What do you to maintain your transmission?

[FLYERMAN]

Our vans take a beating hauling all that gear and I am wondering if anyone can tell me the best way to maintain my automatic transmission. The mechanics I have asked have given me conflicting information.

Do I flush or just drain and refill. I think the shop just wants to do what is easiest and/or most profitable.

 

[clean one]

I'm not a fan of flushing. I have a 95 E350 cube van with 209,000 miles i've changed the filter and fluid once, i'm will be changing it again sometime soon. keep it full if its clean and smells like trans fluid on the dip stick to me thats good. If it dark and smells burnt thats not good.

 

[Mikey P]

DO NOT FLUSH!


for ten buck more you'll find a shop that will open it up and change the filter, which flushing plugs the hell out of.

 

[Jim Martin]

DO NOT FLUSH!


for ten buck more you'll find a shop that will open it up and change the filter, which flushing plugs the hell out of.

agree.....you are only setting your self up for problems....

I get my oil changed every 3000 miles.....every other time I take it in I let them suck the transmission fluid out of the dip stick and put in fresh fluid....every 3rd time I take it down to my mechanic and have him pull the pan and replace the filter...

oil and transmission fluid changes are cheap..break downs are expensive...

 

[Becker]

Don't flush. Drop pan. Most gaskets are reusable or a new one comes with the filter. Replace the filter. Clean out the pan and magnet in the bottom of the pan.

Turn the engine with a wrench after pulling the inspection plug to find the drain plug for the torque converter. Drain it.

Bolt it all back up and refill with recommended tranny fluid.

Easy to do. But do not flush!! Manufactors advise against it.