I just bought an '04 Corolla with an automatic. The car appears to be well cared for, but I have no knowledge of the owner's record of changing or flushing the tranny fluid. I think I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil. That should be enough to circulate all of the old fluid out and replace it with new. I don't like having trannies flushed if I don't know how long the fluid's been in there because you don't know if any particals will become dislodged and end up clogging small passageways in the tranny. Sound like a good plan?
Auto trannies: flushing vs draining
- Thread starter grampi
- Start date
- Status
Ya that sounds like a good plan to me, with that many miles draining will be the best bet.
You should drain and refill, and flush nothing. The new fluid will do that.
My vote is for the drain and refill. I'm too squemish to get a flush (ok that sounded wierd).
Drain and fill.
Quote:
I think I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil.
This is a total waste of time and fluid.
This car is one of the easiest to do a line off fluid exchange (a line off exchange is not a flush).
Remove the drain plug, drain the fluid and remove the pan. Change the filter and replace the pan, gasket and drain plug, refill.
Remove the rubber return hose from the radiator and put it in a gallon jug, start the car.
Let about 2-3 qts pump out and fill the unit again, repeat till the fluid comes out the same color as it goes in, fill and check the level.
Your done, no mickey mousing around and wasting good fluid.
I think I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil.
This is a total waste of time and fluid.
This car is one of the easiest to do a line off fluid exchange (a line off exchange is not a flush).
Remove the drain plug, drain the fluid and remove the pan. Change the filter and replace the pan, gasket and drain plug, refill.
Remove the rubber return hose from the radiator and put it in a gallon jug, start the car.
Let about 2-3 qts pump out and fill the unit again, repeat till the fluid comes out the same color as it goes in, fill and check the level.
Your done, no mickey mousing around and wasting good fluid.
Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
I think I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil.
This is a total waste of time and fluid.
This car is one of the easiest to do a line off fluid exchange (a line off exchange is not a flush).
Remove the drain plug, drain the fluid and remove the pan. Change the filter and replace the pan, gasket and drain plug, refill.
Remove the rubber return hose from the radiator and put it in a gallon jug, start the car.
Let about 2-3 qts pump out and fill the unit again, repeat till the fluid comes out the same color as it goes in, fill and check the level.
Your done, no mickey mousing around and wasting good fluid.
How can I tell which line is the return line?
Quote:
I think I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil.
This is a total waste of time and fluid.
This car is one of the easiest to do a line off fluid exchange (a line off exchange is not a flush).
Remove the drain plug, drain the fluid and remove the pan. Change the filter and replace the pan, gasket and drain plug, refill.
Remove the rubber return hose from the radiator and put it in a gallon jug, start the car.
Let about 2-3 qts pump out and fill the unit again, repeat till the fluid comes out the same color as it goes in, fill and check the level.
Your done, no mickey mousing around and wasting good fluid.
How can I tell which line is the return line?
I like fluid exchanges. They work for me. By fluid exchange I mean the truck's own transmission pump changes out all old fluid for new fluid. No chemicals are used and nearly all of the old fluid comes out. This has worked for a 4R55E with 158K miles when sold and my current 5R44E equipped truck at 128K miles. Absolutely no problems with either trans.
Cooler line exchange - you get all the fluid out, but none of the problems of a power flush, because you're using the trans' own pump to exchange the fluid...same circuits, same pressure, same as if you were idling in your driveway...which, it turns out, you are...
Its usually the lowest one or the one furthest away from the bell housing in the rear of the unit on FWD cars.
Easy way to tell is find the one you suspect and put both ends in a jug, you will need some clear pvc tubing to put on the radiator fitting.
The one that flows out of the radiator is the return.
Once you find it make a note of it and this becomes a 30 min job every 30K.
Easy way to tell is find the one you suspect and put both ends in a jug, you will need some clear pvc tubing to put on the radiator fitting.
The one that flows out of the radiator is the return.
Once you find it make a note of it and this becomes a 30 min job every 30K.
Originally Posted By: grampi
I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil.
Whichever method you choose, there's no need to change the filter more than once. It's not like the engine oil filter.
Most AT wear occurs during the first 10-15,000 miles from new and it's this wear material that the filter is designed to catch. Once beyond that point there is so little wear that the filter should last the life of the transmission, unless it needs repair for some other reason or the fluid becomes contaminated.
I'm not saying you shouldn't change the filter more often if it makes you feel better, just that some people think it's vital and it isn't.
I'm just going to change the fluid and filter a few times when I change my oil.
Whichever method you choose, there's no need to change the filter more than once. It's not like the engine oil filter.
Most AT wear occurs during the first 10-15,000 miles from new and it's this wear material that the filter is designed to catch. Once beyond that point there is so little wear that the filter should last the life of the transmission, unless it needs repair for some other reason or the fluid becomes contaminated.
I'm not saying you shouldn't change the filter more often if it makes you feel better, just that some people think it's vital and it isn't.
Quote:
Once beyond that point there is so little wear that the filter should last the life of the transmission,
Wear is lower that's true and if the filter is nothing more than a rock catcher then yes it can probably go a long time, but..
If the filter uses filter media it is better to change it every 30K.
Clutch plates are always wearing just from doing their job, this creates the black sludge commonly found in the bottom of the pan which can eventually clog a more efficient filter.
Once beyond that point there is so little wear that the filter should last the life of the transmission,
Wear is lower that's true and if the filter is nothing more than a rock catcher then yes it can probably go a long time, but..
If the filter uses filter media it is better to change it every 30K.
Clutch plates are always wearing just from doing their job, this creates the black sludge commonly found in the bottom of the pan which can eventually clog a more efficient filter.
If the fluid color is not very dark, just drain and refill. I remember Honda said to drain refill 3 times if you accidentally use another fluid, and IMO that should be enough in the worst case.
Originally Posted By: Trav
Clutch plates are always wearing just from doing their job, this creates the black sludge
I thought the black sludge was ferrous material that was caught by the magnet, not the filter? I've dropped the pan on several high-mileage cars that had only the slightest film in the pan, but a fair amount of sludge on the magnet.
Clutch plates are always wearing just from doing their job, this creates the black sludge
I thought the black sludge was ferrous material that was caught by the magnet, not the filter? I've dropped the pan on several high-mileage cars that had only the slightest film in the pan, but a fair amount of sludge on the magnet.
The metallic stuff in units already broken in is mostly from the steels, drum and possibly shaft wear, the other stuff is friction material and aluminum.
I see a few that have very little non ferrous material and others that have a lot of it. It depends on how the car is driven and how much clutch slippage there is.
Some torque converter clutches wear a lot more than others e.g GM 4T60 family, this can show up as non magnetic sludge as the unit ages.
There are too many variables in design and how the unit is operated to say how much or little wear material will be present as it ages.
If you are running a carbon TC clutch plate along with blue clutch plates then yes chances are the filter will be a lifetime thing under normal use in this particular unit.
http://www.raybestospowertrain.com/raybe...&Itemid=302
I see a few that have very little non ferrous material and others that have a lot of it. It depends on how the car is driven and how much clutch slippage there is.
Some torque converter clutches wear a lot more than others e.g GM 4T60 family, this can show up as non magnetic sludge as the unit ages.
There are too many variables in design and how the unit is operated to say how much or little wear material will be present as it ages.
If you are running a carbon TC clutch plate along with blue clutch plates then yes chances are the filter will be a lifetime thing under normal use in this particular unit.
http://www.raybestospowertrain.com/raybe...&Itemid=302
+1 for the cooler line flush. With respect to dislodging crud in the transmission there is little difference between a drain & fill and a cooler line flush. New ATF will start to clean the transmission to some extent.
The multiple drain & fills are not cost effective to get to 90% new ATF and are worse when the ATF is expensive like Redline or Amsoil.
Install a Magnefine inline filter regardless of what method you use to do a fluid exchange. Especially if your worried about dislodged crud.
The multiple drain & fills are not cost effective to get to 90% new ATF and are worse when the ATF is expensive like Redline or Amsoil.
Install a Magnefine inline filter regardless of what method you use to do a fluid exchange. Especially if your worried about dislodged crud.
Doing a couple of drain and fills might be overkill but it definately won't hurt anything.
- Status
Similar threads
