Hi all a friend recently picked up a 97 with 203K miles on and we've been going through it rehabing it and are now getting to the transmission fluid which is no longer pink and has been in there for an unknown period of time. I have heard that once ATF goes unchanged for a long period of time, changing it will do more harm then leaving it alone. Has anyone had any experience with this? Has anyone had transmission failure after ATF change? Any transmission mechanics out there?

Thanks

 

If you do change it, just do that. Do not flush it with that many miles. All you would want to do is drop the pan and let the oil drain out, put a new filter on, reinstall the pan, and fill to the proper level. It won't get all the fluid new, but it will get most of it. As for failure, I dont think so from just changing it, but I have heard of quite a few failing after a flush at high mileage. It will break and chucks of crap loose and clog valves.

 

Actually, I don't think you get even half of it out by dropping the pan. I had mine changed at a local shop and it was done with a special machine that sucks out about 5 qts, then puts in 5 fresh, then the trucks engine is started and while idling the machine sucks out 1 qt, puts in 1 qt, and repeats till they've put in 16 qts. This method doesn't get it all either, but almost. As previous poster stated, don't flush it or use any cleaning chemicals in it. Tracka96

(It's sucked out thru the dipstick/add fluid tube)

 

I just did change the ATF on mine, I didn't get all of it out but I did change the filter and put new 6 or 7 Qts (I think) my car has 210,000 Km when I got it and it was really brown and dirty, I haven't had any problems so far, also I would recommend to change the coolant, mine was also brown and it start leaking before I changed it, so I have to buy the coolant neck and new Stat with the rubber seal.
Hope this will help you and give you an idea.

Ivan

 

You never put a flush in a transmission. Just a fluid and filter exchange. Just like a engine flush. You think you will get all that flush out?

 

<I just did change the ATF on mine, I didn't get all of it out but I did change the filter and put new 6 or 7 Qts (I think) my car has 210,000 Km when I got it and it was really brown and dirty, I haven't had any problems so far, also I would recommend to change the coolant, mine was also brown and it start leaking before I changed it, so I have to buy the coolant neck and new Stat with the rubber seal.
Hope this will help you and give you an idea.

Ivan>

Ivan, If your fluid was that bad I'd sure go ahead and do the same thing at least one more time, and probably twice, a little expensive but lots cheaper than a trans failure. I've had to replace 3 trannys in other vehicles, mostly due to pulling trailers. Tracka

 

You can get 10-12 quarts out if you also drain the torque converter. The drain plug is found behind a rubber plug in the bell housing. You may have to rotate the engine by hand until the plug is at the bottom.

 

Thanks for the advice but actually I got the filter from an autoparts where I get my parts and it didn't work so it was leaking, so I did have to flush it twice and put maybe another gallon in there. i think it is Ok, may be in the summer time I do it again.

 

Thanks white i didn't know that the torque converter had a plug, I though that I have to bring the tranny down and I didn't feel like doing it in this cold weather! ja,ja, ja so I just did the filter but I might do it in the spring time. Thanks !