Low miles, but OLD car with factory fill?!?!?!

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The factory modulator died on my trans which made it shift too soft and shred itself.
How exactly did you notice it was bad? any other symptoms?

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I say slowly introduce new fluid - forget Amsoil or other techno fluid.

New, spec ATF fluid will be the best the car has had in 25 years and by doing slowly you won't rock the boat. -Not that it matters, just seems like YOU will sleep better at night. And that matters
right, that was my thinking. But I do want to swap the filter and clean out the pan at some point.

 

[jrustles]

New fluid = better than old fluid, if for no other reason that the quality of ingredients used.

Any DexIII of current vintage will serve you well. Stay away from multi-vehicle fluids, though- those old GM slush boxes don't take too nicely to highly FM ATF. Heck, our 05 Pontiac G6 got Dex VI fluid and it will slip terribly if I stab it on the cusp of the 1-2 shift. 05 was the only year that still specs DIII instead of D VI.

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
New fluid = better than old fluid, if for no other reason that the quality of ingredients used.

Any DexIII of current vintage will serve you well. Stay away from multi-vehicle fluids, though- those old GM slush boxes don't take too nicely to highly FM ATF. Heck, our 05 Pontiac G6 got Dex VI fluid and it will slip terribly if I stab it on the cusp of the 1-2 shift. 05 was the only year that still specs DIII instead of D VI.
Dexron III is not available anymore, everything out there is multi-use now (dex/merc)

 

[GreeCguy]

Originally Posted By: babyivan
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
I thought general agreement in bitog land was tranny fluid needed to be changed from between 30,000 to 50,000 miles regardless of age. If we look at the other side of the coin, let's say the car was only 3 years old and had 50,000 miles on it - everyone would agree time for a fluid change. Regardless of age, the fluid still has 53,000 miles on it, therefore, time for a change.

Right, but how much does age play a factor, especially inside a low mileage trans.


Originally Posted By: GreeCguy

If it were me, I'd drop the pan, change the filter, replace pan and fill. Then every couple of weeks (or even every week), change fluid via filler tube until you've run 14-16 quarts through the system.
So, your saying that I should do the filter/pan drop first and then do the quart extraction fills that I have been doing. I thought better the other way around.

Do you think I'm doing it backwards?


Personally yes, I think you're doing it backwards. When you drop your pan, you'll notice the ever popular grey sludge on the bottom of the pan. That needs to be cleaned out before you introduce new fluid, otherwise you're mixing your new fluid with this old grey sludge.

Imagine mopping your kitchen floor with dirty water and then changing that water half way through by simply dipping out half the water and replacing it with new water - you still have all the dirt/grime at the bottom of the bucket. Maybe I'm a little bit too country and some are a little bit too rock and roll, but this illustration works for me.

 

[GreeCguy]

As far as age playing a factor, I still think the open bottle of fluid illustration works in this situation. No one here would be comfortable using a 26 year old bottle of fluid that had been opened 26 years ago and then placed on the shelf to sit for 26 Rip Van Winkle years. Even a cheap person like me would not put it in my daily ride. It just so happens you have 12 quarts of 26 year old fluid that's been exposed to all the joys of operation over the last 2 and one half decades.

I'm just guessing, but even though the car is "old," it's not a beater and you'd like to get another 150,000 miles out of the ole gal. You're at the perfect time for a change.

The one heads up I can give you for the filter change is that in my two Oldsmobiles, the transmissions are the same. The filter fits into a metal fitting with a rubber gasket at the top, (it's like a short metal pipe that's flared on one end and has a rubber gasket/ring at the other). You get a replacement with the filter kit, but they are a bugger to get out and get back in. Pulling them out destroys them, (I had to collaspe mine with a screwdriver and a hammer) and then putting in the new one is a trick in itself, (I finally got mine in by tapping on it gently with a hammer using a large socket on the fitting to guide it in. I only did one, (the one on my car), but my daughter's van I just left the original in the tranny and only replaced the filter as the original fitting looked good.

When you do replace the filter, be prepared for more fluid to come out when you pull the filter, that was a surprise to me as I though I had drained everything. Thanks to that extra fluid, I came out from under my car looking like Fonzie on "Happy Days."

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
As far as age playing a factor, I still think the open bottle of fluid illustration works in this situation. No one here would be comfortable using a 26 year old bottle of fluid that had been opened 26 years ago and then placed on the shelf to sit for 26 Rip Van Winkle years. Even a cheap person like me would not put it in my daily ride. It just so happens you have 12 quarts of 26 year old fluid that's been exposed to all the joys of operation over the last 2 and one half decades.

I'm just guessing, but even though the car is "old," it's not a beater and you'd like to get another 150,000 miles out of the ole gal. You're at the perfect time for a change.

The one heads up I can give you for the filter change is that in my two Oldsmobiles, the transmissions are the same. The filter fits into a metal fitting with a rubber gasket at the top, (it's like a short metal pipe that's flared on one end and has a rubber gasket/ring at the other). You get a replacement with the filter kit, but they are a bugger to get out and get back in. Pulling them out destroys them, (I had to collaspe mine with a screwdriver and a hammer) and then putting in the new one is a trick in itself, (I finally got mine in by tapping on it gently with a hammer using a large socket on the fitting to guide it in. I only did one, (the one on my car), but my daughter's van I just left the original in the tranny and only replaced the filter as the original fitting looked good.

When you do replace the filter, be prepared for more fluid to come out when you pull the filter, that was a surprise to me as I though I had drained everything. Thanks to that extra fluid, I came out from under my car looking like Fonzie on "Happy Days."


And you have had no issues after these cars had a service? slipping? going into neutral at times while waiting for a light?

I understand your point, I just don't want to swap the fluid all at once. Transmissions are mythical magical machines that use space technology that earthlings cant comprehend.

 

[babyivan]

My original point to this thread was more about the (possible)woes of messing with a car that has 26 year old fluid and no service history as opposed to messing with a car that has high mileage and no service history.

 

[GreeCguy]

No issues at all. Matter o fact, I had some pretty scary issues with my '93 Taurus till I changed the fluid and filter, (it was coffee black). But I did add a whole fist full of additives after the fact. It now runs and shifts perfectly, (better than when I bought it). I did no mystery adds to either Oldsmobile, just fluid and filter, (and changed all fluid via filler tube with a suction pump), no troubles. The way I did it is the way I think you should do yours. Filter and fluid, then drive for a week, then three quarts out of the filler tube and three quarts back in. Drive for a week, repeat, etc. Worked really well for me and it was super easy to do.

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
No issues at all. Matter o fact, I had some pretty scary issues with my '93 Taurus till I changed the fluid and filter, (it was coffee black). But I did add a whole fist full of additives after the fact. It now runs and shifts perfectly, (better than when I bought it). I did no mystery adds to either Oldsmobile, just fluid and filter, (and changed all fluid via filler tube with a suction pump), no troubles. The way I did it is the way I think you should do yours. Filter and fluid, then drive for a week, then three quarts out of the filler tube and three quarts back in. Drive for a week, repeat, etc. Worked really well for me and it was super easy to do.


Tauruses came with disposable transmissions!

I see you did it with the filter as the first step, whereas I was planning to do it as the last. But I will go ahead upon your advice and do a couple of quart pulls after I do the filter just to be on the safe side.

What fluid did you use specifically on your GM cars?

Right now, Im doing the swaps with Castrol dex/merc as I'm pulling out the factory fill Dex II and plan on using the Castrol dex/merc at the filter change as well.

 

[GreeCguy]

I used Advance Auto store brand DexIII/M in all three vehicles. I drive my Taurus around town but my Olds is my long distance car, (I take it to Orlando and back at least once a week - 80 miles one way). No tranny issues at all. I am tempted to give the ole Tauras a try to O town and back as lately, the tranny has been working wonderfully.

 

[artificialist]

I would flush it just because of the break in junk that occurs within the first 30,000 miles.

Plus, the new fluid would meet much higher standards than what is in there now.

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
I would flush it just because of the break in junk that occurs within the first 30,000 miles.

Plus, the new fluid would meet much higher standards than what is in there now.


Higher standards are not always necessarily better.

For example, I would never put dexron 6 in anything that didn't call for it! I've heard of a couple of people putting it in their older transmissions and having problems quickly thereafter.

The stronger detergents and friction modifiers could possibly do harm to a transmission that wasn't designed to handle it.

I'm not saying that is the case between Dex 2 & 3 but just something worth noting in general.

Anything transmission-wise spooks me.

 

[oldhp]

+1 for just changing filter and top off trans fluid.

 

[milkboy]

If I'm reading this correctly, the stuff is TWENTY-SIX YEARS OLD.

I don't think it's unreasonable or extravagant to change it out once every TWENTY-SIX YEARS.

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: milkboy
If I'm reading this correctly, the stuff is TWENTY-SIX YEARS OLD.

I don't think it's unreasonable or extravagant to change it out once every TWENTY-SIX YEARS.

If it were that simple, I would not have made a thread about this.

When a mechanic tells me NOT to change the fluid because the fluid has been in the trans. for TWENTY-SIX YEARS, this is what perplexes me. From all of the research Ive read, there are 2 schools of thought on this.

One is to leave high mileage trans fluid alone, changing it will likely cause problems. I will not go into specifics, seeing as it has been discussed time and again!

The other thinking is, that new fluid is better than old fluid... PERIOD, END OF STORY!

My specific query refers to age rather than mileage.

My trans. happens to shift perfect with TWENTY-SIX YEAR OLD fluid and perhaps might not react well to new fluid for whatever reason.

I'm in the process of slowly exchanging said fluid and will end up doing the filter and top off (6.5 quarts out of 11) next month in spite of two different auto mechanics strongly recommending that I leave well enough alone.... the whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" line of thought.

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: oldhp
+1 for just changing filter and top off trans fluid.
thank you!

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I say slowly introduce new fluid - forget Amsoil or other techno fluid.

New, spec ATF fluid will be the best the car has had in 25 years and by doing slowly you won't rock the boat. -Not that it matters, just seems like YOU will sleep better at night. And that matters
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I say slowly introduce new fluid - forget Amsoil or other techno fluid.

New, spec ATF fluid will be the best the car has had in 25 years and by doing slowly you won't rock the boat. -Not that it matters, just seems like YOU will sleep better at night. And that matters


Exactly! Thanx

 

[babyivan]

Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
I'm wondering as well, would a bottle of "Lubegard" red be a good addition to this transmission, Dex II verses Dex III being a concern here. What say the crowd?


Good question, I was thinking about adding some Lubegard Red to the mix.

 

[eagle23]

Once you had finished your gradual changes, I'd add LG red. I've had great results with the stuff. You'd be good for another untold number of years and miles.