I was curious if anybody uses Lucas or any special additive in their AT? My truck's AT fluid looks and smells like it has never been changed (has 156,000 miles.. i bought her two weeks ago), so I'm trying to plan to get this changed out (along with the filter) accordingly... I've been a user of Lucas for many years...but mainly for their fuel and engine oil treatment...

Figured I would get ya'lls opinion on this... thanks in advance!

 

If it looks brown/black I would not change it....the dirty ATF is the only thing holding together the transmission bands. chances are the clean fluid will just cause the tranny to slip

 

I'm going to look again, but i want to say it was mainly reddish brown..but definitely smelled wore out. I am not itching to do an actual transfusion of the ATF based on what I've read on the forums here...but I just can't stand the thought of leaving just bad ATF fluid and most likely a factory-original AT filter in place...

So...you'll have to forgive my ignorance here, but I guess i'm not quite following how replacing the filter and adding new fluid to the AT would cause the bands to slip... i could see that maybe with the transfusion, but not with a pan drop job...

 

With just a pan drop you'll be fine because you'll only change out about 5 quarts out of 14, but there are cases where changing extremely old trans fluids does cause issues, but that's mostly because the damage is already done. I'd say if you've got 150k miles on the original fluid you're on borrowed time no matter what you do, especially if it smells burnt.

 

Believe it or not, the smell of the fluid is a legitimate test. If it smells burned, change it, and the filter of course. You may want to have it flushed to purge all the old oil, then fill it with a top quality synthetic, which handles heat much better that regular oil.
I have a 97 4.6 with 200,000 on it and the oil has about 100,00 on it and looks and smells like new.
I admit to being rather easy on the truck.

 

I would never flush or purge a trans with 150k.... You might knock loose some junk... And you dont want to do that to a trans.. Its just like a heart... If you purged your plaque in your heart or veins you would die.. Just like a tranmission.. With 150k on the trans..I probably wouldnt do anything to it.. if it gets low.. you might add some lucas or whatever brand shift improver... I only use "trans-x" Its made by CRC...

 

I like the Dr. Tranny products. The torque converter slip additive works wonders.

 

What about 107k to change? Too late?

 

I'd do it at 107 if it isn't completely dark and doesn't smell burnt.

 

At 107... I would drop pan... and change filter...