memoniz

What is the consensus on transmission fluid in a high mile tranny? My truck has 285K on it but the transmission was replaced with a rebuilt one at 150k or so. Some people tell me I should leave the old fluid since new would be thinner and be more prone to leaking and getting into places it normally wouldn't, others say to replace with filter, obviously. Having burned out the last tranny on a road trip, I got back home some 200 miles by adding new fluid. So can fluid go bad without a transmission problem? It's a E4OD and it doesn't seem to be shifting quite the same recently.

Thanks.

And can you drain the torque converter without pulling it? I guess it fills when you add fluid? Don't know much about transmissions.

Brandon587

I changed my fluid at 140,000 miles, it had the original 18 year old fluid in it. At 157,000 miles I'm having no issues related to the fluid. Anyone who rides with me would say i have no issues, but i have a few due to sensors worn out and old.And on my e4od my torque converter had a drain plug, but to my understanding not all do. Look for a round hole in the bottom of the bell housing. I replaced my fluid when I had my transmission out, I was replacing the front pump seal, so I put some fluid into the torque converter before reinstalling.

Brandon587

Oh, and my dad also changed the fluid for the first time in his 98 accord with 210,00 miles. 3,000 miles later no issues. The dodge's fluid is black, hasn't had a service in 5 years, and 280,000 miles on it with a lot of towing, it may crap when we change the fluid. It shifts good though. In my experiences, if your transmission fluid looks good and it shifts well, then changing the fluid will only help. If it looks bad or slips or something like that, then you may be rolling the dice, and I've just been lucky every time. It's your call, I was nervous doing my truck, I know that lol.

f150cam

i like to do it every 60k