3.5K ATF OCI too paranoid?

[SteveD2]

Just bought a Mazda 91 626 LX with A/T on eBay.

After replacing radiator, pretty much all is ok: a little chip in windshield, a little quirk in ABS, just minor stuffs.

Except, the ATF was like used engine oil when bought.

I had the same model (92) 4 years ago that had the failing tyranny at 135K before being totaled. So, I'm very paranoid with A/T. There is nothing wrong with shifts on the car's A/T so far. Thank god.

So far, I have done:

1. Had mechanic replace a/t filter, change pan gasket and fill 4 quarts. (brand of fluid unknown, also noticed the mechanic did bad: 3 nuts loose in the pan). Also mechanic overfilled 1 quart. Did not check filter. But, checked the gasket and noticed it was indeed changed. Full capacity is 7.2 quarts.

2. 200 miles later, I drained again, myself this time. (Filled with Maxlife HM DexIII, 3 quarts). About 0.2 inch (1/4 quart) overfilled.

3. Another 200 miles later, drained again. (1/2 quart Maxlife, 1 quart Mobil1 ATF, 1 quart SuperTech DexIII). ATF level is right on.

4. Now, the color is a little bit darker red, but clear and nice.

So far, after the third change, the car seems to have better power, smoother shifts and made most noticeable difference. Due to M1? New fluid? ST? I don't know.

Anyway, since ST DexIII is so cheap at $1/qt, I'm thinking I will just change (drain refill, replacing about 35%-40%) ATF along with my engine oil at around 3-4K miles and filter change at 12K miles. I might even put M1 ATF everytime, since I save a lot in labor. No T-Tech due to high cost and some risk. Probably no external cooler will be installed either since I don't want to do it (a little risky) and I have been ripped by a lot of mechanics.

The same mechanic charged me $20/bottle for FI cleaner x 2 to fix a hesitation problem, didn't fix. Came back, replaced battery and it is better. At $40 FICleaner + $60 labor, I would have ordered FP/LC & ARX if he had told me that's what he was going to do. Another mechanic quoted me $2200 for headgasket, waterpump, timing belt, radiator AFTER he found out how much I have paid for this car

Anybody think my plan for mostly-bad Mazda's AT is overkill?

 

[olympic]

A trans pan drop and refill with every engine oil change would be a good idea until the ATF returns to a normal color. Then you could extend that out to every 15-20k.

 

[Pablo]

Sounds OK to me, is there a way to do the home flush on the tranny? Maybe try AutoRx as well.

PS Dump the mechanic.

 

[dkcase]

Yes.
I remember when you posted that you were getting it.
What about the head gasket ? Why did they say it needed that ?

Replaced the radiator ? Had it leaked coolant into the transmission fluid ? Is that why you say it was like brown motor oil ? I would have hoped the mechanic would have cautioned you when he had the pan off, so probably not.

If the trans survives, I think draining the pan at each oil change is a good plan. I do that on a friend's Toyota that I take care of. Does it have a drain plug ? Sounds like it does from your description. If it's surviving normally, it won't be necessary to change the filter that often. Maybe each 2 - 3 years. That allows wiping out the pan and observing the buildup of wear material.

 

[Dick in Falls Church]

Well, after three changes, you have about 7/8 fresh fluid in there. Probably overkill to change it more often than 10K.
If there is a possibility that there is coolant getting into the ATF, might be a good idea to run an oil analysis after 1000 miles or so.

If all is well, consider changing to a good synthetic ATF and then extending the partial changes out to about 40-50K (after the first 3 quick changes)

 

[Eiron]

quote:

---

Originally posted by **** in Falls Church:
Well, after three changes, you have about 7/8 fresh fluid in there. Probably overkill to change it more often than 10K.
If there is a possibility that there is coolant getting into the ATF, might be a good idea to run an oil analysis after 1000 miles or so.

If all is well, consider changing to a good synthetic ATF and then extending the partial changes out to about 40-50K (after the first 3 quick changes)

---

Yeah. What he said.

 

[SteveD2]

Thank you everyone for great replies.

Pablo Yes. It has a transmission drain plug near the pan. I am also thinking about ARX with filter change and multiple drains afterwards. Actually looking for another mechanic already.

dkcase You know, I have no idea why they said that.

When I got it, the radiator was leaking bad and was empty. The previous owner overheated and did not drive it after. He "probably" took it to a rip-off mechanic and was likely told about all the bad stuffs; head gasket blew, engine warped, etc. So, he probably decided tax write-off and donated to a non-profit org and they auctioned it off on eBay. I went and check the car. The engine oil was ok, not milky. No condensation under oil cap. Engine sounds strong. Transmissions sounds ok. So, I decided to take a little risk. After the radiator was replaced, everything is fine. No coolant loss, no more overheating. Oil is good. It is a good car with 4 brand new tires + A/C already converted. Not a spot of rust at all. All options + ABS. So, it is good. I figure even if I drive 2 years and dump the car for $0, I still think it is a good deal. That's why I thought if the A/T ever goes wrong, there is no way I'm going to rebuild that. I will just find another good deal.

Ken2 Yes. That's my first time bidding a car on eBay. Well, the good thing is I went and saw the car before I bid. After seeing 4 brand new tires on it, I thought, "well, I could easily make the money back if I part it out." Really really good deal. Book value is about $2500, I think.

So far, I got about $1000 in it. I would have saved more and be better if I did all the work myself. But, my wife hates me working on car.

It is the getting-more-attention thingy.

 

[unDummy]

Keep the fluid clean. Keep the transmission happy. Prevent the rebuild.

A 3-quart drain refill at every oil change is cheap maintenance. No need for anything else. $3(cheap dex3) or $15(synth) 3-4 times a year is pretty cost effective and should extend the life of the transmission if it is not completely worn out by now.

I see no reason for any additives if the transmission is shifting perfectly. Let the ATF clean by itself. Change it regularly to keep it clean.

I see no reason to extend the ATF change intervals with this transmission.

My neighbor lost 2 of these Mazda transmissions because he thought that 50k ATF changes were good enough. He laughed because I drain/refill the transmission in every car that I maintain at every oil change interval.
I laughed back because 3 quarts of fluid 3-5 times a year is a whole lot cheaper than multiple transmission replacements.

 

[Ken2]

I'd do an Auto-Rx cleaning and a complete flush at home. It's easy.

Then, I'd use just one brand of ATF, and your idea of draining the pan and doing a partial replacement every oil change, or maybe every other oil change is a good idea. I'd rather use a top quality brand of ATF with longer drain intervals than a lower quality brand with shorter drain intervals. I know, all meet GM's Dexron spec, but there are differences. Try to only use ATF that meets the newest Dexron-III(H) spec. It is better than the older -III(G) spec.

Also consider adding an in-line filter to the ATF. I use Magnefine or Filtran. I've opened them after use, and they do catch steel particles and other junk. They're probably good for maybe 30,000 miles after the transmission has been cleaned.

Ebay, huh? I'm glad you did OK. A buddy bought a Jeep, and nothing was right on it.


Ken