Does lifetime transmission fluid really mean lifetime......

[Car guy]

2012 Fiat 500 Automatic (Insert Fix it Again Tony joke here). First off car has been absolutely flawless in the reliability department. Coming up on 160,000 miles. Car is in perfect condition and well maintained. My mechanic says the transmission fluid is lifetime fluid and at this point leave it alone. Shifts like it did when it was new. Thoughts?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Does lifetime transmission fluid really mean lifetime......​

It means lifetime of the transmission, so if the transmission died at 100K miles, it means the fluid lasted its lifetime.

 

[GSCJR]

I have always been hesitant to replace ATF on higher mileage units but have never had any issues doing so. @clinebarger hopefully will chime in with his expert opinion on this topic. I'm pretty sure I read here on BITOG, that if the unit fails after a high mileage change, it was going to fail regardless. Happy to hear that your FIAT has been flawless, I'm thinking of getting a FIAT or an ALFA in the future (500L or Stelvio).

 

[dadto2]

We had a 1999 Volvo S70 from new until July 2020. Never changed the ATF, as the manual said it was lifetime. Donated it at 274k miles, transmission was excellent the entire time. Perfect shifts.

 

[vw7674]

looks like the automatic is a typical fluid drive with torque convertor type transmission. Light car, light duty.
Fluid & filter change usually helps in any automatic. if you leave it alone, the seals inside & servo cap o-rings
eventually age harden & begin weeping & letting pressure bleed off. Leading to loss of motion, in the 300k range.
At that point you've got your money's worth.

 

[atikovi]

It's just an Aisin transmission and changing the fluid is pretty simple.

 

[Averroes]

No. Nothing man made will ever be "life time".

 

[OilUzer]

I don't trust any life-time fluid. After about 50-60K miles, I feel the need to change. maybe psychological ... drain and fill and you can get about half+ (or more depending on car) of the fluid replaced. A little fresh fluid every 50K is not a bad idea.

 

[TmanP]

Our '10 Sienna has its factory WS fluid at around 220k miles. Toyota said it's good for the "lifetime" unless the driving constitutes severe service and we've had no problem running it for a good long run. It still shifts well (similar to when new, believe it or not) and I have no qualms about its reliability.

That said, I did change out the Camry's at 60k for peace of mind, but it was likely unnecessary.

 

[DougR]

I'm able to easily change most of the "lifetime" fluid without too much effort, so I elect to change it at 60,000 miles under severe operating conditions or 100,000 miles under normal conditions. If for any reason I was limited to drain and fill, then I probably would drain and fill at 40,000 miles under severe operating conditions or 60,000 miles under normal conditions. I do not wait until a symptom appears to change the fluid.

I suggest looking up the value of the vehicle and decide what is the limit you would spend towards a major repair. In your case, I think there are too many variables to consider in regards to making a decision to change or not to change.

 

[tyman]

It means lifetime of the transmission, so if the transmission died at 100K miles, it means the fluid lasted its lifetime.

This.

 

[Hall]

Does the transmission have a drain hole and a fill hole ? If so, the manufacturer (ZF, Aisin, etc) didn't intend for it to use lifetime fluid. The automaker chose this option (risk).

 

[KGMtech]

What I've learned is that where you live & drive has a huge impact on the lifespan of automotive lubes. Drive in dusty roads, very high heat, high humidity, extremes of any sort and you can expect less from any oil. For example, the CVT in my QX60 tracks how many times the fluid has reached 90C and increments the fluid deterioration number I believe each time. If you live in Houston and drive in stop & go, it's a different experience than stop & go in Toronto.

A car driven it's life in Vermont sees a completely different scope of conditions to the driver in Texas.

 

[OilUzer]

My old cars have dipstick. You can check color, smell, etc. I can even pump out over 2.5 qt (or more but never tried it) and refill without even going under the car.

New cars, and in order to save a dollar and weight ... no dipstick, plastic parts, tiny tiny fill hole ... and consumer has to suffer. I just had to remove skid plate for atf change and 3 out of 7 of those little stupid plastic screws (rivet clip fastener?) were damaged and did not cooperate and I had to yank them out. I hate plastic screws. Very smart design!

 

[repairman54]

Lifetime is the life of the warranty.
For the cost of a couple of qts. of fluid is it worth the chance of a failure ?
Maintenance schedules in the owners manual should have a severe duty schedule which is my go to reference. Multiple trucks/cars taken over 200k miles and sold running fine maintained via the severe schedule.
Mechanics are like doctors, is yours Dr. Oz or Dr. Kevorkian ? Both are Doctors.

 

[Lubener]

No. Nothing man made will ever be "life time".

Taxes.

 

[Fitter30]

2013 equinox I4 engine 55k fluid looked black ,no odor, drained 4.5 qts measured fluid refilled. Did that 5 times 50 miles between changes till it turned red. Now i change the fluid every 10k. This trans has a permanent filter, no dip stick has a plug in the side to check fluid level. Biggest pain is refilling through a vent. Look at youtube for a video and check out forum just for your car.

 

[Brybo86]

Paging leo99?

 

[Rand]

Paging leo99?

if you do @Leo99
it will notify him

 

[MCompact]

Some transmission manufacturers recommend a fluid change for vehicles operating under severe service conditions. ZF for example usually recommends a fluid change at 50k-60k miles for severe service.
My Clubman DD has 126k on the clock and 6 speed saison has never had an ATF change, but I only need it to last until I retire(another 3.5 years/24k miles).