Transmission flush? Good or bad?

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Originally Posted By: CKN
[]And if anyone of them would have performed the flush and your transmission failed you would be on here complaining like crazy. Mechanics can't win here on BITOG because the shade tree mechanics all know better.


+10
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Originally Posted By: Mackelroy
The tranny flush is about $200 , I took my wifes Rv4 with 120,000 miles to Firestone(vehicle ran fine), they wouldn't touch the tranny oil with that mileage. Then went to a Ammco(specialized tranny place), they wouldn't touch it either, said tranny was full of debri, said just run it, till death. That didn't really work for me, I might as well trade the vehicle.

Then I called Toyota to do it, and they said we might refuse it too.

Screw them all, and they actually did me a favor. I bought the oil, $30, drained, the oil was discolored, but there was no heavy fiber debri like Amsoil said. (they just didn't want to mess with it, cause they already had a rav 4 in the shop with tranny ecm issues.

The pan was super easy to drain, don't even have to jack the vehicle up, poured out the waste container, totally clean. I repeted this procedure 3 times over the next couple of weeks. Actually easier than changing the regular oil.

So all these shops saved me a lot of money, 30,000 miles later everything working fine, and I don't have to rid the vehicle.


So you're angry because these shops don't want to be "on the hook" for repairing your transmission when there's a chance it'll start slipping after they change out the fluid?
 
Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted By: Mackelroy
The tranny flush is about $200 , I took my wifes Rv4 with 120,000 miles to Firestone(vehicle ran fine), they wouldn't touch the tranny oil with that mileage. Then went to a Ammco(specialized tranny place), they wouldn't touch it either, said tranny was full of debri, said just run it, till death. That didn't really work for me, I might as well trade the vehicle.

Then I called Toyota to do it, and they said we might refuse it too.

Screw them all, and they actually did me a favor. I bought the oil, $30, drained, the oil was discolored, but there was no heavy fiber debri like Amsoil said. (they just didn't want to mess with it, cause they already had a rav 4 in the shop with tranny ecm issues.

The pan was super easy to drain, don't even have to jack the vehicle up, poured out the waste container, totally clean. I repeted this procedure 3 times over the next couple of weeks. Actually easier than changing the regular oil.

So all these shops saved me a lot of money, 30,000 miles later everything working fine, and I don't have to rid the vehicle.


So you're angry because these shops don't want to be "on the hook" for repairing your transmission when there's a chance it'll start slipping after they change out the fluid?


Same story, I had a rav4 with like 70k miles. No-one would change the fluid on it.

I did it myself in the driveway using maxlife and saved myself a ton of money.

Going to drop the plug in the scion xb in a couple weekends, should be a simple exchange.
 
I have to take into account the experts view, but they were wrong about the condition and situation, from what I saw upon doing the drain. Their loss turned out to be my gain.

plus it was too easy on that vehicle, they could have made easy money.
 
So you're angry because these shops don't want to be "on the hook" for repairing your transmission when there's a chance it'll start slipping after they change out the fluid? [/quote]

my choice was to trade a perfectly good vehicle that needed a tranny oil change or do it myself. Those really were the choices.

I do most work myself, but I'll pay depending on how I feel or want to deal with it. But yeah Im surprised they seem to only want to do brand new , or low mile vehicle . Obviously its a cash verses risk option for them I suppose.

But AMMco, said after draing a couple oucnces it was full of fiber, and may start slipping, and that's a specialty shop, where else are you supposed to go.

The oil was discolored, but that was about it, didn't find all this debri they spoke of when I drained it.
 
Originally Posted By: Mackelroy


So you're angry because these shops don't want to be "on the hook" for repairing your transmission when there's a chance it'll start slipping after they change out the fluid?


my choice was to trade a perfectly good vehicle that needed a tranny oil change or do it myself. Those really were the choices.

I do most work myself, but I'll pay depending on how I feel or want to deal with it. But yeah Im surprised they seem to only want to do brand new , or low mile vehicle . Obviously its a cash verses risk option for them I suppose.

But AMMco, said after draing a couple oucnces it was full of fiber, and may start slipping, and that's a specialty shop, where else are you supposed to go.

The oil was discolored, but that was about it, didn't find all this debri they spoke of when I drained it.[/quote]

Are you certain they actually drained some fluid?
 
On the website Cruze Talk - guys are doing drain/fills of the 6T40e.
Two things I noted:
1.) He says 10mm wrench - mine is 11mm (oil is 10mm)
2.) He measures 5 quarts - I get out exactly 4 quarts on MY ramps

Shine a flashlight on right side of engine - down about a foot you should see a plastic fill cap - need long trans funnel

I have done my 2013 three times - and you can expect nasty fluid. BUT - in all my decades doing PM on vehicles - this is the easiest. Last/not least - "dump & drive" once will not be enough - but plenty easy to do it twice.
 
Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
DO NOT let anyone flush your AT with one of the so called "proprietary" flushing fluids such as the BG flushing fluid.
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A drain and refill repeated three or four times should suffice. After that, drain and refill once a year. That procedure has kept the AT fluid looking like new for twelve years

My Jeep has a Hyundai transmission in it that is coming up for a fluid exchange. Out of curiosity, I called over a half dozen local dealers (Hyundai, Kia, Jeep) and they ALL use the BG system. You can request they don't use any cleaning chemicals and just exchange the fluid. One Jeep dealer uses Maxlife. It was a bit of an effort to even get them to acknowledge SP-4M as the factory fill. It didn't matter if the power train was still under warranty. Numerous Youtube videos show people using Maxlife ATF. For a guy that only uses OEM fluids, it makes one wonder......where are all these failing transmissions that have universal fluids in them?
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
For a guy that only uses OEM fluids, it makes one wonder......where are all these failing transmissions that have universal fluids in them?


Since you are in Michigan, here's a few sources of the aftermath.
 
Originally Posted By: SilverFusion2010
Originally Posted By: Mackelroy


So
But AMMco, said after draing a couple oucnces it was full of fiber, and may start slipping, and that's a specialty shop, where else are you supposed to go.

The oil was discolored, but that was about it, didn't find all this debri they spoke of when I drained it.


Are you certain they actually drained some fluid?



The service manager brought in a styrafoam cup with some discolored oil in it, and said it was full of fiber, and didn't want to mess with changing the fluid out.

I really think they were scared, cause they already had a Rav 4 in there waiting on an tranny ecu.

on a side note my tranny ecu had been replaced under warranty by Toyota about a year prior with 113,000 mile on it, Toyota got sued over Rav 4 trannies and this was a settlement, they covered tranny for an additional 10 year warranty or something like that, it took 13 years before my ecu acted up(very weird).

this was all fixed a year prior

my vehicle was running and working fine, was just trying to find a tranny oil change.

no professional wanted to touch it with didn't leave me much choice, but do it myself or trade the vehicle.


so yeah I suppose they had reasons to be scared with news out like this over a period of years on this model, but as mentioned my tranny was working fine, just needed an oil change.



on another side note, this vehicle has been very reliable, other than ive had 3 of the 4 o2 sensors go out once around the 100,000 mile range, 2 replaced professionally and one myself, just depends on if I feel like messing with it. I wanted to change out the 4th o2 while the guy was in there last time, but he said don't replace till it fails. Since the other 3 failed, odds are the 4th will go too, was my thinking.
 
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Originally Posted By: SilverFusion2010
I would have replaced the O2 sensor but then I'm confident that I know more about my vehicle than 99% of the mechanics I've dealt with



Yep-here is the bashing of the professional mechanics by those who dabble on Saturday mornings.

Like.....I.....said.
 
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Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: SilverFusion2010
I would have replaced the O2 sensor but then I'm confident that I know more about my vehicle than 99% of the mechanics I've dealt with



Yep-here is the bashing of the professional mechanics by those who dabble on Saturday mornings.

Like.....I.....said.


No disrespect to the mechanics who frequent here, they're sharing, learning, and trying to better themselves. I respect them for it. Unfortunately there are a lot of hack mechanics out there too, who often don't know the vehicles they're working on very well. I can list quite a few screwed up jobs I've done over the years by such hacks, because I didn't have the time to do it myself, and it leaves a bitter taste.
 
On my Chevy Colorado, oem rear brakes (New), only have about 5 mm of rear brake pad (drum brakes), at 33,000 miles during a brake inspection was told they were worn. I didnt know how thin New pad material was on these brakes and evidently neither did the repair shop. So I let them replace the pads (with some generic pads they obtained), also had them flush the ainti lock brake system. Upon driving the vehicle away, the brakes felt weak, and I took the vehicle back, and they reflush and bled. It was alittle better, but not as good as the supposedly worn brakes , that was on the vehicle when I took it in. The mechanic said, he works so many vehicles that he doesn't know what normal is. Anyway done deal, 40,000 miles later I think rear brakes should be coming due, and take it to a different repair shop.

They said on this type of brake (no rivets), you want to wear them all the way down, plenty of life, ended up changing them any way(rayovac), cause they only looked to have a few mm, not knowing (new pads are only about 5 mm).

40,000 mile later, I go to another dealer, to have my front brakes checked, they said front pads are fine , but your rear pads are worn and drums out of spec. Plus axle seals leaking. 4 or 500 dollar estimate. So I went up to see. So I see the pads and they look okay to me (and the actual tech said so)(different from what the manager said), but I took their word on the drums, cause I knew they'd been turned twice. But the axle seals weren't leaking, ,maybe a tinge of dampness around the seal, so I thought fixing all this, is a waste of money, looks fine to me. Paid the rack charge and on my way.

Later I went on and bought new drums, when I measured, they were no different than the ones I pulled off so I took them back and got my money back.

20,000 miles later, I decided to do my own rear brake pads ( bought Bendix) oem quality manufacture. It was tough, the brake cable needs a special compress tool , plus had to modify that tool. Once together OMG, brakes were the strongest they've ever been since NEW, after messing with different shops, installing generic stuff. Still running those same drums.
 
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