Had to chime in here...
I've been messing with cars and trucks (mainly GM's and select Mopar's)
since I was 13....so more than 20 years. I'm sure I've got alot left to
learn...but I have learned a few things...
No matter what engine, tranny, make , model, someone on the internet is
going to post all about all the trouble they've had with it.
I also know that I've personally driven / serviced vehicles that lasted way
longer than they were 'supposed' to.
Now.that being said, I do PREFER manual tranny's. Mainly because I like to
drive, and I like to choose when the tranny shifts, but that's just me.
As for Auto Tranny's I have seen more than a few automatics get crazy when
they had not had been maintenanced at all, and then they were with
considerable miles. Mainly I've seen fresh sluid and fluid flushes knock
some trash loose somewhere , and that trash usually decides to clog a
passage or mess with a checkball which then effects the tranny shifting and
that in turn can cause damage.
the main enemy of an automatic tranny is heat. Add a tranny cooler. Don't
care if it came with one, there's a better one to be had and they are NOT
expensive and not hard at all to install.
I like the flush idea...in fact I've been using it for many years. By doing
it myself. Drop the pan, install a drain plug. Let the fluid drain. Install
the pan (Don't use the new gasket yet)
Disconnect the tranny cooler return line, attach a clear hose to the tranny
cooler outlet you just exposed. Run it to a bucket you can see, (milk jug
works well, since you know it's 4 quarts).
Chock the wheels (or get a helper). Fill the tranny to it's capacity. Start
the truck, put the tranny in drive. Watch the fluid come out the clear line,
it'll be dark. Wait until it starts to become the same color as the fresh
stuff you put in OR it reaches the 4 quart mark. If it reaches the 4 qt
mark, turn the truck off. Add 4 quarts, keep going until it's running nice
and clean.
Cut it off, fill to to the correct capacity, drop the pan again. Clean it
out, check the magnet (if you don't have one get one). Seal it up with a
fresh filter.
I personally do this once a year on every automatic equipped car I own.
Just off the top of my head..
95 Suburban - (towed boat, trailers, etc etc). 40k when I got ahold of it. I
flushed then. Kept up with it about once a year. When I sold the truck it
had 250k miles on it....tranny worked without any issues (remember I
mentioned adding a tranny cooler?)
94 Z71 - Same as above. I got it needing a tranny rebuild. Imagine that.
Rebuilt it, added cooler, flushed once a year. Truck has 310k on it...the
friend I sold it to still drives and tows with it.
Both those listed above supposedly are 'prone to transmission problems'
Another thing, which I consider PM, but most might say it's over the top.
It's MUCH cheaper to 'freshen' or check a tranny with some miles on it,
BEFORE it starts acting funny. (read $$$ to replace hard parts).
I use the same schedule for rear and front diffs. Engines I use full
synthetic and change every 7500 miles.
The last 'hard part' engine / tranny failure I had was induced during a sub
12 second 1/4 mile run. The short block had over 200k on it...I don't blame
that ring for giving up the ghost one bit, it was tired.
Auto's are driven and effected by line pressure. If interested in DIY, get
some gauges, buy a tranny SERVICE manual (not expensive) and check. Many
need adjustments as well.
HTH
Chris
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Preston" <steveophonic@yahoo.com>
To: <dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 6:47 PM
Subject: Re: DML: When to change tranny fluid,or forget it.
>
> Tom,I have never heard anyone say "Just leave the
> fluid in there". But I have heard literally tens of
> people say "Don't change the fluid." Two totally
> different things! One has absolutely nothing to do
> with the other! :)
>
> No,what I have heard is "Unless you're having
> trouble,don't mess with it." I have also heard "Don't
> mess with it unless you're having trouble". The third,
> somewhat less common variant I've heard from people is
> "Mess with it? Don't! (Unless you're having trouble)".
> I had an English teacher tell me that once.
>
> Steve P.
>
>
>
>
> --- Terrible Tom <SilverEightynine@aol.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> Steve Preston wrote:
>> > I've heard this from several people over the years
>> and
>> > Bernd also mentioned it recently,about it not
>> > necessarily being a good idea to change
>> fluid/filter
>> > on high-mileage transmissions. My only question
>> is,at
>> > one point should you just leave it (at what
>> mileage)?
>>
>> I've never heard anyone say "just leave the fluid in
>> there". I wouldn't
>> recommend that to anyone with any car or truck with
>> any transmission.
>> Thats like saying, "Eh I won't change my engine oil
>> anymore because the
>> car is 10 years old has over 100K miles on it and I
>> don't care."
>>
>> Clean fluid is healthy for a transmission. Dirty
>> fluid is bad. Its just
>> that simple.
>>
>> >
>> > My inclination is to change the filter,and fill it
>> > with ATF+4,
>> >
>>
>> I would say you have the right idea.
>>
>> --
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The Zen philosopher Smasho once wrote:
>> "A truck with no dents, is not a 4x4...
>> and a 4x4 with no dents wasn't at a DML BBQ"
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> three busted-ass daks, a gas hog, and a rollerskate
>> http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/
>> AIM & Yahoo: SilverEightynine
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
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