I got an estimate for a hot flush at the dealer here in Canada & it was 450.00, needless to say I have not had it done yet. I will do it myself in the spring when I pull it out of storage.

 

If you are not using it for real heavy duty....

And you have no evidence of burned fluid.. overtemp...

Just changing the external filter mean you capture 90% of the benefits for a tiny fraction of the cost.

 

$300 Cdn at my dealer, negotiate, they have sale prices. I do what beachbum does, alternate hot flush with drain and fill. I dont tow heavy and the fluid is very clean, I have them change the external filter when they do the hot flush. I also do like beachbum on the axles, transfer case, Power steering. It cant hurt. Only thing I have yet to do is the brake fluid, I would really like to do that and will likely tackle when next I do brake service. Right now still on original brake components with 60% remaining front and 80% rear, so maybe this summer after towing season will have to do fronts atleast and then I will likely replace and rebleed all brake fluid until clean.

 

Problem in the far north is salt corrosion really changes the maintenance issues.

Corrosion of caliper hangers, wiring, connectors, etc.

 

I agree, salt increases the need for brake service for sure & I will do what you said about the tranny too.

 

I flushed my 05s at 145,000 miles. Never had a problem out of it. I did it the old fashioned way, plug out, refill with 2 gallons 3 times, drove it 10 miles between drains. On the forth one I took the pan off cleaned and installed a new filter.

 

You would have done better by your tranny changing the external filter instead of the internal filter. The internal filter stops trees and boulders and gets replaced during rebuilds.

 

Wow... Mercon LV is a $1.00 less than Mercon SP... I did not know... I just assumed it was more due to being the newer spec'd Mercon fluid???

My dealer here in Kansas City (Shawnee Mission Ford) does not use a "hot flush machine". It is just a machine that has two bladders in it... and as one fills up with old fluid, the new fluid from the other bladder goes into my truck... so it is a 1 for 1 exchange... until all 16 quarts of new fluid go in.

BTW, I never allow the use of aftermarket additives to be used with my tranny services... as the seller of these fluids and the machine (BD Products) likes to push them. My dealer knows that with regular service and the proper fluids to be used, there is not need for "aftermarket additives" to be used... make sure you guys ask or make a point to note this on your work order in case your dealership uses additives as well!!!!!

 

If the Magnafine filter is good enough to be installed into the P/S system on a part-time basis to clean it up... then it is good enough for me to leave it in full time (after doing a 100% fluid flush) to ensure that it stays clean.

The Magnafine P/S fluid filter has both a magnet and filter media... and if it clogs, there is a by-pass valve so no loss of fluid flow will occur for safety reasons.

Most contaminants only move through a system when under pressure and at operating temps... so for me, this is why I have elected to install a coolant filter and a P/S fluid filter... to catch what settles in the low lying areas of each system and hopefully will eventually get caught by the filter.

Who knows... I may need to add a Magnafine P/S filter to my window-washer fluid line... now that will be a first... "filtered window washer fluid"!!!!!!!

 

Keeps the iron spots to a minimum!

is there a way without the dealers computer to open the anti-lock valve to bleed the breaks? I do have a SCT Livewire but do not think it will do it.

Chris

 

No idea... I am not a mechanic.

I just do it the old fashioned way...

1) Get friend to help by bribing with a beer or two.

2) Suck out brake resorvoir and add new fluid.

3) I get under truck with small closed end wrench and have friend pump brakes when I crack open the bleeder valve.

4) Have hose and small water bottle hooked up to bleeder valve and keep bleeding until fresh brake fluid is seen (don't forget to start at right rear caliper and to add fres fluid in the resorvoir as you go).

5) Repeat with left rear, then right front and then front left.

I do this once a year and never worry about the small amount that will still be in the anti-lock system portion of the braking system.

Old fashioned... slow and steady... has worked for years and still works today.

 

BBC if your dealer doesn't hot flush then how does the thermostat get opened for a complete flush.

 

I have wondered that as well... and I think the machine they use is not heated? The power for it comes from hooking up to my batteries.

They fill 1 of the machines resovoirs tanks with fresh fluid and the other is the recovery tank. The fresh fluid tank holds 16+ qts of fresh fluid and the machine works on a vacume.

The hook the lines into the "cooler lines" under the radiator (in and out lines) and as the machine extracts it pumps in the same amount... it is a 1 to 1 exchange (fresh goes in at the same rate old fluid comes out).

If this thermostat you mention (and others have as well) does not open... where is the fluid staying then? What fluid am I exchanging and not exchanging?

It takes about 30 minutes at idle to do the flush and in that time I am assuming my temp guage is coming up to temp... which would open the thermostat in the tranny??

The actual volume of tranny fluid is very low and slow... this is why it takes 30 minutes or so... and sometimes, they sit in the driver's seat and run it through the gears and press the gas peddal to increase the RPM's.

Every flush has always yielded me perfect bright red fluid... so every 30,000 miles seems to be working????


Please advise more about the tranny thermostat and what fluid is not circulating if it does not open? I have always wondered about this, but never had any issues... so I never asked???

Thanks,

 

If the tranny is at 165 while they are doing it the stat would be open. But I don't think you could ever get your temp that high just sitting

 

On flat ground I'm doing good to hit 165 towing.