Is 112k miles too high mileage for a Transmission service?

[MrBaumTastic]

Hey BITOG community,

I'm looking for some advice on whether I should perform a transmission drain and fill on my 2019 Kia Sportage EX AWD (2.4L Theta II GDI n/a) with 112k miles. To my knowledge, the transmission fluid has never been serviced before.

The car isn't having any major issues, but recently I've noticed some minor symptoms like:

Difficulty finding the right gear at low speeds (around 20 mph).

A bit of hesitation or delay when shifting into gear.


I called my local Kia dealership, and they quoted me $250 for a power flush but mentioned they don’t do drain and fills and typically don’t recommend flushes for transmissions with over 100k miles. I found that confusing, especially because flushing can sometimes dislodge debris in high-mileage transmissions and cause problems. I’m planning to call another dealership and a transmission shop for second opinions and price quotes, but I’ve also been researching the possibility of doing a drain and fill myself.

My questions for you all are:

1. Should I be concerned about doing a drain and fill with the transmission at 112k miles? Could it make things worse?


2. Has anyone else done a DIY drain and fill on a high-mileage Kia/Hyundai transmission with similar symptoms? How did it go?


3. Would it be better to go with the dealership’s power flush, or should I stick with a drain and fill given the mileage?


4. Are there any special tips for a Sportage AWD in particular when doing this service? I want to make sure I do it right.



Any advice, tips, or experiences would be really appreciated. I want to extend the life of the transmission without making things worse!

Thanks in advance!

For additional context:

- car was bought used in June with 98k miles.

- car had two previous owners, both racked up a lot of miles, I estimate over 18k miles a year. Not sure what kind of driving it was but given we live in Upstate NY, I'm sure at least half, if not more, was highway.

- I myself commute 80 miles a day (roundtrip to and from work) five days a week. My wife and I also use it for Uber eats delivery, and she just started a local pizza delivery gig. By my estimation, I put on 400 miles a week just going from my drive way to the parking lot at work. The Uber eats and pizza delivery add another few hundred miles, we seem to be averaging around 1000 miles a week. I change the motor oil every 5k (I've done two already and about to do my third since we got it)

Any additional details and information I can provide to help you help me, just let me know. Thank you for your time!

 

[eljefino]

Do the tranny service but don't expect much from it.

May be a good idea to scan it for codes with a Kia-specific scanner.

 

[MrBaumTastic]

Do the tranny service but don't expect much from it.

May be a good idea to scan it for codes with a Kia-specific scanner.

Thanks for the reply! Just to clarify, when you say "do the tranny service," are you recommending that I go with the dealer's power flush, have a transmission shop do the drain and fill, or try doing it myself?

Also, I’m curious why you mentioned a Kia-specific scanner for checking codes. I haven’t had any check engine lights come on, so I wasn't thinking about scanning, but it makes sense to look into it. Would a regular OBD-II scanner miss something that the Kia tool could pick up, especially for the transmission?

Appreciate the input!

 

[Barkleymut]

DO NOT get the flush. Do, do a pan drop and refill. Just my opinion. Use the fluid that was installed at the factory. Not sure about replacing the filter, check a Kia specific forum or wait for someone here that has done this service to see if the filter is serviceable and if it actually does some filtering or is just a rock catcher.

 

[burbguy82]

No flush, just replace the filter and pan fluid.

 

[kschachn]

There is a difference between a flush (generally including a flushing fluid) and a cooler fluid exchange. Do a drain and refill if that's what you are comfortable doing, or learn how to do a fluid exchange using a cooler line. This is a better way but either one will work.

 

[Cheetah-kins]

I would do the drain and fill. Not sure on the flush. I've heard mixed things about that. But I would definitely do the drain and fill. Will greatly extend the life of the transmission, imo. There is risk though of course. But it's a risk worth taking, imo.

We've always had my wife's X series BMWs drained and filled - think we even did a flush once on her old X3 - at around 50-60K miles despite BMW's magic 'lifetime' factory fill. Both her old X3 (sold at 228K miles) and current X1 (now at 120K miles) have never had any transmission issues.

On a side note, using your vehicle to deliver food will greatly shorten it's life, though I'm sure you know that already.

 

[Dave Hess]

2 drain & refills will be fine.

 

[ripcord]

I would do a drain and fill at the next couple of oil changes then every 30 to 50k miles after. I'm pretty sure there is a drain plug on these transmissions but no pan to drop and no dipstick to check the level. There is probably a procedure of some type to fill to the correct level, but you can probably get away with measuring the amount drained out and adding the same amount back in.

 

[MrBaumTastic]

DO NOT get the flush. Do, do a pan drop and refill. Just my opinion. Use the fluid that was installed at the factory. Not sure about replacing the filter, check a Kia specific forum or wait for someone here that has done this service to see if the filter is serviceable and if it actually does some filtering or is just a rock catcher.

I'll double check but I thought these cars done come with a serviceable filter.

So no Valvoline Max Life ATF? IJK but it is commonly recommended in transmission maintenance over OEM fluids for price, which honestly is pretty nice compared to the SP-IV this car calls for

 

[kschachn]

I'll double check but I thought these cars done come with a serviceable filter.

So no Valvoline Max Life ATF? IJK but it is commonly recommended in transmission maintenance over OEM fluids for price, which honestly is pretty nice compared to the SP-IV this car calls for

Plenty of threads on Maxlife, no need to start one here.

 

[MrBaumTastic]

Plenty of threads on Maxlife, no need to start one here.

Yeah I wasn't trying to. It's just a more attractive price per gallon than the OEM fluid. I believe it's compatible too.

 

[GSCJR]

Drop the pan, change the filter, then do a couple of drain and fills with Valvoline EP ATF.

 

[BMW Dom]

I did a 3k drain and fill with filter at like 130k miles.

 

[MrBaumTastic]

I would do the drain and fill. Not sure on the flush. I've heard mixed things about that. But I would definitely do the drain and fill. Will greatly extend the life of the transmission, imo. There is risk though of course. But it's a risk worth taking, imo.

We've always had my wife's X series BMWs drained and filled - think we even did a flush once on her old X3 - at around 50-60K miles despite BMW's magic 'lifetime' factory fill. Both her old X3 (sold at 228K miles) and current X1 (now at 120K miles) have never had any transmission issues.

On a side note, using your vehicle to deliver food will greatly shorten it's life, though I'm sure you know that already.

Cheetah-Kins

Thanks for the advice! Sounds like you’ve had good luck with the drain and fill on the BMWs, especially with that kind of mileage – that’s reassuring to hear. I agree, the risk seems worth it if it helps extend the life of the transmission.

I’m leaning toward doing the drain and fill myself or with a transmission shop now, especially since I’ve heard so many mixed things about flushing at high miles.

And yeah, I’ve definitely noticed extra wear from delivering food – more frequent stops and starts can really take a toll. Appreciate the heads-up on that!

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

In fact, thank you all so much for the quick responses!

 

[Kurtatron]

Cheetah-Kins

Thanks for the advice! Sounds like you’ve had good luck with the drain and fill on the BMWs, especially with that kind of mileage – that’s reassuring to hear. I agree, the risk seems worth it if it helps extend the life of the transmission.

I’m leaning toward doing the drain and fill myself or with a transmission shop now, especially since I’ve heard so many mixed things about flushing at high miles.

And yeah, I’ve definitely noticed extra wear from delivering food – more frequent stops and starts can really take a toll. Appreciate the heads-up on that!

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

In fact, thank you all so much for the quick responses!

You’ll be fine doing a drain and fill. Your fluid is not old. if it was 10+ years old, you should be more concerned.

 

[dubber09]

Filter isn't a service item in those unless you wanna take transmission out first. There is no pan.
Just take out what drains and replace with same volume at same temp or about half quart more than what came out and open level check eye with engine running, close it when it starts trickling.
ATF should be ok-ish at this mileage as it's designed to last 300k km or 200k mi without service, unless it's been abused.

 

[Propflux01]

If you put the car up on stands, and use one of those quart bottle pumps that thread directly on a quart oil bottle, it's a breeze to fill the tranny through the check hole. Start it, go through the gears, and let it run a bit (till you guesstimate 135*F on the tranny fluid. Pump small amounts until a steady drip out the checkhole. Pop the plug back in and you're good to go. Done several of these on this transmission. Easy if you do it this way.

 

[daves87rs]

Judging by the hard use, I’m iffy it will help.

But the new fluid shouldn’t hurt it either. I’d give it a try…..

 

[MrBaumTastic]

If you put the car up on stands, and use one of those quart bottle pumps that thread directly on a quart oil bottle, it's a breeze to fill the tranny through the check hole. Start it, go through the gears, and let it run a bit (till you guesstimate 135*F on the tranny fluid. Pump small amounts until a steady drip out the checkhole. Pop the plug back in and you're good to go. Done several of these on this transmission. Easy if you do it this way.

Ok I appreciate the helpful tip, and it sounds like a straight forward process. But I'm just curious about something, going off of the bold portion, you're not suggesting to start and run the car after draining fluid out are you? Because I may be misunderstanding you, and I thought you definitely don't want to run a car with low transmission fluid.

I hope you can see where my confusion is, I apologize if I don't get it. I've not don't done a transmission service yet