I'm toying with the idea of getting the transmission fluid in my roadmaster changed before starting out on my road trip north Wednesday. The car now has 70,000 miles - it had 62,000 when I bought it in July. I have no idea when the last time it was serviced. The fluid level is good and it appears to be in good shape (normal color, no burnt smell and no sign of any metal). Are there is there any potential negatives to changing.flushing? My mechanic says he does some kind of a pan- off flush. I'm not sure what he meant by that, but I've read that a flush can actually cause problems by stirring up crap that has been sitting ans cause the filter to become clogged. I think that's why he said he does the flush with the pan off. Doe this make sense to anyone? Any specific questions I should ask or requests I should make about doing the change? Thanks again.
The pan off flush is fine, the purpose being to completely clean the valve body out. The trans filter is removed for this process and a new filter is installed when it's done. Pull your dipstick and see what fluid it recommends there and make sure that's what they use to refill it. (it will be stamped right on the stick). If you can request the factory style gasket for the pan, the neopreme or cork gaskets have a tendency to leak, the factory gasket is steel framed and has permeated rubber bonded to the steel. For a long trip it is not a bad idea to have the trans serviced. Most of the flush treatments don't damage or stress the front pump seal or the output shaft seals they just treat the valve body. Oh yeah and the flush should clean out the veins in the torque converter as well, it is the only way to get ALL new fresh fluid in the trans without removing the torque converter.
Sometimes you're better off leaving well enough alone with automatic transmissions. If the fluid looks good now and everything works fine just drop the pan and change the filter and pan gasket then replace whatever fluid was lost in the process. There are horror stories on car forums all over the interwebs about what happens after power flushing transmissions. One link is worth a thousand words, check this out. http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=252894
i agree any nasties in the trans are in the PAN laying on the bottom.THAT's what the filter is for! drop it change the filter and reinstall the pan and fill er up!
Ditto, just change the fluid in the pan and the filter...do NOT flush the trans. Oh and remember to put the filter back in.... http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22753 mg:
Is it a 4L60E? Is so I'd upgrade the oil to Dexron VI. I just unhooked a cooler line to do mine. Didn't even bother with the pan filter.
I personally like the fluid exchange machines, there is no more pressure than what is normally in there, the machines use the transmission pump to exchange the fluid. Now, as Joel pointed out in the above link you don't know how the machine is mantained or if it has been contaminated. I've seen techs screw up the hook up and start pumping old fluid into the new fluid blader. I've been using Joel's (Sherlock9C1) method to change my fluid for 4 years now on all my vehicles with great results. It's expensive going through all that fluid in a few months, but I've had no trans problems to speak of. '94 RMW- 90,000 mile on trans, '95 Caprice- 166,000 miles (just started the trans flushing 2 weeks ago) '04 Chevy Venture- 189,000 original trans, I flushed the fluid when I got it with 70,000 miles, now just routine fluid changes once a year. Mike
My brother got 750,000 kms from the transmission in his 86 Colony Park by servicing it every 100,000 kms. On the evens, he would change the filter, and on the odds, he had it flushed with the machine. That transmission was working perfectly when the car went to the scrap yard. I to the same thing.
Far as i am concerned flushing if fine for cars that do not have the ability to change the filter Hondas and the like there i can see a reason otherwise if your gonna FLUSH it i would highly recomend changing filter/removing pan otherwise the flush will just stir up the garbage in the pan and suck it right back in the filter
