Looking at the picture again while I sipped my coffee this morning....

It looks like my coffee :lol:

Is the trans acting funny? How many miles are on the car? Still under warranty?


If you still have a warranty I would take a sample of that oil and send it to blackstone, see what they come back with. Then take that and the car to the dealer and have them document it/diagnose it. At the minimum have them document the problem so that if you have an issue when the warranty expires you still have a leg to stand on. Its going to be hard because the dealer is going to want to see and drain the oil themselves.


If its out of warranty and the car is still shifting OK, I would refill it with new fluid and let it ride until it shits. Maybe start looking for a new trans once you start having issues.


Regardless, monitor the color of the fluid. I don't know how to tell you to do it, because its not like there is a dipstick, and you want to avoid draining the fluid to check the color. You need to find a way to get a sample without draining, probably through the fill plug. Maybe a syringe and a hose? You only need enough to see the color.

I'd personally drain and refill it. Drive a bit (like 10 miles), then drain and refill it again. Then drive some more, then TAKE IT TO SUBARU, and have them drain and refill it. I changed mine 3 times before it started coming out clear.
That way if this same issue happens again, they are the last people to have touched it, which might help.

Yeah had that same looking fluid in another car after I drove through a portion of flooded streets, I've found the best way to just check your fluid is to use a 1ml or 10ml syringe and just suck some out to check and put back in if its good. 1ml is usually small and skinny enough to get in almost any transmission without draining.

Are you sure you didn't barrel through a large puddle or partially flooded street?

I mean I've driven over puddles. This is a daily driver. but nothing I would consider excessive.

I bet it's like @stevesnj said. I'd take a look at your vent/check valve to see if it isn't stuck open. The spring is super light.

Where is that vent/ check valve?

It's the part right above the blue switch in this photo. You can reach it from underneath the car and wiggle it.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5746/...aab21869_k.jpg

Sorry to be off topic and jack OP's thread.

Just want to know, is there such a valve at the diff as well?

Yep

UPDATE:
 

I brought my car in to toyota for service to have them look at the car. I brought in the drain fluid. they said there wasn't anything to worry about. "some metal flakes is normal after this many miles". They also said they didn't know what I was talking about when I said it looked "milky". Apparently it looks a lot more transparent when the fluid is warm. They poured some of it out and it looked a lot different from when I took the picture.

So that wasn't water? Wow. Both dust and water would have eventually settled out of suspension. Perhaps that's why it looked so different when they poured from your sample. I take it they didn't see your photo.

Thanks very much for following up here.

Wow they sound a lot more helpful and informative than what I've experienced from dealer mechanics.