Change trans fluid or no?

[NavyVet88]

Ok so this is probably my 15th post on my 03 Buick century that I just had the motor swapped in a couple weeks ago. I'm just trying to get this car as rock solid as I can.

Well the original transmission has 192k on it and it shifts better than my civic which has 113k on it. The fluid is rather dark on the dip stick but doesn't smell burnt. There was/Is no service record for the car by prior owner so my guess is as good as yours as to when or if this fluid was or ever has been changed.

So, do I drop the pan and put a filter and fluid back in or just leave good enough alone for now? The car will primarily be a weekend driver on 95% short trips of maybe 10 miles round trip.

Also, there is no sign of fluid leaks g from the trans either.

 

[demarpaint]

I'd probably drop the pan, change the gasket, and do a line exchange of the fluid. I'm pretty sure the transmission on the 00 and 03 Century is the same. If so the transmission pan gasket can be reused, which saves you a few $$ on the job [unless someone else used some kind of sealer on it]. Trav and I reused mine when we installed the shift kit on my 00 Century. Just clean the gasket, inspect it, and reinstall it the same way it came off. They were made to be reused, another tip I learned from Trav.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

+1

Fresh fluid is a good thing for all the tranny internals

 

[Mr Nice]

Yeah, change ATF and filter.

 

[RichardS]

Do eeeet! I did mine at 105k, and while the fluid looked good on the dipstick/paper towel, it was actually black once I drained it and had it in a clear bottle. In a coke bottle, you'd be convinced it was actually Coca-Cola.

 

[Donald]

Change it if you do not have a service record.

 

[Artem]

So half the drivetrain was just replaced. The OP is looking to make a solid car out of this POS yet is questioning about changing out transmission fluid of unknown origin???

Do a drain n fill or something.

 

[NavyVet88]

Originally Posted By: Artem
So half the drivetrain was just replaced. The OP is looking to make a solid car out of this POS yet is questioning about changing out transmission fluid of unknown origin???

Do a drain n fill or something.


You need jesus.

 

[NavyVet88]

And thanks for the advice guys I'll be doing a fluid and filter change

 

[PimTac]

Your transmission will thank you.

 

[NavyVet88]

Maxlife fluid will be the new going in. Gotta check the manual for stated specific fluid

 

[SZR48207]

Add some Lubegard Red when you're done!

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Nothing wrong with changing teh ATF. Unfortunately, your transmission doesn't have a drain plug, but Dorman makes a pan that has one, which will make future ATF changes much easier

 

[RichardS]

Originally Posted By: NavyVet88
Maxlife fluid will be the new going in. Gotta check the manual for stated specific fluid


It came with DexIII, but the MaxLife meets that and VI, so you'd be doing it justice.

I ended up using Castrol HM this round hoping the added detergents might clean up any possible gunk, and a bottle of LubeGard red (On sale RN at O'Reilly for $10 btw) at the suggestion of Molekule.

I second Slacktide, get a dorman pan so it's just a simple drain and fill going forward. You can pop in a new filter when you swap the pans out.

Good luck!

 

[Kuato]

Yes, pan drop and filter every 30k....

 

[dwendt44]

If you have a drill and hand tools you can install a drain
plug yourself. Cheaper than a replacement pan.

My 2¢

 

[4WD]

Couple things on aftermarket drain plug:
1. toss the nylon seal and use copper crush washers - get it tight so only NPT plug rotates when backing out
2. On my 4L60 I only drain 4 quarts instead of 5 on my ramps - but with remote filter/cooler It winds up 5 ...

 

[Oldtom]

Another vote for pan drop, filter change, and refill. I tow a trailer with an 03 Dodge Caravan and wanted to minimize the chance of problems. I have a topsider vacuum oil changer that makes draining the trans pan easy. Every year I drain 4 quarts of fluid and replace with ATF + 4 fluid. I replace the filter every 2 or 3 years. Cutting open old filters has shown very little dirt in the filter element.

This is a stricter maintenance routine than you probably need. I do this because we are towing a trailer that is close to the max towing weight. In your case, I would drain the pan and refill every year going forward.

Good Luck with your project

 

[oilmutt]

I like to suggest you use Valvoline Dexron-VI full synthetic ATF,offically licensed & GM-approved

 

[BrocLuno]

I change every 50K with a factory filter. You want solid performance, just do it