Tranny 100% drain and fill ????

[Jaxon]

2004 Malibu Maxx 3.5 lt. Auto 114,000 Km not Miles
2007 Buick Rendezvous 5 lt. Auto 145,000Km not Miles


Neither one have ever had transmission fluid maintance.

Should I do a 100 % drain and fresh fill and filter??

100 % meaning torque converter also.

Reason for asking is I,ve heard GM,s can
Be finniky after a complete transmission fluid change.

Later,
Jaxon..

 

[sm00thpapa]

I'm in the same boat 2 vehicles with over 100K and never had a transmission flush and fill.

 

[GearheadTool]

I know this advice may be frowned upon, but if it were me I would change out 50% of that fluid for the first time, but with a new filter. Completely unscientific reasons, however still I feel it safer.

How does the fluid look? Smell? Could be important.

 

[dave1251]

You could do a couple of short drain and refills of either valvoline maxlife or your favorite dex vi or a complete flush you should be fine.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: jaxon
Reason for asking is I,ve heard GM,s can
Be finniky after a complete transmission fluid change.

I have never had any problems doing them for decades so it would be news to me.

Drop the pan, change the filter, make sure to use a quality filter like wix, there have been reports of poor filters from China.
Fill the unit with about 5qts and pull the return line before starting the engine.

Connect a piece of clear PVC hose to the return line and place it in a gallon jug.
Have someone start the engine and fill the gallon jug or until you see air bubbles.
Repeat till the fluid comes out the same color as whats going in.

On the last pump out fill the unit to the cold mark on level ground.

Edit: Maxlife works great in these 2 transmissions.
Drain and fill is the nothing more than a waste of time and money.

 

[randomhero439]

Malibu:
Do a drain and fill now
Do a drain and fill at the next oil change
Do a drain and fill at 145k KM

Buick:
Do a drain and fill now
Do a drain and fill at the next oil change
Do a drain and fill at the next oil change after the first

After this, do drain and fills every 50km/3yr

 

[CourierDriver]

At the shop I go to for transmission problems the shop owner will not change transmission oil on an automatic over 100k miles period or if the car is over 8 years old. He says and this is view point, if you change out old transmission oil on aged cars or high mileage cars that never had a service, you are asking for trouble and he has been doing this for over 30 years now. But to each his own...................its your transmission, some shops will change it, and some will not. If the filter clogs up , he will save the old and pour back in and this seems to work for them. I know it does not sound correct, but hey, Im not a transmission expert.

 

[Jaxon]

Both need doing, Malibu, look color arn,t toooo bad but not great
Rendezvouis not good color or smell

 

[mechanicx]

+1.

It might be easier to use the supply line at the radiator cooler to flush. I would recommend Dex 6 and an ACDelco filter, Maxlife would be a second choice.

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
At the shop I go to for transmission problems the shop owner will not change transmission oil on an automatic over 100k miles period or if the car is over 8 years old. He says and this is view point, if you change out old transmission oil on aged cars or high mileage cars that never had a service, you are asking for trouble and he has been doing this for over 30 years now. But to each his own...................its your transmission, some shops will change it, and some will not. If the filter clogs up , he will save the old and pour back in and this seems to work for them. I know it does not sound correct, but hey, Im not a transmission expert.


Sounds about right.. I come from a similar school, of how "you don't want ot go putting ALL in at one time on a never touched trans, could have something happen you didn't expect." 50% the first time and a short time afterwards seems to alleviate anxiety.. again, not found in owner's manuals advice, but when delaing with unknowns, hey, its never killed one on me yet. Maybe unnecessary? sure.

But dirty/working vs clean/dead.

Originally Posted By: Jaxon
Both need doing, Malibu, look color arn,t toooo bad but not great
Rendezvouis not good color or smell



Jaxon, can you do a normal drain/fill on each, and then do a pan drop about 1000 miles later? ? Maybe that will alleviate fears.

Is the fluid BLACK? You are amongst friends here, you can tell us....

I have seen two GM cars with BLACK fluid, but both older, and neither even remotely comparable to your Malibu or Rendezvous.

Both worked fine with a drain and fill, that fluid was nasty...

 

[clarkflower]

Originally Posted By: Jaxon
2004 Malibu Maxx 3.5 lt. Auto 114,000 Km not Miles
2007 Buick Rendezvous 5 lt. Auto 145,000Km not Miles


Neither one have ever had transmission fluid maintance.

Should I do a 100 % drain and fresh fill and filter??

100 % meaning torque converter also.

Reason for asking is I,ve heard GM,s can
Be finniky after a complete transmission fluid change.

Later,
Jaxon..


I have read that a change of transmission fluid has left BMW's not slipping. They spoke of (I don't know) solids in the fluid that was taken out that made it grab

 

[Jaxon]

What about those quick lube places that suck it out???
Claiming 100 % new fill.
I do most things myself but don,t feel like getting that involved / messy

 

[clarkflower]

Originally Posted By: clarkflower
Originally Posted By: Jaxon
2004 Malibu Maxx 3.5 lt. Auto 114,000 Km not Miles
2007 Buick Rendezvous 5 lt. Auto 145,000Km not Miles


Neither one have ever had transmission fluid maintance.

Should I do a 100 % drain and fresh fill and filter??

100 % meaning torque converter also.

Reason for asking is I,ve heard GM,s can
Be finniky after a complete transmission fluid change.

Later,
Jaxon..


I have read that a change of transmission fluid has left BMW's not slipping. They spoke of (I don't know) solids in the fluid that was taken out that made it grab


BTW that was my 96 525i I was speaking of and I think they told me it was a GM sealed transmission

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: Jaxon
What about those quick lube places that suck it out???
Claiming 100 % new fill.
I do most things myself but don,t feel like getting that involved / messy


Jaxon.. I am not trying to scare you here bro, please don't think that I am. However, the only times I have heard of the transmission dying is at these quick-lube "trans flush" places. (Probably something to do with trans screens getting clogged up, but I am not an expert on this.)

And I think they tell you you are SOL if they do one and it's a no-pull, for whatever reason. I have heard that many are of the opinions that these machines aren't used right, and it causes problems.. I wouldn't know because I have avoided, but I hear people say NO for the same reason that "engine flushes" may cause an engine to die from clogged oil pick-up. Had a car drop a valve sometime after doing one of those. Right while I was driving, too.

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: clarkflower
Originally Posted By: clarkflower
Originally Posted By: Jaxon
2004 Malibu Maxx 3.5 lt. Auto 114,000 Km not Miles
2007 Buick Rendezvous 5 lt. Auto 145,000Km not Miles


Neither one have ever had transmission fluid maintance.

Should I do a 100 % drain and fresh fill and filter??

100 % meaning torque converter also.

Reason for asking is I,ve heard GM,s can
Be finniky after a complete transmission fluid change.

Later,
Jaxon..


I have read that a change of transmission fluid has left BMW's not slipping. They spoke of (I don't know) solids in the fluid that was taken out that made it grab


BTW that was my 96 525i I was speaking of and I think they told me it was a GM sealed transmission


GM trans.. Sure that wasn't the 540i? I remember something about a GM trans being in some of those late-year range 5 series.. 540 jumps out at me, as a "virtual" M5 but not really.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
At the shop I go to for transmission problems the shop owner will not change transmission oil on an automatic over 100k miles period or if the car is over 8 years old. He says and this is view point, if you change out old transmission oil on aged cars or high mileage cars that never had a service, you are asking for trouble and he has been doing this for over 30 years now. But to each his own...................its your transmission, some shops will change it, and some will not. If the filter clogs up , he will save the old and pour back in and this seems to work for them. I know it does not sound correct, but hey, Im not a transmission expert.


But this guy is saying he won't even change the ATF (let alone flush it all out the cooler line) over 100k miles or 8 years, but that's exactly when the manufacturer recommends the first change under normal use. Who are you going to believe?

Drop the pan clean pan and magnet, use a quality filter and make sure the filter seal is seated, and no harm is done to a previously properly working transmission by flushing out all the fluid with the proper ATF. That's my view.

 

[Jaxon]

I kinda wonder if the debris in the old fluid helps the cluches grab, thats why i am wondering.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Jaxon
I kinda wonder if the debris in the old fluid helps the cluches grab, thats why i am wondering.


I don't really think so but if a trans needed worn out, gritty fluid to operate it's not long for this world anyway.

 

[morris]

man o man i about forgot yes its a cut & past sorry. __________________
after you clean the trans. add this to your chrysler trans. an external fluid filter
1. go to auto-zone. get 2210, its called a power steering filter, but it is for transs to. it is for 3/8 tubing. by (magna-fine) be sure to use high pressure hose. Reff:http://www.magnafilter.com.au/magna-fine.html
2. for other sizes wix 58964 5/16 tube size reff:http://www.wixfilters.com/filterlook...sionfilter.asp
with this you may never have to drop the pan again. add a drain plug

 

[tig1]

Fluid abuse is a big reason for a trans failure.