i own a 05 toyota corolla and was wondering when it says in the owners manual to use only toyota atf type 4, is that the only kind i can use. valvoline is telling me i can use there dexron/mercon type 5. also how often should i change it? valvoline is saying every 60,000 miles and also how often should i change my radiator fluid? please help toyota technicians!!Toyotas ATF Type 4 transmission fluid?Every four years both fluids even more in dusty areas. Consult your owners hand book maintence charts. And I would use exactly what Toyota says toyota type 4 might be dextron mercon type 5?. Some toyota cars use red antifreeze specific to toyota. There again it is up to you. 2005 should not need new coolant yet. every 30,000 for a transmission drain and fill is not to much.Toyotas ATF Type 4 transmission fluid?i learned a long time ago that when it comes to transmission fluids it's always best to go with the manufacturer. i absolutely hate buying anything from car dealers, but i made the mistake a long time ago of not using Honda ATF in my Honda transmission, and it was a mistake that cost me $2700 for a transmission rebuild after the clutches in the transmission burnt out.
transmission fluid is a very intricate thing, and something that varies widely in composition from one transmission to the next. it's gotta have the right viscosity, it's gotta allow a certain amount of slip, but not too much.... or clutches burn out.
moral of the story here, buy the toyota ATF and save yourself the worry and possible expense.
i usually change mine every 60k miles. the tranny sump, just like the engine oil sump has a drain bolt. open it up, allow the fluid to drain out, and refill to proper level with the correct ATF. some transmissions have a filter which should be changed as well, yours may not. you will need to drop the sump pan to do this, and it is a fairly straight forward procedure. if you decide to replace the filter you're gonna want to replace the sump pan gasket. the service desk at the dealership should be able to provide you with printouts from the service manual for these procedures, just ask nice....
as for the radiator flush, i do that every 2 years, regardless of mileage. as with all other things toyota has thier own version of this too, so you will need to ask the parts counter which type came in the vehicle, and replace with that kind. if you felt so inspired you could switch from toyota coolant to an over the counter type, like prestone, or dex-cool. if you wanted to do this however, you would have to COMPLETELY flush out all the current toyota coolant and then replace with the new type you wanna use. coolants are something you do not wanna mix, as this can have disasterous effects on the metals inside the cooling system and engine. this process to me is very time consuming. so i just use Toyota coolant, just makes my life easier.
don't forget to use a good quality oil and change the oil and filter about every 5K to 7K miles. as far as oil goes, just swing by the walmart and get whatever brand name is on sale. for oil filter i like purolator, pure 1, or wix, napa....
good luck
