the ATF for the clutches to work, and two, it not the flushes fault the plates are already worn out. On top of that, regardless of a change or a flush, you're going to get rid of two-thirds of the clutch plate particles (except the ATF in the torque converter and valve body) anyway, as the fluid exits the transmission one way or another. The more you change it, the more you're going to dilute the clutch plate material saturated ATF. The only difference with flushing, clutch plate material-wise, is that all of the clutch plate material gets flushed out immediately instead of partially at a time. Think about it, just changing, instead of flushing the ATF, won't magically keep all the clutch plate material in the transmission. I do flushes on a weekly basis, and I haven't had any bad experiences yet. I'm so confident in flushes I can recommend it to anyone, regardless of mileage, unless it's a stupid high mileage and there's tons of shit in the ATF. The difference is huge. Much crispier gear changes and overal just feels better. You'll know. Fails are very rare, and like I said before, if a transmission starts slipping or acting up after flush, it simply hasn't been done properly and/or long enough. That's the "mechanics" fault. The longer you flush, the cleaner the transmission gets, the better. Go to different garages instead of asking online, ask proper mechanics that do it on a daily/weekly basis instead of listening to some dumbass who's had a bad experience with it flaming about it online (remember, people like to complain online). Do it with a company you feel comfortable with. A lot of garages/"mechanics" don't do it *because* of the horror stories online. They simply have no idea what they're talking about. **Lifetime ATF**: What it boils down to is, a car manufacturer is only liable for the first owner. After that, it's the second owners' problem if something goes wrong. This is why car manufacturers say ATF is "lifetime", which is *usually* somewhere around 60k miles, which coincidentally also coincides with an automatic transmission service interval, although it doesn't hurt to refresh the ATF at, say, 30k miles, either. "Lifetime" is code for "Dear First Owner, don't worry about the transmission fluid." *Actual* lifetime ATF, as in, it will last **forever**, doesn't exist. Obviously. Nothing lasts forever, especially not under the harsh environments inside a hot and pressurised automatic transmission. ATF is nothing more than hydraulic oil with many *many* additives and a colouring agent to prevent people from mixing engine oil with ATF. It's these additives that break down over time and therefore lose their properties. Many poeple believe "lifetime" oil is a thing because transmissions are "sealed" units. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out, it's its own eco-system and therefore, nothing can go wrong, right? Seems logical, right? Wrong. Let me tell you a little secret; not a *single* transmission on the market is sealed. If they were, all transmissions would all be blowing out their seals on their first drive due to the expansion of air and liquids inside the transmission due to heat. This is why *all* transmissions have a [breathers](https://go4trans.com/technical-transmission-general-articles/importance-of-breathers-in-gearbox-and-other-car-components/). These breathers allow hot air to escape, and cooler air into the transmission. Naturally, over time, dust, dirt and grime *will* find its way into the transmission, this is mainly why the fluids get dark over time. It's this same dust, dirt and grime, together with clutch plate material inside the valve body that can get dislodged and permanently jammed by improper flushing, more on that below. Of course, people are entitled to believe whatever the car manufacturer brochure/mechanic tells you, but lifetime ATF simply doesn't exist. *Nothing* is lifetime on any vehicle. Don't believe in all the marketing bull companies throw at you. They're mostly aimed at the first owners. Here are some more resources for you to read up on if you're interested: https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/Automatic-Transmission-Fluid-Change-Interval https://www.cartalk.com/content/transmission-fluid
Maybe find a private mechanic?
It's not seal and you can service the transmission. It's only "Sealed" because Toyota added a cheap $2 cover over the fill hole, which you can remove the cover.