1999 Olds Alero GLS atf flush

[Aleroguy757]

I drive a 1999 Olds Alero, with the 4T45E trans. The car has 257k miles, and I was wondering if a dealer atf flush would be potentially more harmful or beneficial. The dealer says they use Dexron VI, but say it is compatible. I've heard atf, when left unchanged, can start to form more of a paste.

Thoughts?

 

[GutsyGecko]

Go ahead and flush it. It's not really that invasive. It just pushes the atf through using an outside pump.

 

[tommygunn]

It is more than OK to change the ATF as long as the transmission is shifting good. The only time you don't want to change the fluid is if the trans is already acting up.

Dexron VI is totally backwards compatible with your transmission.

Some people don't like power flushing the transmissions but you can always drop the pan, drain and refill. Unfortunately your car doesn't have a drain plug for the transmission, but there may be aftermarket pans available that do have a plug.

 

[Barkleymut]

I vote that you drop the pan, clean the magnet and change the filter. Then repeat in a few thousand miles, then again a few thousand after that. Give that trans mission another 100k of life...hopefully

 

[Aleroguy757]

It doesn't shift rough at all. It stumbles a bit if I floor it, but according to a guy at Aleromod, and 2 mechanics, it is the ICM.

I've seen videos for at home atf flushes, but the dealer says they do a hot/cold flush with their setup, which gets some of the crusted stuff out of the a/t cooler and the lines, that a simple home flush won't get.

What I was thinking of doing was changing the filter with a cheapo Autozone filter, getting it flushed, and then get an AC Delco filter after. The reason I want to get the Delco filter is that a buddy who has an 09 Buick LaCrosse (L67, 4T65E) got a filter from autozone, and they gave him one for the 4T60E. Had to get the right thing from a dealer.

 

[eljefino]

There's no crust in the lines. Hooey.

When you change the filter, you'll drop the pan and get 4-5 qts of old fluid out anyway. Reuse the old gasket if it's any good-- it's better than the ones that come with new filters.

There's so much fluid in the torque converter anyway that what's in the lines doesn't matter anyway. They'll probably cut one of your rubber hoses and put a barb fitting in there afterwards with hose clamps, another potential leak point.

Just look up your part number ahead of time so when they hand it over you know you're getting the right one. I assume you have the 4 cyl as the 6 cyl probably gets the 4T60/65.

And really with 257k miles I'd do one pan&filter change, new DexVI, and call it good for 30k+.

 

[Aleroguy757]

No, I have the LA1 (3400v6), not the LD9 (2.4 twin cam), and the Alero came stock with the 4T40E (LD9 from 99 to 01, and the L61, 2.2 ecotec from 02 to 04) or 4T45E (LA1).

I may end up doing the flush myself. Adapted from the videos, I would disconnect the return line from the radiator and run a hose from the radiator side to a bucket or container of fresh atf, and I would run a hose from the trans side to and empty bucket. Start it and run it, until the fluid starts to run clear and red. The hose in the bucket of atf would keep the system from sucking in too much air (I know some air will get in on the filter change, I just mean during the flush), and I should be able to do this myself, although I would probably end up enlisting the help of a friend just in case.

As for the life of the trans, on tax time, I may just pull it and get it rebuilt, or buy one already rebuilt from rockauto. Theirs are rebuilt and tested before shipping, and one I saw carried a 3yr/unlimited mile warranty. If I get the one from rockauto, I can just wait and pull the old one when it arrives, so as to minimize downtime.