How do you clean your tranny?

[djmc]

I just flushed the transmission of my Volvo 850 non turbo, with 10 qts of Maxlife Dexron. It looked like it was the first time (was black!) so I only did the flush with 10 qts so it can mix with the old fluid and will soon do another flush to get everything out. New fluid is already getting dark after 1 week, with burning smell.

What do you use to clean your transmission? More flushes or is there something like ARX?
What would you recommend for final transmission fluid, if not M1? Car has 150k on it, with a lot of stop and go, app. 30 miles a day.

 

[unDummy]

If the transmission is working normally, use NOTHING.

Start a more frequent regimen to keep it clean.

Lubegard red can also be added to the final fill.

 

[Steve S]

black is bad.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Black is bad, but I agree, if there's nothing wrong with the transmission just keep doing fluid swaps with ATF only; if a problem develops then think about what can be added.

 

[Steelers]

Don't put any mechanic-in-a-can in there if the transmission is running correctly. Continue to flush transmission with the cheapest atf you can get until you're satisfied with the look of the fluid. Then change the fluid every 15-30K to keep it clean in the future.

 

[djmc]

Thanks all.

The transmission works fine. Actually better after the flush I did. Will do frequent flushes till fluid stays clean.

 

[Pablo]

Continue the flush. That AW is not the stoutest AT out there. Flush it again and keep in clean. I always recommend: Amsoil ATF

 

[John_E]

I just had the full pan-drop treatment done on my ZF tiptronic. The "lifetime" fluid was somewhat discolored after 6 years and 36k miles / 58k km of 80% stop-and-go "severe service" driving. In "manumatic" mode, engine braking seems a bit stronger, the infamous second-gear cold stutter is almost gone, and stop-triggered automatic downshifts are noticeably smoother than before. These differences are extremely subtle, but I believe they are genuine and not psychological. I am going to autopsy the old filter cartridge this weekend; if the internal element looks pretty clean, then I plan to do a simple drain-and-refill every 2 or 3 years from now on. (ZF boxes supposedly require egregiously expensive German fluid, which I use, although some of my friends swear by cheaper alternatives from Mobil and others.)

 

[Mike_dup1]

Quote:

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New fluid is already getting dark after 1 week, with burning smell.

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Not good, you may have impending trans problems so you better try to find the cause. Either that or you are abusing the trans big time (i.e. racing). I would consult a reputable trans expert before flushing it again.

 

[psudaytona]

Even if racing the fluid shouldn't be dark in a week...sounds really bad. Slipping clutches will generate tons of heat and nuke the fluid. Like Mike said, get it to a good respectable shop and at least have them look at it and scan it.

I can only speak of hands on work I have done rebuilding chrysler transmissions but its the only time I have seen dark brown to black fluid. Heat is the only thing that will darken the fluid that quickly. Either much too high operating temps(racing or towing loads through high temps) or the transmission itself is causing high heat conditions due to internal mafunctions(worn clutches that are slipping and the excessive friction creates too much heat).

 

[Jerryb]

I had a 95 850 untio it was wrecked last year. A transmission flush is very easy. Check brickboard.com or the ipdUSA website. The top hose on the driver's side of the radiator is held in place by a little clip. Remove it and pull the hose out of the transmission cooler. It should come out easily. Get about 6 feet of clear plastic hose and put it over the transmission hose. Put the other end in an empty 1 gal. milk container. Start your engine and run till you pump out 1/2 gal of old transmission fluid. Now add 1/2 gal of new transmission fluid to the trans fill tube. Repeat another 1/2 gal. Do this with 3 or 4 gals. You will begin to see new red transmission fluid after 10 or 11 quarts. Old stuff is dark, new fluid is bright red. Flush 3 to
3 1/2 gals. of the old fluid.
It's easy, quick, clean. Put the trans hose back with the clip. I used a zip tie to make sure the clip stays on.
I changed my fluid in August 2005 and car was totaled in Nov. I hope you have better luck.

 

[wiswind]

ARX is for transmissions also.....check their website for more information.
It IS the same product as for engine oil....I think they tell you to add 3 ounces to the automatic transmission.

I do not have the same kind of vehicle as you do....
I would strongly suggest that you verify that the transmission cooler is in good order......and is not clogged.

I flush my fluid similar to as mentioned above....but I remove the line that is going IN to the transmission from the cooler.......so that the fluid flows from the transmission, to the cooler, then into the container.
This flushes the cooler, and will tell you if the cooler is clogged.

 

[Volvohead]

The later 850s have fairly reliable AWs; the earlier ones less so. Either way, regular fluid changes will keep them going a long time.

Rather than keep flushing the unit (which can get expensive at 12 qts a pop) consider a treatment of ARX - 6 oz for 1500 miles. Then reverse flush and fill the unit with a full synthetic ATF (M1, Amsoil, Redline D4), and you're good for another 30-40k miles.

Don't forget the PS system while you're at it.

 

[EricZoom]

Drain - Refill every other oil change with RL D4. Keeps it fresh on my Mazda6S.

 

[Cutehumor]

it's not the end of the world. I had a 92 mirage where the reverse gear would jerk only when cold. the fluid was black when bought, hey I was only 20 and didn't know any better. I nursed the car another 9 years with redline d4 atf every year. the fluid was reddish brown every 10k miles, but hey the auto trans didn't fail on me.