A mechanic marveled at a friend’s car after examining the transmission fluid, nearly 100,000 miles into the car’s life. He was surprised by what he saw.
The video reveal comes from San Jose, California-based creator Johnny Pham (@acura_mechanic). The creator is a self-declared “Honda & Acura master technician” who makes car content for TikTok. This particular video, launched Oct. 26, had more than 684,300 views as of Sunday morning.
Pham explains that he’s looking at his friend’s Toyota Tacoma, draining the transmission fluid, which appears to be a vibrant ruby red.
“He drives and he commutes a lot,” Pham establishes. He reveals it’s a 2022 Tacoma that has 97,000 miles on it.
“Look at the transmission fluid,” he continues. “100,000 miles. It is insane.”
He then observes, “This tells you that this car is mostly driven on the freeway,” noting he can tell just by the color of the fluid. “It looks amazing. This is how it should come out every single time you change it.”
He then explains, “Fluid does break down. Once your fluids get dark and stuff, because some people drive hard on it, and they don’t drive on the freeway often, they drive the city, stop and go. So, the clutches go in and out, shifting the gears. That’s why it gets dark. But this fluid looks really good.”
What color should transmission fluid be?
According to Auto Zone, “Healthy transmission fluid typically falls within a range of colors, including bright red, translucent pink, or even light brown. It’s a synthetic fluid that is normally almost clear, and the color is a dye that helps identify the type and condition.”
However, different colorations and consistencies can indicate different issues. For instance, if transmission fluid is dark brown or black, “and accompanied by a burnt smell, it’s a good indication of overheating and the need for immediate attention.”
If it’s milky, water or coolant contamination might be the cause, “potentially signaling a leak between the transmission fluid and coolant systems. A common culprit here is a faulty radiator with an integrated transmission cooler.”
If it’s bright red but has metallic particles in it, that could suggest engine wear and is not to be ignored.
Universal Technical Institute adds that bright red indicates health, a darker red indicates that it might need changing, and concurs that brown or black is concerning.
Viewers weigh in
Some people decided to make their opinions known in the comments section.
“Looks like it didn’t need changing,” one said. “Looks like it can go another 98k.”
“Transmission drain and fill every 30k and 4WD transfer case and front differential every year or every 20k miles on my 2006 Toyota Sequoia,” one shared, adding, “currently at 227,550 miles.”
Another revealed, “My ’22 is probably sludge at 67k bc of my off-roading.”
Someone else on Team Toyota revealed, “My 2020 Camry just had its first transmission fluid change at 140k miles, mostly highway.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message and to Toyota via online form.
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