The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

For some reason I've been more careful about my health** and my car
lately, so I checked what xmission fluid my 2005 Solara uses, and it was
Toyota T-IV, so I went to buy some. The top, picture row of google
didn't have anything local iirc, but Amazon had some for 11 to 19
dollars. Seems like a lot.

**Wore a mask and gloves when spraying for crabgrass.


Ebay had a quart for $18, for $13, or for $8.50 (pickup only), and
surprisingly, given how much all the others were, for $4.20 plus $5
shipping, and a second quart's shipping costs only 25 cents. Well,
okay!

Ordered two quarts late on April 18. First 7 steps of tracking on the
19th, including going from Myrtle Beach to Columbia SC.

Then nothing for 10 days.

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor. Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back. I check I
want the item. Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore? What should I do? What should you do?
Thanks."

Even though I checked "I want the item", within a couple hours Ebay says
my money is coming back. Okay.


But now I'm still a full quart low on fluid, and I don't have any. Plus
I see Toyota has rules against mixing fluids, plus Wikip says my car
likely uses WS but the online owners manual says T-IV. Great idea,
call the dealer. He checks and it's T-IV. Do you have any? Yes, and
it's only $6.14. No postage, no waiting. I should have gone there
first. (Because dealers don't put their inventory on the web, Google
didn't mention a single Toyota dealer.)

Buy two quarts on Friday.

Today's Monday. The fluid from Myrtle Beach arrived. (Tracking shows no
entries between Columbia and my local post office.) Now I have a quart
in the transmission and 3 more quarts, And I have to send the money to
the ebay guy. Plus I had a quart of Castrol Transmax Fully Synthetic
Multi-Vehicle. It says it's good for Toyotas, and that was enough for
me 3 years ago, but this year I'm taking better care of my car, so it
wasn't good enough anymore. Except it's fully synthetic, so maybe it's
even better and I was just suckered into buying the Toyota stuff.

So now I have 4 spare quarts. At the current rate that should last me
about 17 years.

The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

In article , NONONOmisc07
@fmguy.com says...

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor. Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back. I check I
want the item. Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore? What should I do? What should you do?
Thanks."



I have bought several items some from ebay and some direct in the last
few months that have taken several weeks to arrive. Even one priority
mailing took over 2 weeks. At almost every stop there was a lay over of
several days.

One package went from a post office about 20 miles to the north to one
30 miles south , back to the first post office, then to my post office
from the tracking number. The package went by my post office two times
and that office is only about 2 miles off the interstate the package
probably traveled.

About 5 years ago a friend about 50 miles away sent me something that
was about the size of a C cell battery by first class mail. Took almost
3 weeks. I know he would not lie about when he sent it and the post
mark was the same day as he said he sent it.

The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

On 5/3/2021 12:10 PM, micky wrote:
For some reason I've been more careful about my health** and my car
lately, so I checked what xmission fluid my 2005 Solara uses, and it was
Toyota T-IV, so I went to buy some. The top, picture row of google
didn't have anything local iirc, but Amazon had some for 11 to 19
dollars. Seems like a lot.

**Wore a mask and gloves when spraying for crabgrass.


Ebay had a quart for $18, for $13, or for $8.50 (pickup only), and
surprisingly, given how much all the others were, for $4.20 plus $5
shipping, and a second quart's shipping costs only 25 cents. Well,
okay!

Ordered two quarts late on April 18. First 7 steps of tracking on the
19th, including going from Myrtle Beach to Columbia SC.

Then nothing for 10 days.

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor. Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back. I check I
want the item. Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore? What should I do? What should you do?
Thanks."

Even though I checked "I want the item", within a couple hours Ebay says
my money is coming back. Okay.


But now I'm still a full quart low on fluid, and I don't have any. Plus
I see Toyota has rules against mixing fluids, plus Wikip says my car
likely uses WS but the online owners manual says T-IV. Great idea,
call the dealer. He checks and it's T-IV. Do you have any? Yes, and
it's only $6.14. No postage, no waiting. I should have gone there
first. (Because dealers don't put their inventory on the web, Google
didn't mention a single Toyota dealer.)

Buy two quarts on Friday.

Today's Monday. The fluid from Myrtle Beach arrived. (Tracking shows no
entries between Columbia and my local post office.) Now I have a quart
in the transmission and 3 more quarts, And I have to send the money to
the ebay guy. Plus I had a quart of Castrol Transmax Fully Synthetic
Multi-Vehicle. It says it's good for Toyotas, and that was enough for
me 3 years ago, but this year I'm taking better care of my car, so it
wasn't good enough anymore. Except it's fully synthetic, so maybe it's
even better and I was just suckered into buying the Toyota stuff.

So now I have 4 spare quarts. At the current rate that should last me
about 17 years.


My nearest Toyota dealer has an online order department. When I needed
some more I placed the order online for pickup at the store. 6 quarts
cost me $29 including tax.

The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

On 5/3/2021 4:54 PM, Bob F wrote:
On 5/3/2021 12:10 PM, micky wrote:
For some reason I've been more careful about my health** and my car
lately, so I checked what xmission fluid my 2005 Solara uses, and it was
Toyota T-IV, so I went to buy some.Â* The top, picture row of google
didn't have anything local iirc, but Amazon had some for 11 to 19
dollars. Seems like a lot.

**Wore a mask and gloves when spraying for crabgrass.


Ebay had a quart for $18, for $13, or for $8.50 (pickup only), and
surprisingly, given how much all the others were, for $4.20 plus $5
shipping, and a second quart's shipping costs only 25 cents.Â* Well,
okay!

Ordered two quarts late on April 18.Â* First 7 steps of tracking on the
19th, including going from Myrtle Beach to Columbia SC.

Then nothing for 10 days.

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor.Â* Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back.Â* I check I
want the item.Â* Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore?Â*Â* What should I do?Â* What should you do?
Thanks."

Even though I checked "I want the item", within a couple hours Ebay says
my money is coming back.Â* Okay.


But now I'm still a full quart low on fluid, and I don't have any.Â* Plus
I see Toyota has rules against mixing fluids, plus Wikip says my car
likely uses WS but the online owners manual says T-IV.Â*Â* Great idea,
call the dealer.Â* He checks and it's T-IV.Â* Do you have any?Â* Yes, and
it's only $6.14.Â*Â* No postage, no waiting.Â* I should have gone there
first.Â* (Because dealers don't put their inventory on the web, Google
didn't mention a single Toyota dealer.)

Buy two quarts on Friday.

Today's Monday.Â* The fluid from Myrtle Beach arrived. (Tracking shows no
entries between Columbia and my local post office.)Â* Now I have a quart
in the transmission and 3 more quarts, And I have to send the money to
the ebay guy. Plus I had a quart of Castrol TransmaxÂ* Fully Synthetic
Multi-Vehicle.Â* It says it's good for Toyotas, and that was enough for
me 3 years ago, but this year I'm taking better care of my car, so it
wasn't good enough anymore.Â*Â* Except it's fully synthetic, so maybe it's
even better and I was just suckered into buying the Toyota stuff.

So now I have 4 spare quarts.Â* At the current rate that should last me
about 17 years.


My nearest Toyota dealer has an online order department. When I needed
some more I placed the order online for pickup at the store. 6 quarts
cost me $29 including tax.



Also, I read that Aisin is Toyota's source, so their T-IV should be the
same.

Here's some more light reading.
https://www.startribune.com/brand-cl...uid/283401841/

The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

On Mon, 3 May 2021 15:43:11 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article , NONONOmisc07
says...

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor. Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back. I check I
want the item. Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore? What should I do? What should you do?
Thanks."



I have bought several items some from ebay and some direct in the last
few months that have taken several weeks to arrive. Even one priority
mailing took over 2 weeks. At almost every stop there was a lay over of
several days.

One package went from a post office about 20 miles to the north to one
30 miles south , back to the first post office, then to my post office
from the tracking number. The package went by my post office two times
and that office is only about 2 miles off the interstate the package
probably traveled.

About 5 years ago a friend about 50 miles away sent me something that
was about the size of a C cell battery by first class mail. Took almost
3 weeks. I know he would not lie about when he sent it and the post
mark was the same day as he said he sent it.


A couple comments. I virtually ALWAYS check dealer price and
availability FIRST. Then the local aftermarket supplier - If not
available or REDICULOUSLY expensive I do to FleaBay or Amazon or some
place like Rock Auto.

At least I KNOW what is a good idea and what is highway robbery
before ordering - and I can determine what convenience is worth to me
if the dealer has it in stock for a reasonable (comparaive) price


As for shipping - when I was in Zambia back in the seventies I
recieved a package in the mail from Ontario in a few days - and about
a month later I got the letter telling me to expect the package ---

The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

On Mon, 3 May 2021 17:08:13 -0700, Bob F wrote:

On 5/3/2021 4:54 PM, Bob F wrote:
On 5/3/2021 12:10 PM, micky wrote:
For some reason I've been more careful about my health** and my car
lately, so I checked what xmission fluid my 2005 Solara uses, and it was
Toyota T-IV, so I went to buy some.* The top, picture row of google
didn't have anything local iirc, but Amazon had some for 11 to 19
dollars. Seems like a lot.

**Wore a mask and gloves when spraying for crabgrass.


Ebay had a quart for $18, for $13, or for $8.50 (pickup only), and
surprisingly, given how much all the others were, for $4.20 plus $5
shipping, and a second quart's shipping costs only 25 cents.* Well,
okay!

Ordered two quarts late on April 18.* First 7 steps of tracking on the
19th, including going from Myrtle Beach to Columbia SC.

Then nothing for 10 days.

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor.* Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back.* I check I
want the item.* Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore?** What should I do?* What should you do?
Thanks."

Even though I checked "I want the item", within a couple hours Ebay says
my money is coming back.* Okay.


But now I'm still a full quart low on fluid, and I don't have any.* Plus
I see Toyota has rules against mixing fluids, plus Wikip says my car
likely uses WS but the online owners manual says T-IV.** Great idea,
call the dealer.* He checks and it's T-IV.* Do you have any?* Yes, and
it's only $6.14.** No postage, no waiting.* I should have gone there
first.* (Because dealers don't put their inventory on the web, Google
didn't mention a single Toyota dealer.)

Buy two quarts on Friday.

Today's Monday.* The fluid from Myrtle Beach arrived. (Tracking shows no
entries between Columbia and my local post office.)* Now I have a quart
in the transmission and 3 more quarts, And I have to send the money to
the ebay guy. Plus I had a quart of Castrol Transmax* Fully Synthetic
Multi-Vehicle.* It says it's good for Toyotas, and that was enough for
me 3 years ago, but this year I'm taking better care of my car, so it
wasn't good enough anymore.** Except it's fully synthetic, so maybe it's
even better and I was just suckered into buying the Toyota stuff.

So now I have 4 spare quarts.* At the current rate that should last me
about 17 years.


My nearest Toyota dealer has an online order department. When I needed
some more I placed the order online for pickup at the store. 6 quarts
cost me $29 including tax.



Also, I read that Aisin is Toyota's source, so their T-IV should be the
same.

Here's some more light reading.
https://www.startribune.com/brand-cl...uid/283401841/

Interesting article. Thank you for sharing.

The idylls of Toyota transmission fluid
 

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 3 May 2021 15:43:11 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article , NONONOmisc07
says...

Don't know how to reach the post office in Columbia so I write the
vendor. Webpage asks if I want the item or my money back. I check I
want the item. Tell him the problem and say "9 days to get from
Columbia to Baltimore? What should I do? What should you do?
Thanks."



I have bought several items some from ebay and some direct in the last
few months that have taken several weeks to arrive. Even one priority
mailing took over 2 weeks. At almost every stop there was a lay over of
several days.

One package went from a post office about 20 miles to the north to one
30 miles south , back to the first post office, then to my post office
from the tracking number. The package went by my post office two times
and that office is only about 2 miles off the interstate the package
probably traveled.

That's pitiful

About 5 years ago a friend about 50 miles away sent me something that
was about the size of a C cell battery by first class mail. Took almost
3 weeks. I know he would not lie about when he sent it and the post
mark was the same day as he said he sent it.

That too.

A few months ago, something I ordered went to Baltimore, then to
Frederick, an hour west of here, and back to same location in
Baltimore the next day.