Hi all,
I'm maintaining my GF's 2012 Kia Forte LX 2.0L with (I think) 6 speed AT.
It was overdue for an ATF change, so I opted for a drain and fill. Local mechanic quoted $250 for the job and dealer wanted even more. Times are tough, so I opted to do it myself.
So, some background:
Should I be worried about that discrepancy? How much tolerance for fluid level do these sealed transmissions usually have? Should I let the tranny cool and try to do the PITA level check properly tomorrow?
And also: I'm thinking about going out and get the ****ed 24mm socket to torque the bolt. Would you all say it's worth it, given there are no leaks?
Thanks, folks.
I'm maintaining my GF's 2012 Kia Forte LX 2.0L with (I think) 6 speed AT.
It was overdue for an ATF change, so I opted for a drain and fill. Local mechanic quoted $250 for the job and dealer wanted even more. Times are tough, so I opted to do it myself.
So, some background:
- Got general info about the procedure from Forte forums.
- Despite many swearing by the Kia-branded ATF, I opted for Valvoline Maxlife based on comments there, which I think were referring to this post about a same-gen Forte hitting 360,000 miles on the Valvoline.
- Found a video about how it was done on another Kia -- a few sources confirm that most Kias have this same model AT (and things were where I expected them to be after watching the video). They also used Valvoline Maxlife and reported good results.
- I opted not to follow the process described in the video, instead going for drain-measure-fill.
- I did this using 2 measuring cups, made for cooking (they were brand new) -- one for old oil, one for new. After draining the old oil, I poured as much of it as I could into one cup, then matched the amount of old oil with new oil in cup #2. Poured new oil into fill hole, old oil into container, repeat process until drain pain is empty.
- In case you didn't watch the video, I went this route because the fill-via-level-check-hole process was nuanced. Has to be the correct temp, completely level, and doesn't just not leak if it's full -- a "small stream" pours out when it's at the correct fill level, and you're meant to refill the amount bled. Weirdly subjective measures, and I don't have a lift. I figured that the fact that "small stream" is so loosely defined means that there's at least some wiggle room designed into the AT.
- Part ways through, I realized I didn't have the right socket (24mm) and decided to proceed loosening the drain bolt with an adjustable wrench, which means I didn't torque it to spec on replacement.
- I retightened by hand, and checked for leaks after warming up the engine for 30mins at high speeds. There were none.
- I screwed up the first "fill" by going a bit too fast, underestimating just how slowly you have to drizzle the new oil in without a breather (the level check hole).
- I realized this quickly, and ended up with only a really small puddle on my garage floor. A few drops at most.
- I "compensated" by adding like maybe 50-100mL or so during the fill according to the measuring cup.
- After finishing as accurately as I thought I could, I went for a 30ish minute drive, scaling up the speed as I went to see if anything would explode. Got nervous about the few drops of difference between old and new oil and ended up draining via the level check afterward.
- More came out that expected. I repeated the drain-measure-fill process and replaced what came out after realizing that the excess heat (supposed to be 10-15min at lower speeds) affected the viscosity and probably nullified the check.
Should I be worried about that discrepancy? How much tolerance for fluid level do these sealed transmissions usually have? Should I let the tranny cool and try to do the PITA level check properly tomorrow?
And also: I'm thinking about going out and get the ****ed 24mm socket to torque the bolt. Would you all say it's worth it, given there are no leaks?
Thanks, folks.