transmission question

Sounds like good servicing practices to me. It also sounds like the torque converter clutch lockup (that last "shift" you feel) is not ocurring (at over 45 mph) until things warm up a bit and the extra loading comes off the tranny. This is pretty normal in these cold winter temperatures. Things are pretty thick those freezing morning hours there in Wisconson and here in Michigan. If things don't go back to what you think is normal after temperatures warm up, then you might want to look deeper. Right now I wouldn't worry about it. Good Luck - Pray for Spring:-)

Jacob - Do you change the tranny fluid yourself, and flush it? Is it a pretty easy job? What do you flush it with? Any tips would be appreciated. I want to start working on mine more myself.

Thanks, Allen

I don't have a clue about cars, and take it into a service place and have them do it. The cost for the transmission flush is usually about $70, and they tell me that they hook it up to a machine that flushes out the fluid and replaces it. The last time I took it to another place and I'm not sure if they flushed it or just changed it, but they did change the filter, which I don't think they do when they flush the system. I'm really not into working on cars and don't have any tools or anything else. Good luck working on yours, maybe someone here would be able to tell you how to do it.

Also, does the transmission need to be adjusted periodically? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

Thanks for the response.

"Jacob" wrotenews:vDkWd.4821$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com:

The servicing where they flush the whole system until it runs clear gets the old tranny oil out of the torque converter, which simply dropping the pan and then refilling it doesn't.

Also, a new filter is a gigantic rippoff. Unless you have problems with the tranny to begin with and you see a grey-silver sludge on your filter, then it's too late anyway. You need a new tranny.

Since the tranny isn't involved with gas blowby from rings, combustion and super high heats and doesn't recircle throught the engine but in a simple closed system that stays clean and pretty cool, my thoughts are that you only need to change the oil once in the life of a car, at about 30-60k miles. Several studies have agreed with this and even the owners manual assumes you might only change the oil once in the lifetime of a normal car.

I would assume you would only need to change oil only due to age and oxidation of the fluid over time, like brake fluid....which happens everytime you open the master cylinder reseviour top to look at it, it absorbs ambient moisture from the air and slightly degrades it.

msm

Thank you for getting back about this and your excellent explanation. I still would like to know if there is any need to have the transmission adjusted or something like that. Does a transmission need a tune-up like the engine does? Thanks.