how long to drive before tranny fluid is "mixed up

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
You want the transmission to reach full operating temperature to make sure everything has opened up. I'd take it for a nice drive. 30-45 minutes. Maybe put it on the highway for a bit if it's not too much trouble.


Yes. You can also disconnect and drain the cooler and bypass it. On some vehicles that's pretty easy.

 

[barkingspider]

Drive it a change it the next weekend, or the next chance you get whether it's a couple of weeks, months, etc. It doesn't matter. Or you could just do DnR once a year or two. It'll be mixed good after a good normal drive or two

 

[larryinnewyork]

My 2 cents;

70,000 miles in 4 years.
Mostly highway miles ? ? ?
Probably most easy on the Fluid.

If the Fluid looked 'dirty', I would do a Drain & Fill.
Drive a Week or 100 miles minimum.
This would give the 'new' fluid a chance to do some CLEANING.
Repeat 2 more times.

I had my Fluid FLUSHED by a Mechanic and now do a Drain & Fill once a Year.
I buy the Mercon V at Wal-Mart for $4.00 per Quart. (I can only drain 3 Qts.)

What about the Filter ? At some point you may want to replace it & Clean the Magnet.

On my Truck, I took the Trans. Pan off and welded a HEX NUT to the bottom (outside).
This makes draining the Fluid very easy.

 

[blupupher]

I agree with the drive it a week then do it again, then another week and do one more. Then maybe a month and one more time. Then once a year.

Why, because it makes me feel good. Probably makes no difference.

When I got my truck with 170,000 miles on original fluid, I did a drain and fill (and filter) and added a drain plug. Shifting improved some but still had a thud between 3rd and OD sometimes.
Drove 500 miles, changed it again. Thud went away.
Drove it another 1,000, changed it again.
Drove it another 10,000, changed it again.

I plan on doing 10,000 drains on it from now on (about every 18 months) with a filter change every 30,000 miles.

 

[Fo_Fool]

Originally Posted By: sh40674
so drive it a while first? i was going to have the wife drive it for a few days to make sure it got plenty warm a couple times before i drained it again


Slow and gradual. That's what you want.

It will mix in 5 minutes, a drive around the block, getting fully warmed, driven for an hour, a day, a week, a month, any of those.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: sh40674
so drive it a while first? i was going to have the wife drive it for a few days to make sure it got plenty warm a couple times before i drained it again


That is plenty of time for mixing.

 

[sh40674]

thank you for the replies.

as far as a filter, this one is internal. you'd have to seperate the trans from the engine to replace it... sort of a "lifetime" filter if you will. which is why i want to replace the most fluid i can and start fresh, considering i don't know how this car was driven before we owned it.