High-Mileage AT Flush
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
JHZR2
Staff member
Plenty of times, though only either MB 722.3 (170-290k miles), 722.4 (230k miles), A443F (176k miles), or Chrysler 47RE (440k miles).
All have always had fine looking fluid, probably ok service history (no abuse), and all went on just fine.
Hall... Even though you like to carry on with me about darn near anything...
This is genuinely really funny...
Very well done.
Depends who you ask. Honda considers draining and refilling the fluid to be a "flush" (can't remember if they apply that to 1x or multiple though).
I imagine this would apply to transmission products like Lubeguard (ester?)The A541E is one stout-forgiving unit. Adjusting the TV Cable on a unit with so many miles is a good idea as I'm sure the cable is stretched a little.
Having a unit fail after a fluid exchange is an oversimplification.......
A. The unit was having issues beforehand & was going to fail regardless.
B. There is a lot of clutch debris in the unit & it settles in more places than just the pan,.....It's even permeates the pores of cast aluminum. Fresh ATF seems to move this otherwise harmless debris around & can clog up screens & filters or even jamb valves.
Never introduce flush chemicals into a transmission as it can amplify debris movement in the control valve body.
These picture are of a fully functional 4L60E, I wouldn't have had any reservations of exchanging the ATF on this unit, However....The debris collection points get worse & worse as the frictions wear. The screen in the second picture is known to clog on extreme high mileage units causing low line pressure & immediate unit failure.
I assume that's the 8HP70 transmission on your Land Rover? I have a 2015 Ram 1500 with that transmission and have 119,000 miles on it. Would you recommend the Red Line D6 over the ZF Lifeguard fluid? I've never thought of Red Line products as inexpensive, but the ZF stuff is ridiculous.
When I bought the Civic for our daughter, it had 126k miles on it. At the perfect speed and with the perfect amount of throttle application, the transmission would shudder slightly. Obviously real worrisome since it was just bought and it didn't happen on my test drive. Google search said it's not uncommon and fresh fluid should resolve it. Luckily it did.
The Carfax did indicate that a quick-lube place had done a drain-and-fill at one point so I guess it wasn't the 1st change.
The Carfax did indicate that a quick-lube place had done a drain-and-fill at one point so I guess it wasn't the 1st change.
Project xB, 285k on the clock, with the untouched factory Toyota WS in the U241E
It has a bit of a whine in some gears under certain loads, but it shifted
I drained and filled it once with Dealer WS, then a little later with Mobil 3324 (WS but cheaper)
It still has whines, but they seem a little quieter, and shift speed/quality has vastly improved (especially from cold)
I've got enough fluid left for one more drain and fill, maybe I'll do that next year
With 290k on the clock, what's gonna happen first
Rod through the block or transmission self destructs
My dad managed a transmission shop in Brooklyn, back in the mid 80s
People back then we're terrified of servicing transmissions, because that'll kill it, seems some people are still holding onto that belief
He told me on older or dying C6/727 TorqueFlite, the fluid that came out would be captured in a clean container, and that's what would go back in
TH-125 & 200 we're particularly common he says, as was '72-'73 GM everything
It was a bad year for Radiator/Trans Cooler failure letting coolant into the ATF, ruining it
Something Nissan still can't get right
It has a bit of a whine in some gears under certain loads, but it shifted
I drained and filled it once with Dealer WS, then a little later with Mobil 3324 (WS but cheaper)
It still has whines, but they seem a little quieter, and shift speed/quality has vastly improved (especially from cold)
I've got enough fluid left for one more drain and fill, maybe I'll do that next year
With 290k on the clock, what's gonna happen first
Rod through the block or transmission self destructs
My dad managed a transmission shop in Brooklyn, back in the mid 80s
People back then we're terrified of servicing transmissions, because that'll kill it, seems some people are still holding onto that belief
He told me on older or dying C6/727 TorqueFlite, the fluid that came out would be captured in a clean container, and that's what would go back in
TH-125 & 200 we're particularly common he says, as was '72-'73 GM everything
It was a bad year for Radiator/Trans Cooler failure letting coolant into the ATF, ruining it
Something Nissan still can't get right
Last edited:
This thread, https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/sign-waiver-for-transmission-fluid-change.363076/, is the opposite when it comes to comments and/or beliefs 
My suburban got a thorough fluid swap when I bought it. It was dirty enough I questioned buying the vehicle in the first place. Valvoline maxlife has been great so far.
With that success I decided to swap a gallon out of my 96 dodge. I've had the truck for 6 years, 20k miles, never touched the fluid believing it keeps the magic smoke contained. Pulled the fluid from the dipstick. Now it occasionally hangs shifts when it's cold. Acts like the linkage isn't quite right. Maybe the fresh fluid stirred up some junk making the valve lethargic when cold.
Edit: The fresh fluid also drastically reduced TC lockup shudder. It needs a pan drop and filter to start.
I get why shops make you sign a waiver.
With that success I decided to swap a gallon out of my 96 dodge. I've had the truck for 6 years, 20k miles, never touched the fluid believing it keeps the magic smoke contained. Pulled the fluid from the dipstick. Now it occasionally hangs shifts when it's cold. Acts like the linkage isn't quite right. Maybe the fresh fluid stirred up some junk making the valve lethargic when cold.
Edit: The fresh fluid also drastically reduced TC lockup shudder. It needs a pan drop and filter to start.
I get why shops make you sign a waiver.
Last edited:
It could be the rear band. I'll check it when I drop the pan. The truck has 373k on the odometer, might be its 4th transmission. It only happens on occasion when cold. I'm not loosing sleep.
To leave that dirty fluid in there, wrecking the bearings and planetaries is a sin. I should have changed it years ago.
I recall doing a spill and fill on a 1992 and 1995 Camry - all A541s I think with Dex-VI. All shifted fine. One was almost back to health until another form of neglect took over.
