Should I change my Transmission Fluid?

Your only 27,000 miles past your 100,000 mile trans oil change. How dirty is the fluid. Is most of your miles Highway miles?

Go ahead & Change the oil & filter.

Harryface

05 Park Avenue, 34,114 91 Bonneville LE 305,610

These people, are they armchair quarterbacks or reliability researchers at hydramatic division?

25k or 30k more miles? You're fine either way. GM made very tough front-wheel-drive transmissions. I drove my '90 grand prix WELL over 150k miles on the same fluid. When I finally did change it the fluid was murky and there was what looked like a rather large piece of clutch material in the pan! The ol' girl shifted perfectly fine for the 200k+ miles I had 'er.

The problem you describe with difficulties after changing old fluid arise from power-flushes. If you have your transmission power flushed it would be wise to change your fluid regularly. Old fluid leaves deposits in harmless places, and the power flush may dislodge particles and let them deposit in harmful places.

If you want to have your fluid changed, that's cool; it won't hurt. Just don't opt for the power flush.

I have a 98 olds silhouette (sames as pontiac montana and chevy venture), and I too need to change my tranny fluid and filter. My question is, is there a gasket that should have came with the tranny filter? I have the filter, but I didn't get the gasket.

I would change it with the traditional drop fan, replace filter, refill method. I would not put it on a fluid flush machine and I would not run solvent through it. Most shops will now use the solvent & machine to "service" your transmission fluid.

I don't buy they leave it in there arguments at all.

John

Generally these transmissions have a reusable neoprene style gasket on the pan. As long as yours is in good shape simply reuse it.

John

After posting the original question regarding the change of tranny fluid on my car with 127k miles it is time to do an update. As mentioned the car ran just fine with the old fluid but was getting dirty. Yesterday I took the chance and had it flushed....I didnt get the old style flush which used pressure, but I used the Snap On recirculation non pressure flush machine. The machine recirculates the old fluid with new fluid using the transmission filler tube, its like getting a blood transfusion or like bieng on a dialysys machine. At the end of the treatment your fluid is new and clean and air never gets in your system allowing sediment to settle in places it shouldnt. The trans pan also did not need to be dropped. The question was will I have a problem afterwards...the answer is no. I drove it all day with no issues what so ever. I would recommend this type of flush over the old to anyone about to get a fluid change.

Message from Worthington J. Wilmington written on 2/4/2006 12:49 PM:

But you didn't change the filter. And the sediment still remains in the pan.

It's likely the filter is almost completely clogged up and there is 1/4" of nasty sediment in the pan. That is not good for the trans.

What about the filter?

What about cleaning sediment from the pan?

John

If the vehicle is running thoughout the fluid flush isn't the trans oil in the TC also being pumped though the trans & out?

Harryface

05 Park Avenue, 34,145 91 Bonneville LE 305,717

transmission

It's a revelation........We now know exactly who P.T. Barnum was talking about.

Dave

All right Dave - that's enough. I has successfully let this post go by yesterday, thinking that I didn't need to point out the OP's gullibility. Was feeling pretty good about myself for that. And then... along comes Dave. Says what I was thinking and completely blows my efforts at being a nice guy. Thanks Mister. Just want you to know - you have succeeded in reviving my cynical side. Oh well - if anybody comments on it at least I have someone to blame.

.

I admire your restraint.

And then... along comes

Oh.......don't feel bad. I doubt the OP understood my comment, anyway. ;-)

Dave

I just got back from a long trip after having the fluid changed. Morning startup temps were in the 20 deg. In any case I racked up quite a few miles in various temps and driving conditions and the trans worked perfectly with no problems. I now feel comfortable in recommending the Snap On trans flush.

If you hadn't had it flushed, it would still have worked perfectly with no problems. Your pan still has sediment in it and your filter is still dirty. Your recommendation isn't worth the bandwidth used to post it.

Dave

Why dont you get some edumacation and learn about how a recirculating flush works. If it wasnt legit do you think the Buick/Pontiac Dealership would be using them? The circulation flush works with the engine running agitating the sediment in the pan into the fluid and removed.

gullibility.

If it were up to you we would all still be driving around with mechanical brakes because you would be the one to say brake fluid is snake oil. Then again you probably think steam were the way to go.