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.
That's a REAL long test!
I just got a complete transmission fluid change. 120 Kkms. A flush and a pan drop. The only way to get it totally changed. The dealer recommended a few flushes each 30Kkms, then the full treatment again.
Actually, I hope not. If you think about it that principle of operation would be quite disastrous to a normal running tranny. Agitating the particulates in the tranny pan by running the engine would circulate them during normal driving, as well. I would not want that. Agitating particulates for the purpose of running them through the closed loop system in the hope of capturing them in an external device is risky at best. The Snap On device will capture what makes its way to it, but stirring that stuff up (if indeed the Snap On flush is capable of doing that...) will certainly result in the stuff getting spread throughout the system and caught in the system - not the flush system. But... even giving the benefit of the doubt to the Snap On system, it's not going to get the stuff out of the filter and it's not going to get the metallic particulates that are captured by the magnet. There's only one way to address those two factors.
Dealerships very often use what is convenient for them and not always what is best for your car. Sorry, but it's a hands down no-brainer that to remove the pan and filter, and to manually clean the pan and replace the filter, followed by a normal flush using just the tranny pump as the flush pump, is going to give you a far better flush and replacement process than the Snap On system is giving you.
Dave is right - you are leaving a dirty filter in your car. And you are leaving the stuff in the pan. To each his own, and the flush job you got did at least flush out the most of the fluid in your car, but don't place blind faith in things that you clearly don't understand. Though it is fast and convenient, it's *not* the same as a manual job.
It never ceases to amaze me when someone goes to the trouble of posting a question, gets the correct answer but doesn't follow it. Not one person here has profit in mind when answering questions, yet it is the man whose mind is on profit that rules the outcome. A ignorant way to do things, but 'A fool and his money are soon parted'. This WJW guy is obviously a boob and now that he's flaunted good advice/knowledge, he gets all-defensive with his postings. I wonder who will get the last laugh? The not-for-profit advice givers, the Buick/Pontiac dealership, or wjw......this doesn't even need a vote, does it?
Dave S(Texas)
Our independent transmission shops recommend AGAINST just doing a flush without having the fan dropped and filter replaced FIRST on any transmission that has more than 30K since the last full filter, flush performed.
If the flush is performed regularily, i.e. every 10-15K, then the tranny shop I use says it is ok not to replace the filter until the third time to flush it out, 30K-45K. The reasoning is that the regular flushes keep most of the particulate crud out of the fluid and the magnet on the pan collects the little remainder and holds it in place. In addition the ones that use the 'smart' computers to adjust the shift point as the fluid characteristics change would need a transmission computer relearn performed with each change.
FYI we had a '95 Chrysler minivan 4 spd transmission serviced by this shop using the second of the above methods and it made it over 200K before needing the first rebuild. $50 flush & tranny relearn every
15K, Fluid and filter at each 45K, did need on repair around 100K of a relay pack for the transmission ~$350 repair. Far less than the $2000 typical rebuild most people were needing around 90K.The Snap-on Fluid exchanger Flush ia a viable alternative option for fluid change. It may not be perfect but neither is dropping the pan and doing a power flush. Depending on how long you let your transmission changes go depends on a lot. For instance a power flush for real dirty fluid can be bad. The snap on exchanger can be good to use if you have real dirty fluid. I somtimes suggest doing the S-O fluid exchange then drive it and make sure it runs fine then later on 10k miles or so change it again by dropping the pan and adding a clean filter.
Quick Google news search shows you as being an asshat. Either fix it right or give it to someone that will. "If it wasnt legit do you think the Buick/Pontiac Dealership would be using them" They don't. Nor does any Pontiac dealer recommend such a thing. As usual you are talking outta your ass.
my strategy is to drain and fill trans fluid at about 10K, then every
30 K I open up the pan and clean the gunk off, replace the filter and clean the magnet. I know I won't replace ALL the fluid in there, but a part of it is replaced and due to the more frequent changes I do keep a pretty clean fluid. I don't use any fancy fluids either, just whatever meets the specs. MY motto is that new fluids is better than fancy fluid.
I agree thats a safe way to go with really dirty systems because if you just drop the pan and change the fluid you will just recontaminate the fluid with the dirty fluid in the converter. We dont use the the Snap on but use another brand that does the same exact thing which exchanges the old fluid for the bad including the converter fluid. We also make the same suggestion and tell them to come back in 10-20k miles for a pan flush and filter change. So far no complaints of transmission failures from this machine, if we had lots of complaints we wouldnt use it or we would be out of business.
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