Sealed tranny fluid change?

[Soma07]

My mothers car is a 98 Chevy Cavalier, w/4 speed automatic. The manual says the tranny fluid is good for the life of the car and never needs to be changed . There isnt even a tranny dipstick...

Now the problem is every now and then the tranny acts like its having a problem shifting under light throtle. It feels like it cant decide what gear to go into so it shudders for a sec or two and then makes up its mind and does it. Aside from this I have noticed no other problems.

The car was bought new in 98 and now it has ~60k miles on it so I figured it may need a fluid change despite what GM says. I have no problem droping the tranny pan and changing the filter, but how do you add more fluid when there's no dipstick tube? I suppose I could pour some into the pan before I bolted it back up but without the dipstick I would have no way of making sure the level was correct.

Any suggestions?

 

[outrun]

I use the following as even Honda alledges thier transmissions are sealed:

My assumption before you do this recommendation is to be absolutely sure your bands or clutches are history. When they remove the pan for surface take a look at how much friction material is there

A)Find a Dealer that offers a

"Trans-Tech" or "BG" or "Total Fluid Exchange Machine"

What these machines do is ensure more than 90%-to nearly 100% of the old ATF is removed vs the old school pan and filter change.

B)Verbally insist that the dealer also changes the ATF strainer Filter. Some of have told me that this is unneccesary. Foolish, since I just walked out on them. Reputable dealers with the flushing equipment will gladly change the filter as well 1st and then flush. The best dealers even require the ATF filter to be changed prior to flushing

It is a common sense idea.


C)Since your a member of this board I will assume you give a care enough to spend the extra money on a better synthetic product. I would just bring the ATF to the dealer so they use your brand.

Redline Synthetic ATF (Dexron-Mercon III +)
Royal Purple ATF
Shaeffers ATF
Mobil 1 ATF

I have no experiance with Shaeffers...although the other ones have been said by many to make your shifting buttery smooth. Pep Boys carries Mobil-1 ATF. You will need approximately 12qts and at around 7.00/qt it will add up fast. The labour for T-Tech, pan cleaning & filter, + hazmat disposal should be the dealer charges.

 

[Spector]

Look around the pan area. On my Isuzu that has no dipstick either they have a drain and fill plug. In all probability there is a fill plug on the pan, higher up. Unfortunately this means that to fill it properly you must get under the unit while running and tranny hot to pull the fill plug and add/top off enough to fill it. Requires a fluid pump and tubing. A pain. Suggest letting a garage handle it.

 

[slickracer]

I have a 99 Cavalier with the same transmission. They had a fill plug that had to be removed the check the fluid level. I took mine to the dealer and they changed the fluid and filter for $80.

 

[S2000driver]

"The following is a list of vehicles where the manufacturer does not recommend changing the automatic transmission filter: "

http://www.oilchanger.com/EVAC/transmissionlist.htm

 

[Bub]

When I was a tech at one of the quickie places, I was the person operating the T-Tech machine. you would not believe how well the fluid cleans up after one of these services.
Bub

 

[Soma07]

Thanks for the help guys. I knew there wasnt an cheap way out of this

I'll check around for a place that can handle this for me. On the bright side at least I'll stay clean

 

[Pablo]

quote:

---

Redline Synthetic ATF (Dexron-Mercon III +)
Royal Purple ATF
Shaeffers ATF
Mobil 1 ATF

---

Not sure why this list didn't include Amsoil ATF. It should. Although I've seen very few synthetic ATF shootouts, in real life applications it performs flawlessly.

 

[outrun]

A)To the OEM's that do not recommend ATF changes....only an analysis can determine the true shape and protective (or destructive) composition of an ATF. There are just to many variables that come to play in the life of a driven vehicle.

B)Many examples abound of OEM's overestimating service life of the newer products..DEX-COOLS of 5yrs/150,00k, or 10,000k Mobil 1 lube changes.

C)As far as the filter....any transmission shop I speak to are for changing the stainer assembly. It is cheap insurance and I have never heard of changing the filter by itself as the sole causality of a automatic transmission failure.

D)The introduction from the factory lines to dealers of the ATF flushing machines has been a long overdue boon to the SHAM standard pan service. I stand on that point...changing 90% of old oxidated and contaminated fluid versus 25% is common sense.

E) AMSOIL representative: sorry about not citing yall as an ATF maker.

I want to try your Engine Flush sometime!