Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Change ATF or Drive it to the ground
I have a 91 Toyota Camry with 140,000 miles on it, the last time the ATF was changed was around 60k..I bought it from the previous owner a month ago.
Anyway I figured that I would just change the fluid and call it a day. However I have been informed by a few mechanics that since the fluid is brown and I have experienced some problems (occasional hard shifts, one day when it was freezing out it took a while before I could shift into a higher gear) that I shouldn't change the fluid since the sludge is holding it together.
I have also read that this is a myth...Please help!!! I want to know if this is a myth being perpetuated by both good and bad machanics...the life of my trans( and possibly my own) hangs in the balance...
Anyway I figured that I would just change the fluid and call it a day. However I have been informed by a few mechanics that since the fluid is brown and I have experienced some problems (occasional hard shifts, one day when it was freezing out it took a while before I could shift into a higher gear) that I shouldn't change the fluid since the sludge is holding it together.
I have also read that this is a myth...Please help!!! I want to know if this is a myth being perpetuated by both good and bad machanics...the life of my trans( and possibly my own) hangs in the balance...
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
if stickiness and nonsense continues, at that point you may have to have a rebuild done. but at least you will have given it a try.
some folks refer to a full change as "shocking the transmission"... because of all the crud that is in little baffles, corners, and the end of shifting tunnels in the valve body that will be kicked loose in gobs when all that high-detergent fresh fluid gets in there. sorta like throwing the dogs in a full tub of cold water after they roll in something nasty. if you cuddle 'em up and use a gently flowing hose to clean 'em in stages, it goes better.
You're at 140K, recommended intervals, off hand, I think is 60K. Giving a margin for error, I would say you are within an area that is iffy.
Personally, I would go ahead and drop the pan, change the filter and add new fluid.
You are basically only changing the filter and replenishing the old fluid anyway.
Stay away from the flush machines. At 140K, they will kill your trans.
I have another question to add: does the type of atf matter, could that be the reason why so many neglected trannies get shocked and crap out when new fluid is introduced?
to be more precise, you have to use an ATF that meets the appropriate manufacturer's specification. there can be full synthetics that also add the appropriate antifoamers, detergents, friction modifiers (chemical, particle, or both) and so on.
because of the precision nature of the tranny and its expense, I don't believe in any of this transmission additive stuff. all you should need is in a bottle of new ATF. if that doesn't do it, along with a new filter, it's teardown time.
Beyond that you must chose Honest experience and recommendations by rebuilders who are familiar with the EXACT MODEL AND YEAR. A personal friend who owns a tranny shop for example beyond this no one has much interest in seeing a tranny last as too many people make their living repairing/replacing them.
If you flush change the filter/screen, clean the pan and magnet, and flush again till the ATF looks brand new: then check it again 30 days later [paper towel comparison test with new ATF]if discolored flush it again.
A single flush on a tranny that has not been maintained for 80,000 miles is iffy depending on the exact coloration of the ATF....red, amber, brown, black, black with chunks?
Once the flush machine is hooked to system easy and cheaper to double flush [ask them to cut you a half priced deal on the 2nd flush].
I can't say that the o-rings wouldn't have failed and gone thru the system without the flush.
This is only a trend I have seen on vehicles that have not received a regular trans service, although we currently have one trans out that had a flush on it 300 miles ago and has 38,000 miles on the vehicle. I cannot attribute it to the flushing. yet.
Personally, the only time I would have one of those machines hooked up to any of my vehicles, is if a new trans was going in. And at that, it would be to flush the cooler and lines.
It is a call a person has to make on their own. The sellers of the flushing would like you to believe they are the greatest thing on earth. Some folks can see the benefits and some can see the problems.
But I'm grateful for a knowledgeable 2nd opinion. I was so impressed with how that Subaru performed that I've recommended the process to friends with high mileage automatics. Maybe I'll just keep my big mouth shut.:)
Some are in favor of the process, some like myself have reservations in it.
Like I said, in a vehicle that has been neglected, it is best to change the fluid and go from there.
Now, that being said. If the process is done by a reputable, qualified shop and is done properly, then it can have some positive affects. Remember that most of the outfits using these machines, the machines are operated by people who really aren't qualified to be messing around with transmissions.
As with the engine flush machines, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things.
If they aren't dropping the pan, then it ain't being done right.
scottc8,
If you have had the flush done and it is showing a performance improvement, then it is likely that a qualified outfit is doing the work?
If that is the case, there is no reason not to recommend the process to friends, provided you recommend the shop that you go to.
Remember that any tool is only going to work as well as the person operating it.
Sorry for the twists and turns.
Yes. They make a pump style and a suction style.
It changes all the fluid. But again, as with anything, I would caution that the pan should be dropped and the filter changed.
That is the best way to change the fluid. Replacing the entire amount. Unfortunatley, not many do.
Now, about 3 weeks ago, it slipped at highway speeds, not going into the right gear, etc.
I check the fluid.. on the brown side, but not low.
Took it to a transmission place to get the fluid changed and the manager said it's shot (based only on a test drive and fluid check, it seemed. He said "It's burnt.. you can smell it", which I agree you can).
He tells me "don't even bother to change the fluid", that I need to decide whether I want to spend $1000-1200 to get it fixed. Given the fact that I was intending to trade it in soon, and the car only retails now for about $2500, I didn't want to get it repaired.
I then took it to the local Midas that I trust (granted, they don't specialize in transmissions) and they told me not to bother changing the fluid either.
My point to both was, would changing the fluid at least ensure that it won't get much worse, as I still need to drive it for a while as I continue my new car search?
In both cases, they didn't think it was worth bothering. (Btw, the tech at Midas who added a little fluid at my request didn't even recognize a problem.. not that checking the dipstick and adding fluid would necessarily tip someone off, I suppose).
As I've continued to drive it, the car is getting noticeably worse, slipping at lower speeds now, which it wasn't doing before.
So, my question is .. should I get a couple fluid changes, and hope for the best? or dump this car ASAP??
the good news is, replacing the tranny means putting new fluid in it, so it's a win-win-win situation! another golden opportunity, as they say at business school.
hard question to answer. if you needed to keep driving it and were short of cash, door #3 is the best answer by far.
I'm a Honda fan, but this Nissan has been great for my son. And it hasn't been pampered either. He delivers Pizza to pay the bills while attending college, and so, does lots of start/stop driving.
I've included high mileage Altimas on my list of cars for my daughter's first car. She is in college also.