Replace trans fluid or not
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Huntsville
Replace trans fluid or not
Shame on me for not changing the fluid sooner but my wife's Exp has 110k miles on it and we have never change the trans fluid. In the past I have seen people change the fluid after 100k (for the first time) and they end up with tranny problems. Should I leave the fluid alone or should I change it now?
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2003
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Changing tranny fluid (if done properly) doesn't CAUSE tranny problems, but will sometimes REVEAL a problem.
Usually what happens is somebody has a slight problem with their tranny and then think "better change the fluid". Sometimes the problem is solved, other times when the pan is dropped there are metal flakes in it. The metal flakes in the fluid WERE helping the clutch plates do their thing... but really the tranny is on it's way for a rebuild. When the fresh fluid goes in then there is no "grit" to help the clutch plates. SOOOO instead of rough or poor shifting, you now get slipping.
CHANGE IT NOW! Chances are you're fine.
One more thing - If you do it yourself and you find something that looks like a child's plastic toy top rolling in the pan... don't worry. THat is a plug that gets knocked out when the tranny dipstick tube is installed at the factory. I'm not sure if it's there for sure, but I found that when I changed fluid in an '83 F100. I musta looked 10 times trying to figure out where it came from!!
Usually what happens is somebody has a slight problem with their tranny and then think "better change the fluid". Sometimes the problem is solved, other times when the pan is dropped there are metal flakes in it. The metal flakes in the fluid WERE helping the clutch plates do their thing... but really the tranny is on it's way for a rebuild. When the fresh fluid goes in then there is no "grit" to help the clutch plates. SOOOO instead of rough or poor shifting, you now get slipping.
CHANGE IT NOW! Chances are you're fine.
One more thing - If you do it yourself and you find something that looks like a child's plastic toy top rolling in the pan... don't worry. THat is a plug that gets knocked out when the tranny dipstick tube is installed at the factory. I'm not sure if it's there for sure, but I found that when I changed fluid in an '83 F100. I musta looked 10 times trying to figure out where it came from!!
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Huntsville
Looks like its going to be a long day at the auto craft shop tomorrow. I bought front rotors, pads and shocks along with rear rotors, pads and shocks. Now I've got to swing by the parts store and get trans fluid along with a trans gasket.
Thanks for the info!
Thanks for the info!
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Replace trans fluid or not
My two cents...
used to rebuild trannys (during the 80's) and saw many units come across my bench w/brand new fluid. Agree w/the above poster...some folks think changing the fluid will fix problems that are just starting to show up when really a fluid change w/b the death warrant. W/a Ford I would change the fluid regularily as the valve bodies were very sensitive to durt and prone to binding...w/the GMs as I remember them I would not open one up unless it failed (put 240k on a Turbo 200 w/out problems or fluid change).
Just my two cents...
red97xlt
used to rebuild trannys (during the 80's) and saw many units come across my bench w/brand new fluid. Agree w/the above poster...some folks think changing the fluid will fix problems that are just starting to show up when really a fluid change w/b the death warrant. W/a Ford I would change the fluid regularily as the valve bodies were very sensitive to durt and prone to binding...w/the GMs as I remember them I would not open one up unless it failed (put 240k on a Turbo 200 w/out problems or fluid change).
Just my two cents...
red97xlt
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Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Tucson
It has to be a case by case decision, this may sound weird but if the fluid is very dirty and already smells burnt I would leave it in there, as mentioned above on many occasions I have changed fluids in both automatics and manuals to have them perform worse after changing fluid that went way to long. If you take a very nasty tranny to a shop it is not unheard of to be turned away for a fluid change, they change it and then the tranny doesn't perfrom and then the shop is liable. If the fluid smells good and is not burnt change it and the filter and be done with it.
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After 6 hours (call me retarded), I was able to get the trans fluid changed, oil change, replaced the front rotors/hubs/bearings, rear rotors & pads, and all four shocks. With the exception of the fluid changes, I'm glad I don't have to do ALL of that work for a while.
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From: covington wa.
This was a question i asked myself. so i called around to a few
places and the response i got was if it aint burnt not brown and
still looks red than your okay. But sometimes looks can be decieving so the recommendation was to try and change the tran
fluid within the scheduled mileage the manufacture recommends.
places and the response i got was if it aint burnt not brown and
still looks red than your okay. But sometimes looks can be decieving so the recommendation was to try and change the tran
fluid within the scheduled mileage the manufacture recommends.
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