Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a little paranoid about transmission problems and have done that religiously, at a cost of just over a c-note each time. Is this overkill? Could some of the transmissions that die just out of warranty have been saved if the transmission fluid had been changed at 30K mile intervals?
Yeah, probably. It's also important to use the correct ATF (you didn't say, but I'm assuming you are talking about an automatic. For example, Chrysler automatics are quite sensitive to "stupid lube" outfits putting in "multi-vehicle" fluids, they need what it says in the owner's manual, no more and no less.
It's also important to not over-fill (or under-fill) with a slushbox, Toyotas are very sensitive to overfilling, never mind how I know that.
As has been posted before, the thing to do is follow the recommendations in the owner's manual. Unless it's a GM and the owner's manual was apparently written by the marketing department, "Oh no you don't have to mess with it for 100K miles!" - give me a break. I was born at night but not last night.
I personally don't change ATF at 30K mile intervals because we live out in the country, put a lot of easy highway miles on our cars.
What kind of car, what kind of shop are you spending $100 for an ATF change?
Best answer of all is get a stickshift car, manual transmissions have been perfected since the 40's, if you work the clutch right and shift skillfully, and avoid "Fast and Furious" type "launches", they are damn near indestructable. Just check the level, make sure it does not leak down, and particularly if you use a premium group 5 synthetic like Redline, Amsoil, etc. odds are your transmission will last several hundred thousand miles no problemo.
Best answer of all is get a stickshift car, manual transmissions have been perfected since the 40's, if you work the clutch right and shift skillfully, and avoid "Fast and Furious" type "launches", they are damn near indestructable. Just check the level, make sure it does not leak down, and particularly if you use a premium group 5 synthetic like Redline, Amsoil, etc. odds are your transmission will last several hundred thousand miles no problemo.
Best answer is to buy a car with a well-designed and well-built automatic transmission. Don't have to worry about a clutch to abuse and as long as it has sufficient fluid, it should last a long time.
I prefer 30k intervals for a "filter" change which includes 'x' amount of fluid, but it depends on type of driving. Full flushes can wait twice as long... when its ready I just push old fluid out through cooler lines and equally replenish with fresh fluid. Easiest way to test is to take a white rag or paper towel and smear AT fluid across it, you want color in the pink to red spectrum, not red to orange. My transmissions all shift like new even though they are far from it... the added care can be worth it.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,688 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Really depends on the vehicle and use. (towing, heat...)
If you have an auxiliary cooler, AND extra fluid capacity AND run synthetic fluid you can go a long time. (60 - 100k)
If you have a tranny in tough service with a SMALL fluid capacity (i.e.: VW Motorhome) THEN you best be changing every 20 k or ANYTIME you get tranny temp over 240F.
(I am not keen on some Automatics,,, Chrysler (minivan, dodge Cummins... wrong TC RPM) VW (ALL), Ford Taurus ...)
I have had a few of the cars that are notorious for transmission failure, Chrysler and Mitsubishi and one Toyota model. In all of them have had regular 30K pan drop, fluid change with the ATF per dealer spec, not the shop stuff with "additives", and knock on wood, all those cars have had the tranny outlive all other parts. I do my own work for the pan drop and change so cost is minimal, usually less than $25 for fluid, filter and gasket.
The short answer is YES. Change the fliud at 30K. If the trans is serviced regularly then a trans flush is what you want to do every 30K. If the trans has 50/60K and it's never been done then simply do a fluid drain and fill. You don't want to break all that crap that;s built up loose. Just let it stay where it;s at.
Do a drain and refill then drive the car about 1000 miles and do another drain and refill. This is all you need to do..
A lot of people cause their own transmission problems by following the manufacturer recommended interval which is 100k-150k these days and then having the service performed by a chain or quick lube where they do a "flush" and then refill with generic fluid.
I've seen very few people who use their cars for normal things have transmission problems (assuming the transmission itself wasn't defective) by following the manufacturer recommendations. I've seen plenty of people blow their trans after they had Jiffy Lube do a 100k mile flush and fill.
I've seen very few people who use their cars for normal things have transmission problems (assuming the transmission itself wasn't defective) by following the manufacturer recommendations. I've seen plenty of people blow their trans after they had Jiffy Lube do a 100k mile flush and fill.[/quote
Two expensive mistakes here. The first, using Jiffy Lube. The second, doing a flush at 100,000 miles. That age tranny needs a fluid exchange instead. Done a little more often than manual says.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...)
