Toyota Tundra Transmission Fluid Level Adjustment

Checking and adjusting transmission fluid level on a 2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4 with tow package and transmission cooler. I finally found an online link to the procedure I used. It is for a 2015 model, but works fine for a 2014 as well if you use the paper clip method (the truck tells you when to check the level). You need to sign in to Tundras.com to download the file, though. https://www.tundras.com/threads/gen-3... THE FOLLOWING IS QUOTED FROM A REPLY: " I had no idea of the fluid age or condition. This was the last of all of the fluid changes after buying the truck, because it is the most difficult. When I did the first level check, I was about to do the fluid change. The Toyota service guy I talked to told me that the 2 quarts came out because the engine was off and the fluid was not circulating. So, I measured that fluid and what came out when I used the DRAIN plug and I refilled that total amount into the tranny. I changed the fluid by bypassing the tranny thermostat the same as you would for a level check (the bent wire with a loop on the end) and I disconnected the outflow hose (should be the lower fitting) from the tranny cooler in front of the radiator and connected a hose to the outflow fitting. I then ran that hose into a clear gallon container that had markings for each quart. After starting the truck, I would hop out and watch the container fill as the circulating fluid came out of the cooler. When about two quarts had flowed out, I would shut off the engine, measure the result, pour the fluid into a waste container, add that amount of fresh fluid to the tranny and repeat. You don't want the level to get too low. After I had counted about one quart more than the published fluid capacity and refilled that amount, I finished up. That's when I did the first running at temperature level check and had the two quart overfull result again. That's why I repeated the level check and made the video. There are videos showing much of this on Youtube." ALSO FROM A REPLY: " The laser temp check idea was NOT mine! It is very unreliable, just try one on just about any surface. Change the color, angle of incidence or even the sheen and your reading will swing quite a bit. Your friend (apparently a Toyota dealership employee) and my experiences with dealerships not following fluid and temperature requirements (think valve adjustment on a still warm engine), is why I do as much of my own maintenance and repairs as I can. I used the Valvoline Max Life fluid because they have been in the industry almost 100 years longer than Toyota has been exporting cars and if they say their fluid meets WS requirements, I believe them. If Toyota says the fluid has to be within an acceptable range of temperature, I will try to make it happen. Following Toyota's alternate instructions with the paper clip, hopefully worked. Of course, all of this worry about fluid level precision is predicated on the necessity of the fluid level NEEDING to be so near perfect. As stated in the video, I'm not sure the perfect level is THAT important, but why risk it? It seemed to work fine overfull, but from what I've read, damage can result."