Transmission Fluid change philosophies

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I work at a lube shop and recommend among other things transmission fluid flushes/changes at manufacturer intervals.

Customers have two ideas on atf.

1.If it still looks good, why should I change it?
2.If it looks bad, I was told by (brother, boyfriend) to never change it again.

So if customers generally subscribe to these beliefs, when will the fluid ever be changed?

Usually when the transmission starts slipping. they come in for one last try to fix it with a flush and bottle of Lucas.

At which point it helps for a week and then goes bad again. They fix the tranny finally, maybe $1500.

Next time the service interval comes around for the new transmission. They will still deny service, claiming last time they changed the fluid the tranny failed soon after.

See we Quick Lube techs dont have it easy.
 
Transmissions aren't like most other maintenance things on a car. When your brakes make noise, you go to the garage and they fix them. When your engine runs rough ..same deal. Good as new when they're done with it ..and it's usually less than a week's pay.

They just don't understand that the trans can be a couple of mortgage payments.
 
I think #1 & #2 should be their idiot tax. You have done your job by recommending it, if they choose to be stupid, then let them be taxed according to their decision with high cost of repairs / vehicle replacement down the road.

Sleep easy, collect your pay-cheque and use it as a great story here to tell us how stupid the average Joe-Consumer is!

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Look at things from their perspective. Most people don't even read the owners manual and have no idea what ATF is or what it does. Owners manual have too much technical information for them to comprehend. They only know to how to put gas in the tank and get oil changes because their friend told them to.

Now a Quick Lube tech tells them they need to spend more $$ on top of their $30 oil change.... no thanks.
 
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Good luck educating Americans........maybe they should do some research....


Yeah, but the OP is trying to "edumacate them thar Canadians"...
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All joking aside... do quick lubes even carry OE ATFs? Changing the ATF is tricky business... one ATF will not fit all transmissions.

Putting in a non OE ATF can causes accelerated tranny wear, poor shifting, and above all void warranties. You would have to carry several types of ATFs like DexVI, ATF+4, MerconV, T-VI, etc. Are you confident all of the techs knows which ATF is best suited for which car?
 
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Consider that most of the universal fluids cover many of the fluids you have listed. One exception for sure would be Dexron VI. But something like T-IV, thats fairly close to Dex III at the end of the day. I see what you are saying and in most cases the tech has no clue about what proper fluid to use. Whatever is in the barrel my friend.

A simple solution would be to go to the dealer and get yourslef a case of said recommended fluid and take it to your trusted shop of choice. I did this once when I was really lazy a few years ago. Didnt have time so I went to Toyota and picked up a case od ATF and dropped it off at a tranny shop. They only charged me $40 for labor to flush it.
 
When I saw transmission change philosophies I kept thinking you can't make the transmission change, it has to want to change.

Perhaps you meant something different by philosophy
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Originally Posted By: rshunter
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Good luck educating Americans........maybe they should do some research....


Yeah, but the OP is trying to "edumacate them thar Canadians"...
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Looks like I need some edumacation.....S
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Still applies to Canadians and Americans..........
 
Again it's one of those things that nobody ever does because they don't think about it.

And then there are those of us who obsess over Amsoil or Redline for the next flush.
 
I thought the label "Canadian" meant "An Educated North American living in the northern part of the continent who is respected world wide when visiting abroad!"

If not then I'm living in the wrong country!
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Originally Posted By: StevieC
I thought the label "Canadian" meant "An Educated North American living in the northern part of the continent who is respected world wide when visiting abroad!"
My wife and I were invited to tour the electric power generation plant in Bermuda. At that time, we both worked for American Cablesystems. When our host introduced us to the plant personnel, he said we worked for "Canadian Cablesystems". I guess he assumed we wouldn't be welcome if they thought we were Americans...
 
I do pity quick lube techs. Easy to blame them for everything.
Most in general try to do the job correctly. But, they are usually forced and trained to upsell. And, all it takes is one bad quick lube tech, or business agenda, to make everyone dislike all.

At times, you must give the customer what they want and nothing else. Let the customer learn a lesson the hard way.

I also love to hear those engine, transmission, steering.... died stories from friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances.... 1st thing I always ask is the maintenance intervals. Many are too quick to quote the owners manuals. Other try to say it wouldn't make a difference. I just laugh.

If you must upsell, just tell them that the oil companies do NOT make a fluid that will last forever. If they want proof, all they have to do is take a sample for a used fluid analysis. Remind that auto makers are in the business waiting to sell them a new car which will be sooner since their recommended maintenance intervals are pathetic. Auto makers are equivalent to dentists that tell you not to brush your teeth, or doctors that tell you to eat drive thru, drink alcohol, and smoke...all excessively.
 
Originally Posted By: sunfire
All joking aside... do quick lubes even carry OE ATFs? Changing the ATF is tricky business... one ATF will not fit all transmissions.

Putting in a non OE ATF can causes accelerated tranny wear, poor shifting, and above all void warranties. You would have to carry several types of ATFs like DexVI, ATF+4, MerconV, T-VI, etc. Are you confident all of the techs knows which ATF is best suited for which car?


My store carries the following.

Esso Dexron/Mercon in bulk
AcDelco Dexron VI
Ford Mercon SP
Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF
Mopar ATF+4
Esso ATF+3
Toyota Type T
Toyota Type T-IV
Toyota WS
Nissan Matic J
Nissan Matic K
Nissan CVT
Honda ATF Z1
Hyundai SPIII
VW/AUDI AE ATF
 
Originally Posted By: silverrat

Customers have two ideas on atf.

1.If it still looks good, why should I change it?
2.If it looks bad, I was told by (brother, boyfriend) to never change it again.

So if customers generally subscribe to these beliefs, when will the fluid ever be changed?



when they change the transmission
 
2.If it looks bad, I was told by (brother, boyfriend) to never change it again.


I`d always heard that as well. I had an Olds Trofeo years ago. I changed the tranny fluid when the car had about 130k on it. Fluid was brown and had a burnt smell to it,but the tranny shifted like a dream. So I changed the fluid,and the very next day,that tranny went out. Coincidence or is there something to this urban legend?
 
It depends on what the actual failure was. So, it was coincidence until proven otherwise.

I changed my oil and got hit by a pickup truck(this has happened twice). So, OCIs cause truck accidents! Still waiting for my car insurance to give me the 'poor maintenance interval' discount.

And, don't even ask about my 1st car totaled in line at the car wash. Needless to say, my cars all stay dirty now and I'm accident free.
 
Leave a copy of these posts in your waiting room. Sounds like you're trying to do a good job, sometimes this becomes contagious...
 
2007 F150,38K miles,4R75E trans

At 24K miles I bought a new pan and TIG welded a 1/4" thread-o-let onto it for a drain.I replaced the filter at the same time.I know a few Ford techs at my local Ford dealership and their advice to me is to drain the pan every 10K miles and it should be as good as doing a flush.
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