High Milage ATF Change

[landtoy80]

Its a 96.

I have to drop the trans oil pan to check a solenoid. The trans is in limp mode and must be shifted like a manual trans now. I bought Valvoline Dexron 3. The manual calls for Dex 2.

 

[Wilhelm_D]

Originally Posted By: landtoy80
I need to drop the pan on my Camry with 265,000 mi on it. No idea if the ATF has ever been changed. What ATF should I use in this case? Regular Dexron or MaxLife ATF?

My Land Cruiser with 400,000 mi has had regular ATF changes with regular Valvoline Dexron. Should I stick with regular Dexron or should I switch to MaxLife ATF too?


It would be helpful to know what year these two vehicles are.

 

[Wilhelm_D]

Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
MaxLife is garbage. .... Will one of the ML fan boys post a link to my "epic" thread please?

Your description of the failure indicates overheating.

Possibly in the multiple changes you described something obstructed a coolant or oil passage.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
MaxLife is garbage. Why do you "have" to drop your pan? Will one of the ML fan boys post a link to my "epic" thread please?


DEX III was not intended to be a 100K mile ATF. 50K was the maximum service interval recommended by GM for a 2005 Chevy Astro. 30K on severe service schedule it is right here for everyone to see.


http://www.manualowl.com/am/Chevrolet/2005-Astro/Manual/383


So had his username been ATF Changer, he wouldn't have had this issue??

Use Maxlife with confidence. I wish they made ATF+4.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
MaxLife is garbage. Why do you "have" to drop your pan? Will one of the ML fan boys post a link to my "epic" thread please?


DEX III was not intended to be a 100K mile ATF. 50K was the maximum service interval recommended by GM for a 2005 Chevy Astro. 30K on severe service schedule it is right here for everyone to see.


http://www.manualowl.com/am/Chevrolet/2005-Astro/Manual/383


So had his username been ATF Changer, he wouldn't have had this issue??

Use Maxlife with confidence. I wish they made ATF+4.

Yeah, Maxlife is simply "recommended for use" where ATF+4 is needed.
If you simply bought Valvoline ATF+4, what would you lose when compared to Maxlife?

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
MaxLife is garbage. Why do you "have" to drop your pan? Will one of the ML fan boys post a link to my "epic" thread please?


DEX III was not intended to be a 100K mile ATF. 50K was the maximum service interval recommended by GM for a 2005 Chevy Astro. 30K on severe service schedule it is right here for everyone to see.


http://www.manualowl.com/am/Chevrolet/2005-Astro/Manual/383


So had his username been ATF Changer, he wouldn't have had this issue??

Use Maxlife with confidence. I wish they made ATF+4.

Yeah, Maxlife is simply "recommended for use" where ATF+4 is needed.
If you simply bought Valvoline ATF+4, what would you lose when compared to Maxlife?


I would guess that ATF+4 wouldn't have the high mileage additives that Maxlife would have. I am also guessing the reason it isn't offered is because ATF+4 has a very strict formulation.. That being said, no way would I run that stuff where ATF+4 is recommended. Lol

 

[barkingspider]

U will be fine with the valvoline dex 3. If I could find that, I would absolutely use it. Just drain and fill, no flush.

 

[FutureDoc]

I am not a fan of Castrol ATF. My 200K Subaru hated it (delays between shifts, torque converter shudder, & etc) ... and hated the High Mileage version more than the basic Dex/Merc. However, once I did a few drain/fill with Valvoline Maxlife, it was happy. Now, the Castrol might be a decent ATF for some vehicles or different mileage needs, but it did not agree with my 4EAT transmission. I would go with Maxlife over Castrol.

 

[antiqueshell]

I do know that the dedicated Castrol Transmax ATF fluids are excellent.

 

[AdRock]

Originally Posted By: barkingspider
U will be fine with the valvoline dex 3. If I could find that, I would absolutely use it. Just drain and fill, no flush.


They sell the valvoline dex/merc III at walmart in gallon jugs.


And for the OP. If You brought your car to me to fix the trans I'd fix the selector issue, put a new filter in, and only replace the fluid that needed to be drained. Then drive it and see if everything was ok. With a car that has that many miles and is possibly still on the factory fill there's the distinct possibility that the trans maight not work at all after the new fluid goes in. I've had it happen on a bunch of cars where after the new fluid is in it won't engage anymore. I always had people sign the work order verifying that I had told them of the possibility before I did the job.

 

[Clevy]

Op



Don't do a total drain and fill. Only do a quart or 2 at a time and drive a couple weeks in between.
I don't know why but if a high mile transmission has never had its fluid changed,then it's all changed at once all the debris from the clutches and bands gets loosened up and may plug one of those minute veins which ends up frying the transmission.
I knew this old racer. Don. He's passed on however this guy had no formal mechanic education but being a farmer he fixed all his own equipment and was absolutely unreal rebuilding transmissions. All he needed was an exploded view and torque values and he got er done.
Anyways he swore up and down if transmission fluid hadn't been changed by 100k miles nit to do it at all.
I think today's fluids are eons ahead of what they had in the 50's,60's and so on.

So my advice is plumb in a filter from transmission to rad,and only do a couple quarts at a time and drive a few weeks in between.
My buddy has an 01 windstar. 270k miles. Fluid had never been changed. The shifting was erratic and would sometimes slam into gear or not [censored] until 4000rpm. Like a shift delay kit almost.
Anyways I did 5 drain and fill only sucking out 2 quarts at a time. After the first one shifting was still inconsistent so I used a can of seafoam transmission additive. When we did the third drain and fill I deleted the seafoam and the shifting didn't improve but didn't get worse so on number 4 in went another can of seafoam transmission additive and by the time number 5 came around the transmission was shifting properly,so we did a complete drain and fill for the last one.
In 2.5 months we drained blackish muck from a ford windstar transmission that I truly thought was toast and by using some patience and a couple cans of cheap seafoam trans fix that van was still going strong at 400k when a drunk driver t-boned him At a light.

Oil Changer has some serious hate for max life,and the more I think about it the more I see things in a different light.
Anyways I've never had a single problem with max-life,and many here use it without any issue too but consider this.
Transmission fluid has to meet a spec. So buy a fluid that meets it. Brand really isn't all that important just be sure the fluid is certified,not the "meets or exceeds" stuff.
Unless its Amsoil or redline,zit hose 2 brands certainly meet and exceed in my opinion.

For example. Didge has their ATF+4. Now in order to be certified dodge dictates who the blender has to acquire the additive package and what base oil have to be used,or no certification.
So for ATF+4 you can buy whatever is the cheapest on the shelf because if it has a formal certification its identical to every other certified ATF+4.
Just food for thought.

 

[David1]

Does your transmission leak? Does it shift nice and strong?

If so then I would keep doing what your doing..... You already are not useing factory ATF.... and I like Factory ATF but you are out of warrenty... However remember Valvoline Maxxlife is FULL SYN... That could clean up your transmission and clog up your transmission filter.

Im not sure if your transmission filter can be replaced easy or not.

I know Honda AT, the filter is inside and i have seen people that had a good working transmission with dirty fluid and they changed all the ATF at once and it cleaned that transmission up so much the filter was clogged.. and I saw it with my own eyes.