Automatic Transmission Mileage Life

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raffy

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OK, I didn't see a thread on this after searching so I'll start one here! I'm curious: how many miles have you all obtained out of your automatic transmissions before a major failure occurred (loss of motion of the vehicle, loss of one or more gears, no shifting, etc.) resulting in rebuild or replacement? Please list your vehicle year, make and model and how many miles you got out of the transmission before it failed. If you have high mileage (over 100K and still going), you can list that also.

I'll start:

2005 Pontiac Grand Prix, 154K on original tranny (AFAIK) and still going, although occasionally I get a hard shift

2004 Honda Odyssey, 102K on original tranny and working fine
 
High mileage is 100k?

Parents '87 Astro had 127kmiles on the 700R4 when it was replaced. I recommended preventatively replacing it, as the 4.3L was being replaced at the time (heavy oil burner). The rebuilt made it about 125k, we estimate (odo broke); it never gave us a problem but the person we sold it to, who was not the easy sort of person, claimed it later started slipping.

Parent's '04 Forester is over 100k, not sure how much but just has the occasional hard shift. I doubt it's ever had a fluid change. I'll have to ask.

Mom had one of those K-car replacements, early 90's 2.5L I think, 3spd auto, which made it 150k before losing reverse. The last 50k were abusive years, though; and I doubt it ever got a fluid change either.
 
1992 Camry, 223,000 original transmission, no leaks. Amsoil ATF drain and fill every 30,000 or so, only dropped the pan and changed filter twice and both times not worth the cost, pan clean, filter (well a screen) fine. Drain and fill does the trick on this one. Never had a flush. Engine still runs great, several oil leaks though.
 
A 904 in a 1974 dart, 280K when sold still running strong, changed the fluid once or twice inthe 210K miles I owned it

A 413 3 spd in 89 Turbo Sprit, ran 20 pSI boost and beat the [censored] out of the car. Changed the fuid every 50K miles. Still running when I sold the car with 185K miles.

46RE, 00 Durango 5.9 only 55K miles changed fluid once, still runs fine.

545RFE 02 WJ only 65K miles Changed fluid once, still runs fine.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
High mileage is 100k?



LOL Not in my book!

I've never had a transmission issue in any of my or my families' various GMs - mileage of 318K, 220K, 160K, 144K, 135K, 106K... Might be one or two I've forgotten.
 
2001 Mazda MPV 182,000. Car was totaled for other reasons, but the trans was OK up to that point.

95 Ford F350: 102,000. Still in service.

2003 Subaru Legacy wagon: 153,000. Also totaled due to accident but trans going strong.

All of these got pan drops, filter changes every 30K miles.
 
Originally Posted By: Spector
1992 Camry, 223,000 original transmission, no leaks. Amsoil ATF drain and fill every 30,000 or so, only dropped the pan and changed filter twice and both times not worth the cost, pan clean, filter (well a screen) fine. Drain and fill does the trick on this one. Never had a flush. Engine still runs great, several oil leaks though.
T6 seems to help the "weeping" problem.
 
The bloke that wants to buy my Taxi has an older one to part ex, they can only be used for 15 yrs and his has less than two years left so time for a newer one, the one he has, owned from new is a TX1, with the legendary 2.7 Nissan engine, not sure who makes the autobox though.

It is however on just under 500k and the engine and box are original.

This was not unusual in the similarly engined Fairway Taxi that preceded the TX1.

My TX4 has just trickled past 180k and the engine and autobox are original.

The V8 Ambulances (LDV Convoy and prior to that LDV 400) are fitted with a strong ZF 4 speed box, I never heard of one breaking, a mate broke the mounts once, he revved it up to reverse up an incline no realising it wasn't actually in R, it slipped home and the worlds biggest bang resulted in broken gearbox and engine mounts, but not a broken gearbox!

I believe most of them were around the 200/300k mile mark, not sure as the clocks always used to pack up and new ones fitted.

7 or 8 were driven to Mongolia and donated to the Ambulance service/Hospital, they were given a good service, brakes etc before the journey but nothing major, they all made it and are now being used over there.

If there is ever another ice age I think it will be a toss up between cockroaches and those vehicles what survives.

Somebody told me that the gearbox was a ZF in the Fairway/TX1 but I can't confirm.

I had a Omega turbodiesel that had well over 200k on the original autobox, think Cadillac Cetera with a BMW straight six turbo diesel lump.

My Pathfinder has just under 110k on it, autobox will be getting serviced soon.
 
3T40 in a 93 corsica 3.1, sold working fine at 207k with at least 100k on the fluid and probably wasn't changed ever before we got it.

AW71 in a 91 volvo 940T, 240k, seems to have been maintained before I got it, clear fluid came out when I put Dex VI in. Lost O/D solenoid, bypassed. Works fine. Is claimed that the valve body wears a certain way that actually firms up shifts slightly, like a shift kit. May have that going on near WOT. No objection! Had another Volo 940 N/A with 278k, unknown history, but the AW70 held together perfectly. Also had a similar Aisin Warner trans in a 92 Cressida with 235k that didn't even leak all that much!

Now for the junkers, 2000 century 4T60E shifted sloppily on old fluid so I changed it then it starte shifting firm when hot. (For all I know someone threw lubegard in or something). Known issue with that trans. 125k.

91 ciera 4T60 shredded a lot off its clutch packs before I got it. Gimped it along for another 15k with fresh fluid, filter, and an adjustable modulator to bump up the line pressure. Made it to 170k when it lost 3rd and 4th gear. Junked it without autopsy.

92 ciera 3T40 would sometimes wait a second before taking off in first. I babied it to 153k after getting it with 101k. Never changed fluid (but would, now, knowing what I know.)
 
96 I30 with 257K miles on original transmission.
Drain and refilled the ATF 3 times since I had it from 215K miles.

Previous cars all on original transmissions.
97 Camry I4 with 200K miles
93 Camry I4 with 230K miles
93 Camry V6 with 150K miles

No tranny failure on any car. Had only drained and refilled the ATF on all of them
 
I had 4R70W in 95 F150 and sold it with close to 300 k miles and still had the original tranny,never slipped or had any issue with it except shudder which mostly went a way after I drained and refilled ATF through cooler lines with Sam's club house brand "Certified" ATF and a bottle of green Lubeguard.

My current 02 Sunfire has 4T40E with 140 k miles and shifts well except for cold mornings it stays in first gear more than it should maybe due for ATF change.

Old Lady's Forenza has 110 K miles with original ZF 4HP16 Transmission but it leaked back in 2011 and was fixed at the local mechanic's and is due for ATF change too but it has always been clunky between gears as any other Forenza I came a cross.
 
Originally Posted By: raffy
OK, I didn't see a thread on this after searching so I'll start one here! I'm curious: how many miles have you all obtained out of your automatic transmissions before a major failure occurred (loss of motion of the vehicle, loss of one or more gears, no shifting, etc.) resulting in rebuild or replacement? Please list your vehicle year, make and model and how many miles you got out of the transmission before it failed. If you have high mileage (over 100K and still going), you can list that also.

I'll start:

2005 Pontiac Grand Prix, 154K on original tranny (AFAIK) and still going, although occasionally I get a hard shift

2004 Honda Odyssey, 102K on original tranny and working fine


The Pontiac being an 05 should be fine, earlier versions of this unit had issues with a soft input shaft.

Quote:
2004 Honda Odyssey, 102K on original tranny and working fine

This one has the durability of a wet noodle, i wouldn't count on it for the long haul.
 
I've owned almost all the major domestics and Asians. 1 Euro. New and used. Never had a transmission fail at any miles up to 350k. I drain and fill the fluid every other year/30k with whatever is supposed to be in there. I don't think transmissions are like engines where it doesn't matter and you can pop in your favorite oil. Over long long term yeah, it matters IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
2004 Honda Odyssey, 102K on original tranny and working fine

This one has the durability of a wet noodle, i wouldn't count on it for the long haul.


Yes, I've heard of the issues with that generation of Odyssey trannies. I know a lady at work who did get over 200K out of her original tranny on her 2002 Odyssey (still going AFAIK); she said she was very meticulous about maintenance so she probably had the fluid changed regularly. I am doing the same with this vehicle, changed and flushed out the original fluid completely at 55K, did it again at about 90K, and plan to flush it next at about 110K or so and do it every 20K after that. All changes and flushes have been with Valvoline Max Life. Fluid stays clean and pink that way and hopefully this will extend the life of the tranny. At least I'll have been responsible to do what I could!
 
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