Transmission Flush

[Gale Hawkins]

On my wife's 07 civic we just traded, all they did was drain and refill. It took about 4 qts if I remember correctly and cost about 40 bucks at the dealer.

That is good. Since we do the total change out in the driveway standing up there is no labor $$$ and we wind up with 97% new ATF.

Key is to get ATF in there to replace that which the additives are long since deminished.

 

[brokenot]

That's how the tranny fluid is changed, by flushing

Are you sure about that? Why isn't "flush" or "flushing" the chosen term when the transmission's maintenance intervals are written, and yet when another fluid's maintenance interval is written, the term "flush" or "flushing" is used?

When did transmission flushing and flushing machines come onto the scene? While DIY-ers have been doing their own flushing for decades, when did the devices we see at garages nowadays become popular?

The reason I ask is that transmission fluid changes have been recommended at specific intervals for a whole lot longer than the flushing machines and/or services we see today have been around. So if they used to specify changes, (as in dropping the pan), and continue to specify changes and not flushes when they really mean flushes, well....it really muddies the waters a bit.

And nobody yet has answered the question I asked earlier:

If a flush is indeed the recommended procedure, then why isn't a simple fitting, (or fittings), installed to make it simple?

The other thing I've often wondered is why people post up that dropping the pan only changes "X" percent of the fluid, as if the folks making the recommendations and writing the manuals aren't aware of it.....

 

[crazyal]

The last GM vehicle I owned (actually my GF) was an 04 trailblazer. She had about 65k miles on it when I moved it so I could plow where it was parked. I left it idling to help heat up the exhaust. When I went to back it up no matter if I shifted into F or R is just sat there like it was in N. I checked the fluid and it looked like it was a mixture of mud and rust. That past fall it looked fine. She bought it used with 15k on it but no manual so she didn't know when the fluid changes were due.

That was a lesson learned the hard way and we no longer own it. If GM says change the fluid they want all the fluid changed not just what's in the oil pan. When I flushed the tranny I did it the exact way Diamond Pilot said he does it. Change the filter, fill it up, disconnect the return hose from the cooler and have someone start it up as you hold onto and watch the hose going into a pan (in my case a 5 gallon bucket. Once it looked like about a gallon came out I shut off the motor, filled it up again, and continued flushing until the fluid coming out looks correct.

 

[MikePA]

On my wife's 07 civic we just traded, all they did was drain and refill. It took about 4 qts if I remember correctly and cost about 40 bucks at the dealer.

My 1999 Acura TL (4 speed, no replaceable filter) has similar requirements plus specifically mentions not to do a flush, just a drain and refill.

 

[joe48]

I highly recommend the full flush , especially if its a Chrysler Product. They specified a full flush every 60k in the owners manual on my minivan.
I had it done once at a dealers, then at a shop that is owned by a friend and he is a B-G shop. B-G full flushes and replaces all with their synthetic.
Now before the battle between syn and nonsyn starts, this is my opinion and my success story and I'm sticking to it.
My trans had been flushed twice and at about 170k it started to slip and/or not shift between forward and reverse. So back to the B-G shop, he gave it a really good flush and it took about 2 weeks for it to stop slipping, I traded it in at 255k and it was still working fine. When the used car mgr drove it he couldn't believe a Chrysler minivan had 255k on it and the trans had never been apart.
Oh yeah and this will generate a few comments too, I ran Walmart 10w30 full syn for the whole 255k, changed filters at 7500 and oil at 15k. There wasn't a speck of sludge under the valve cover when I traded it.
So flush it and synthetics.

 

[brokenot]

I highly recommend the full flush , especially if its a Chrysler Product. They specified a full flush every 60k in the owners manual on my minivan.

What year/model is it? I just picked a random '05 mini van from Chrysler's owners manual download link, and it says the same thing other manuals I've looked at say:

"Change" oil at "X" miles

"Change" transmision fluid at "X" miles

"Drain and flush" engine coolant at "X" miles

Here's a link, you can download any owners manual for '04 to present:

My Chrysler: Chrysler Owners Service Manuals - Chrysler Cars, Minivans, SUVs, Convertibles, Crossovers

Not only does it specify flushing for the cooling system only in the maintenance schedule tables, it also says the same thing in the instructions text that precedes the schedule tables.

 

[deerefan]

What year/model is it? I just picked a random '05 mini van from Chrysler's owners manual download link, and it says the same thing other manuals I've looked at say:

"Change" oil at "X" miles

"Change" transmision fluid at "X" miles

"Drain and flush" engine coolant at "X" miles

Here's a link, you can download any owners manual for '04 to present:

My Chrysler: Chrysler Owners Service Manuals - Chrysler Cars, Minivans, SUVs, Convertibles, Crossovers

Not only does it specify flushing for the cooling system only in the maintenance schedule tables, it also says the same thing in the instructions text that precedes the schedule tables.

As long as the contaminants and old fluid are removed and fresh fluid added, does it really matter how? I know of 5 different ways to change engine oil, but they all lead to the same result, which is having fresh, clean oil. I promise you this, if you have tranny problems and you bring it in for a warranty repair and they can tell you dropped the pan and went into the tranny, good luck getting it fixed under warranty. Also, the dealership where I bought my truck does flushes. If it was against manufacturer recommendations, I doubt they would do it. I don't think they want to eat the cost of a new tranny. The owners manual tells you to change the fluid, not how. Flushing and draining both do this.

 

[brokenot]

The owners manual tells you to change the fluid, not how. Flushing and draining both do this.

But flushing isn't recommended, (like lots of folks seem to think it is), or the manuals would say so. Where does this insistence to "interpret" of "figure out" what they mean come from?

I promise you this, if you have tranny problems and you bring it in for a warranty repair and they can tell you dropped the pan and went into the tranny, good luck getting it fixed under warranty.

That's a good one. I promise you this: If you apply your own interpretation willy-nilly to service information that's clearly spelled out in your manuals, you'll have trouble getting warranty coverage long before I will.

Good grief....they tell you to change the fluid. Changing the fluid has meant for decades dropping the pan. E V E R Y B O D Y knows this. It's been common practice. Transmission flushing is fairly new in comparison. Since it's fairly new, it's safe to assume that perhaps some owners would be unaware or unfamiliar with it. So how could they make customers more familiar and/or aware of it? Recommend it, specify it, and call it by name in the manual. In other words, don't leave it up for (mis) interpretation.

If they wanted you to do it differently, you would be told to do it differently. You wouldn't have to read a DIY-ers "how-to" procedure on an internet forum.

 

[tractorboy5500]

Got to think, when flushing a transmission, there are hook ups or quick connects for hooking up the flush machine, and who put them there, the manufactor, so flushing must be how they do it.
I would have them drop the pan change the filter and seal if there is one and clean the magnet if there is one and then have it flushed. That would total change and clean the transmission.

 

[timswi]

Are you sure about that? Why isn't "flush" or "flushing" the chosen term when the transmission's maintenance intervals are written, and yet when another fluid's maintenance interval is written, the term "flush" or "flushing" is used?

When did transmission flushing and flushing machines come onto the scene? While DIY-ers have been doing their own flushing for decades, when did the devices we see at garages nowadays become popular?

The reason I ask is that transmission fluid changes have been recommended at specific intervals for a whole lot longer than the flushing machines and/or services we see today have been around. So if they used to specify changes, (as in dropping the pan), and continue to specify changes and not flushes when they really mean flushes, well....it really muddies the waters a bit.

And nobody yet has answered the question I asked earlier:

If a flush is indeed the recommended procedure, then why isn't a simple fitting, (or fittings), installed to make it simple?

The other thing I've often wondered is why people post up that dropping the pan only changes "X" percent of the fluid, as if the folks making the recommendations and writing the manuals aren't aware of it.....

Don't know what to tell you. Owners manuals just tell you when to do something not how. They are fully expecting you to have it done at the dealer (even though most don't)...I had my Hummer and Sierra's tranny fluids done at the dealer on schedule and they were both flushed.

If the dealer doesn't know how to maintain the warranty, how would the rest of us?

The days of the 350 and 400 turbo are long gone. They would probably last 30K on 20W50 if you tried it..These new precision trannies...Not so much.