? high mileage , changing ATF / using extracto

[RegDunlop]

Hi I have a 95 buick 104,000 miles with a 3800, I noticed the fluid was very low today, so added some exxon d/m fluid I picked up at the gas station. It took about 8 oz to bring it up to the low indicator on the dipstick.

I have been thinking for some time of dropping the pan and changing the fluid, but I've never done this before. Somebody told me after a vehicle reaches 100 k miles you should never drop the pan as it could cause a LOT more problems than it will solve.

So this has me thinking maybe I could use a fluid extractor to remove the old transmission fluid and replace with something like Valvoline maxlife.

Bad idea?

 

[HTSS_TR]

No, not a bad idea at all to replace some ATF fluid after 100k miles. You may need to do extraction/refill 3-4 times to get about 90% of old ATF fluid out.

 

[sciphi]

Good idea. A hand pump is $7 at Wally's, and they also have Maxlife ATF (sometimes) for inexpensive.

 

[RegDunlop]

so i can just use a cheap hand pump to get the old out?

i dont need the $60 extracor?

What about all the people that say never to touch the ATF on older HM cars? any truth to that or is it an old wives tale?

 

[sciphi]

The $60 extractor is handy for all sorts of things. Just don't expect to change oil on a 3800 with it, at least without DIY'ing your own hose setup. I've used mine for coolant to replace a leaking coolant elbow, and to clean up after changing oil.

I have gone through 3-4 of those $7 hand pumps, as you truly get what you pay for. IE, a cheap, disposable-when-it-breaks way to get ATF out of the pan. It will break after 2-3 uses, and once used for ATF, is good for nothing else.

Your third thing is an "old wive's tale". Usually it's heard from people who changed ATF at the first sign of a problem at 100k+ miles, when the AT is on its way out due to use/abuse/lack of maintenance. Then when their AT dies, they blame the recent fluid change for "causing it to die", ignoring how they never did any maintenance to it in the years before it died.

 

[The_Jeff]

Drop the pan!

I bought, after a ten foot test drive, a 1992 cutlass ciera with the same trans as you, 4T60E. Put the plates on it, accellerated to 20 mph, 1st gear shifts out, suprise, neutral!

Turns out I found a bad modulator on it and there wasn't enough line pressure to hold the clutches. I dropped the pan, found modest grey clutch goo, but no metal shards. Cleaned it out, slapped a filter on, refilled it, super. This trans was 9/10 dead!!!! For all we know the filter could have been plugged up solid and that was causing the low line pressure. Though my adjustable modulator ($10!!!) gave me something new to play with.

The job goes better if you get a cordless drill to 1/4 or 3/8 square socket drive adaptor. 20 ish 10mm headed bolts hold the pan on and it's not too messy! Just leave a bolt at each corner then drop the narrow passenger side, it's like its own funnel. Park the car over a large chunk of cardboard and your favorite 7 quart drain pan.

Look around before you drop the pan to see if it's leaking from the gasket. The "filter kit" comes with a junk rubber gasket; you want to reuse the stock gasket if it's not leaking. If you find the same junk gasket, 1) your trans has been serviced already and 2) go ahead and replace it again.

On the flip side I once tried siphoning my trans through the dipstick hole with plastic aquarium tubing. It kept jamming at the o-ring joint between the metal tube and the actual trans. It may be slightly cleaner but it's way more work. I'd rather just get it done by dropping the pan then spread a little kitty litter from the dollar store... done!

 

[RegDunlop]

Thanks eljefino

Sounds like my plan to remove ATF fluid through the Dioscuri will not work anyway, thanks for that info

I was hoping to do it that way as I don't have a garage and wanted to do a partial exchange through the Dioscuri as it's [censored] cold out too cold to drop a pan etc

Thanks for the advice and ino

 

[raytseng]

What's a dioscuri? is that a bad autocomplete for dipstick?

Anyhoo, I am not familiar with your specific engine/car, but if your dipstick actually measures a good length of actual fluid, then I'd suppose you can be completely successful to use an extractor to suck at least that vertical amount of fluid out-if you invest and get an actual extractor (e.g. mityvac). I and others do it all the time.

I don't see how you can form a conclusion when the only people who've replied to you are using dubious homegrown aquarium tubing and $7 handpump solutions. Are they blacksmithing their hand tools too and then wondering why those don't work well?

There's definitely a savings in labor and hassle if you make the investment into getting the proper tool for the job.