Sealed 100K Mile Transmissions with No Dip Stick (ATF Change) ?

[haggler]

Excellent, about how many quarts did you get? I was thinking 12. I got the Idemitsu TLS at Autozone but they stopped carrying it. Although did get it on clearance price.

I bought 8, used 6.5 but I wasted some and probably could have got away with 6. The idea was to run more new fluid through the system, so I didn't care if it was overfilled because I did the level check at the end. Always buy more than you need though. Another thing thats over looked is you cant get the entire 1 quart out using those hand pumps. I recommend trying to use a funnel and a long hose. I returned the last quart.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...smission-lubricant-change.150620/post-6091015

 

[mattwithcats]

My Dad’s ‘12 Cruze is supposed to lifetime fill.

No dipstick, no drain plug.

I still did two spill and fills, 10K apart, at 100K…

 

[jetman]

For a forum that endlessly shouts down anyone who uses a different weight oil because "the factory engineers know a lot more than you ever will" these kind of posts are amusing to me.

bizzaro world we're living in these days?
Go look at this 0w-20 UOA post: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...5-7l-hemi-red-line-0w-20-19-000-miles.361745/
No thickies over there doing their hate? Quite the opposite?

 

[Whimsey]

Our 2017 Explorer has a "dipstickless" transmission. The first recommended ATF change is 105,000 miles. I'm old and old fashioned. I did the first change at 12,000 miles to get the break in material out. It was NASTY! It was black with gray matter in it, looked nothing like ATF. I did four more changes with the last one being 27,000 miles on the ATF. It looks fine now and nothing on the magnet. Changing the ATF in this Explorer is easier than changing the engine oil and filter. I do it cold. Run it onto ramps the night before, in the morning I drain it and refill through the transmission vent in the engine compartment with the amount that came out. I'm at 80,000 miles and it runs fine for a heavy vehicle with a car transmission, not one of Ford's better ideas .

 

[Hall]

there is no way to change the filter in them during a routine service. I have done a fluid exchange every 30K

Do routine fluid exchanges and it seems that cleaning or replacing the built-in filters isn't necessary.

 

[edyvw]

What exactly dipstick is going to tell you in regards to change interval?

 

[Owen Lucas]

At least with H/K, the “lifetime” transmission fluid has a service schedule in the “severe maintenance” section of the owners manual. I think it’s around 60k miles. There’s no such thing as lifetime fluid

IIRC, the fluid is at least $90 a quart.

 

[Shel_B]

What exactly dipstick is going to tell you in regards to change interval?

At least you can see the fluid and get some idea as to its condition. Is it dark? Does it smell burnt? That sort of thing ...

 

[edyvw]

At least you can see the fluid and get some idea as to its condition. Is it dark? Does it smell burnt? That sort of thing ...

Engine oil gets dark too but one doesn’t change it immediately. Many transmissions don’t have dipstick for 25yrs. 99% of cars don’t have transmission dipstick today.
If you need transmission dipstick to smell fluid bcs. might be burnt, there is than issue with choice of fluid or transmission. Other than that, 60-100k interval is fine is good transmissions.

 

[dubber09]

All they are saying is ATF will last as long as car warranty, after that you are on your own and are very welcome to come back to spend your money on another vehicle...
No such thing as lifetime fluid, do first and full ATF change early, like at 20K miles and then D/F every 30-50K miles after that depending on vehicle and driving/towing etc.

 

[Oily_Thing]

Yes and no. That was under their old severe service interval otherwise it's around 90k miles and "sooner" if the unit is of unknown history or operated under high loads/heat.

ZF Rev. 11/3/2022

My dealer uses BG flush for this. Is BG better fluid?

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

My dealer uses BG flush for this. Is BG better fluid?

Apologies but I don't understand your question. Are you talking about a cleaner or BG ATF? IF you're talking about ATF my own unqualified opinion is to use whatever the transmission manufacturer suggests. I know there a mult-vehicle ATF's on the market and used by many on the board but that's outside the scope of this thread.

 

[Hall]

My dealer uses BG flush for this.

People here, who have worked in shops or still do, have indicated that there's, uhhhh, very nice financial reasons that dealers, shops, etc use BG fluids. I'm sure their fluids are good too but it's not the primary reason they're used.

Related question (for anyone) about BG fluids: Are they sold in stores at all ?

 

[repairman54]

Look at the severe maintenance schedule in the manual. Most will list a fluid change, at least my vehicles do.
Stop and go driving is usually one of the ''qualifiers'' of severe usage.
I've taken multiple automatics, including tow duty, over 200k miles with no issues.

 

[Luftmasse]

I still change them at 30k or less. It is better than flushing them 3 times.

 

[1 SX]

At least with H/K, the “lifetime” transmission fluid has a service schedule in the “severe maintenance” section of the owners manual. I think it’s around 60k miles. There’s no such thing as lifetime fluid

I changed out the "sealed no dip stick" 6 speed automatic transmission fluid in the Sonata around 49K, it was definitely degraded, but still serviceable. I think 60K would have been the max for that fluid, lifetime - NO WAY. (maybe through the warranty period?)

Afterwords, the Sonata's transmission shifted very precisely and directly with very little "slip" (maybe not the right word....) in-between gears. I used the OEM fluid and change it now every 30K.

 

[KrisZ]

I agree with the “Engineers know best” comment. BITOG is a funny place sometimes. You will get people telling you to follow manufacturer’s recommendations for one thing, but don’t do it for something else.
I guess “engineers know best” only the bitog approved stuff, like oil viscosity, other things they don’t know best apparently

 

[Hall]

I guess “engineers know best” only the bitog approved stuff, like oil viscosity, other things they don’t know best apparently

"Get a UOA", analysis says oil can be run to 9000 miles (estimated), "I'd still change it every 5000 miles. Cheap insurance."

 

[KrisZ]

"Get a UOA", analysis says oil can be run to 9000 miles (estimated), "I'd still change it every 5000 miles. Cheap insurance."

So true
When it comes to viscosity manufacturers have it all figured out, but they don’t know squat about change intervals, VIs, groups, dino vs synthetic etc. Nope, that part BITOG knows best.

 

[Shel_B]

Engine oil gets dark too but one doesn’t change it immediately. Many transmissions don’t have dipstick for 25yrs. 99% of cars don’t have transmission dipstick today.
If you need transmission dipstick to smell fluid bcs. might be burnt, there is than issue with choice of fluid or transmission. Other than that, 60-100k interval is fine is good transmissions.

I agree that there might be a problem with the choice of fluid, but how is one to know there's a problem unless the fluid is checked? Is a dipstick needed to check the fluid condition? No, but the alternative is time-consuming and/or expensive, even as a DIY project. Toyota (even with their "lifetime" fluid), at least in the manuals I've read, includes checking the fluid at 60,000 miles (if I recall correctly) as part of their routine maintenance schedule.