This is regarding my Montero. I have a habit of changing out all the ATF through a cooler line flush every 40,000 km (25,000 miles) and the last time I did this (November 2009 at 292,321 km/182,700 miles), I used Mitsubishi's OE SP-III ATF. When I service the unit, I also drop the pan and replace all the gaskets along with the screen filter. All the other fluids get replaced at the same 25,000 mile interval - diff oil, transfer case oil, PSF, coolant and brake fluid.
When I changed my motor oil back in July, I had 27,662 km (17,264 miles) on the ATF and decided I would do two simple drain and refills without dropping the pan. A simple drain like this is enough to get 4 liters of ATF out and the Aisin-Warner unit I have holds 7.2 liters with the torque converter. I used ACDelco Type III (H) ATF.
The shifting and all was smooth, but after reading about how SP-III turns brown and all, I just wanted to get some of that stuff out. With just over 17,000 miles on it, the fluid had a strong odor to it, and was brownish in color - just as described. There was no major change in the way the transmission operates, although the shifts did smoothen out slightly.
Then 114 km (71 miles) later, I decided to do another drain and refill without dropping the pan. The fluid came out a bit brighter and the smell wasn't as bad as before, but it was still there and definitely noticeable. This time there was no difference in the shifting, etc. and I used the same ACDelco Type III (H) fluid.
Fast forward to today, I'm due for another cooler line flush in about 3,000 km (1,875 miles). Whilst I was out to get a light bulb for my center console, I paid a mechanic friend of mine a visit and realized he had a suction machine to do oil changes on German vehicles.
It's been 9,172 km (5733 miles) since the last drain and refill, but thought it would be nice to get some more fresh fluid in there to possibly do a bit of cleaning up. So I asked if he could see how much ATF can be sucked out through the dipstick hole and managed to get another 3 liters out (ACDelco put in again).
The fluid smelled the same, just as it did after the last (second) drain and refill. I would imagine there's still some SP-III in there. The color was also very dark red, with a slight shade of brown. The ACDelco fluid, on the other hand, has a bright red tint to it. My friend said it was normal, but I am a bit worried because the shifts have been a little bit rough lately. After this fluid change though, it's shifting as smoothly as it used to.
When I do the cooler line flush this time round, I will be using Liqui-Moly Top Tec 1200 ATF, which is a synthetic technology Group III ATF. It meets both SP-III and Dexron III, which this transmission calls for. I'm considering adding a bottle of LubeGard Red or Platinum this time though, given the temperatures the unit will see over the summer and all. I realize some people say a quality synthetic ATF is good enough, but I think the LubeGard will help me sleep better.
The vehicle's been in the family since new, and has always seen regular fluid changes. But up until I took over, the transmission only had simple drain and refills. I'm just wondering if the dark color and that smell is something to worry over, or am I just overly concerned about this?
Thanks!
When I changed my motor oil back in July, I had 27,662 km (17,264 miles) on the ATF and decided I would do two simple drain and refills without dropping the pan. A simple drain like this is enough to get 4 liters of ATF out and the Aisin-Warner unit I have holds 7.2 liters with the torque converter. I used ACDelco Type III (H) ATF.
The shifting and all was smooth, but after reading about how SP-III turns brown and all, I just wanted to get some of that stuff out. With just over 17,000 miles on it, the fluid had a strong odor to it, and was brownish in color - just as described. There was no major change in the way the transmission operates, although the shifts did smoothen out slightly.
Then 114 km (71 miles) later, I decided to do another drain and refill without dropping the pan. The fluid came out a bit brighter and the smell wasn't as bad as before, but it was still there and definitely noticeable. This time there was no difference in the shifting, etc. and I used the same ACDelco Type III (H) fluid.
Fast forward to today, I'm due for another cooler line flush in about 3,000 km (1,875 miles). Whilst I was out to get a light bulb for my center console, I paid a mechanic friend of mine a visit and realized he had a suction machine to do oil changes on German vehicles.
It's been 9,172 km (5733 miles) since the last drain and refill, but thought it would be nice to get some more fresh fluid in there to possibly do a bit of cleaning up. So I asked if he could see how much ATF can be sucked out through the dipstick hole and managed to get another 3 liters out (ACDelco put in again).
The fluid smelled the same, just as it did after the last (second) drain and refill. I would imagine there's still some SP-III in there. The color was also very dark red, with a slight shade of brown. The ACDelco fluid, on the other hand, has a bright red tint to it. My friend said it was normal, but I am a bit worried because the shifts have been a little bit rough lately. After this fluid change though, it's shifting as smoothly as it used to.
When I do the cooler line flush this time round, I will be using Liqui-Moly Top Tec 1200 ATF, which is a synthetic technology Group III ATF. It meets both SP-III and Dexron III, which this transmission calls for. I'm considering adding a bottle of LubeGard Red or Platinum this time though, given the temperatures the unit will see over the summer and all. I realize some people say a quality synthetic ATF is good enough, but I think the LubeGard will help me sleep better.
The vehicle's been in the family since new, and has always seen regular fluid changes. But up until I took over, the transmission only had simple drain and refills. I'm just wondering if the dark color and that smell is something to worry over, or am I just overly concerned about this?
