I wasted $150 on a 'flush kit' for my transmission

Elliot Coleman · 2026-06-10T23:40:03.799309+00:00

Bought one of those pressurized flush machines for my 2004 Tacoma thinking I was doing the right thing. Three weeks later the transmission started slipping bad and my buddy at the shop says I probably dislodged years of gunk that was holding it together. Any of you guys had a flush go sideways on an older high-mileage truck?

jesseb204mo ago

Your buddy's not wrong about the gunk, but 150 bucks on a flush machine for a 2004 Taco is the real mistake. Those pressurized flushes are brutal on old seals and clutches. I'd rather drop the pan, change the filter, and just do a few drain-and-fills over a couple months. That way you slowly swap the fluid without blasting all the crap loose at once. For a high-mileage truck like that, a gentle hand works way better than a power flush.

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willow7324mo ago

Oh man I read this exact thing happens on older high mileage trucks all the time.

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alexlewis4mo ago

Went full send on a flush for my old Civic and it started shifting like a confused grandpa.

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