Cleaning up dirty Transmission fluid

What is current mileage? Has transmission fluid been changed before?

Read following document excerpt from

"Automatic transmission fluid is rarely changed for preventive maintenance, yet is often the cause of premature transmission failure. Considering how expensive a transmission is to replace, the cost of changing the fluid and filter periodically is peanuts.

Most vehicle owner's manuals do not specify a change interval for automatic transmission fluid-unless the vehicle is used for towing. But most transmission experts say changing the fluid and filter (which is located inside the transmission) every 25,000 to 30,000 miles can significantly prolong the life of the transmission. But if a transmission has a lot of miles on it and the fluid has never been changed, they also say it may be best to leave the fluid alone. Why? Because changing the fluid may loosen accumulated varnish deposits that could cause sticking of control valves in the valvebody.

At the very least, the transmission fluid level should be checked periodically. On most vehicles, this should be done after the vehicle has been driven and the fluid is hot. The dipstick is then read while the engine idling and the transmission is in park."

In news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com, Raul being of bellicose mind posted:

Let's understand ... NO automatic transmission is a "sealed" unit. That a couple of high end cars fill the transmission via a plug on the side of the transmission as if it were a manual box does not make them "sealed." Torque converters no longer have a drain plug on them but still ... this does not make them "sealed." ALL fluid in the transmission recirculates thru the pan.

If you drain the transmission COLD (don't fire up the engine), you'll get nearly 4 quarts out of it. Do this twice and you'll get enough of the old fluid diluted to make everybody happy again. After that, drop your fluid every 15-20k miles and ... you only have to drop the fluid once.

The link below contains some industry DRIVEL. Transmission fluid and filter/screen servicing has been minimized in scheduled maintenance books for the sake of lowering estimated cost of ownership calculations ... not for your longevity benefit.

The ONLY reason for leaving the fluid alone in a foul transmission is ... YOU (the garage) don't want to be the last one to touch that pile just before it blows. It's a matter of avoiding the "blame game."

DO read your owner's manual about checking the fluid level. There are cars that are checked with the engine NOT running and some that can only be checked thru a plug on the side of the transmission (like a manual box).

--

- Philip @ Maximum Torque RPM

In news:Vhr2c.80684$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, IceMan being of bellicose mind posted:

Yes. It is circulating whenever the transmission is in use.

That's good news to me. I do check the fluid level on a regular basis, at least twice a month. Years ago I payed plenty for a tranny overhaul, and while it kept the car going for several more years, the tranny never was as good as it should have been and I realize I could have saved the tranny and the $$ by doing a bit of preventive maintenance.

So it looks like the case or two of transmission fluid will be used up over the next few months as I slowly replace the dirty fluid with new fluid.

By the way the Camry is truly a great car. I can see why it is one of the most popular cars sold in the USA.

Also, if it's a 4 cylinder you may want to drain and fill the differential. The diff fluid is also ATF, but is isolated from the transmission's fluid. If it's a 6 cylinder, then it shares fluid with the tranny. I asked this question on this group about a year ago (thanks, MDT Tech), and thought I'd share the info.

Also, if it's a 4 cylinder you may want to drain and fill the differential. The diff fluid is also ATF, but is isolated from the transmission's fluid. If it's a 6 cylinder, then it shares fluid with the tranny. I asked this question on this group about a year ago (thanks, MDT Tech), thought I'd share the info.