jeffclemons Posted April 22, 2012 Report Share Posted April 22, 2012 Was just wondering if I should change transmission fluid if it has a brownish look to it but it don't have a burnt smell to it or what should I do does anybody have any suggestion for me to try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffclemons Posted April 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2012 Was just wondering if I should change transmission fluid if it has a brownish look to it but it don't have a burnt smell to it or what should I do does anybody have any suggestion for me to try if so leave me a message so I know what I should do I want to try a flush but read if it has over 100,000 miles it recommended that it wouldn't be a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted April 22, 2012 Report Share Posted April 22, 2012 i wouldn't necessarily flush, but definitely change the fluid. even if it's not burning now, it could be soon in the future and old fluid just doesn't perform the way new fluid does. IIRC, GM lists these transmissions as fill for life, but they also only anticipate the vehicle lasting 150,000 miles. i would change the trans fluid in 50,000 mile intervals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted April 22, 2012 Report Share Posted April 22, 2012 i recommend doing a pan drop/filter change every 50k miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. Add a universal drain plug to make this easier in the future. About 7-8 quarts when doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) Was just wondering if I should change transmission fluid if it has a brownish look to it but it don't have a burnt smell to it or what should I do does anybody have any suggestion for me to try if so leave me a message so I know what I should do I want to try a flush but read if it has over 100,000 miles it recommended that it wouldn't be a good idea. 1. Consider punctuation. 2. Dump that fluid and filter before it gets worse. 3. "I" would flush the converter and the cooler in the process. Easy enough to do at home. I do it without help from a second person. Typically takes a few extra quarts of fluid, but it's well-worth the added expense. old fluid just doesn't perform the way new fluid does. In part because GM has changed the specifications for trans fluid. Newer-spec fluid is much thinner than the ATF of old. If your vehicle is 1990's or older, I'd be re-filling with the "Dex-Merc" substitute for Dexron III. I'm kinda thinking that GM started using the current-formulation of ATF (Dexron VI) around 2002--2003. Dexron VI is synthetic, and very expensive. IIRC, GM lists these transmissions as fill for life, but they also only anticipate the vehicle lasting 150,000 miles. i would change the trans fluid in 50,000 mile intervals. 50K seems reasonable. 70K wouldn't bother me if the vehicle wasn't used for towing or going up 'n' down mountains. i recommend doing a pan drop/filter change every 50k miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. Add a universal drain plug to make this easier in the future. About 7-8 quarts when doing this. Every 2 years seems overly-often to me, especially since two years is typically 20--30 thousand miles. 5 years/50,000 miles seems good to me. DO NOT go to someplace like Spiffy Lube where they have "the machine" that changes/flushes the transmission fluid. You'll pay at least double what you should, and they probably are NOT taking the pan off, cleaning the pan, and replacing the filter. Edited April 23, 2012 by Schurkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 change dat chit! If its brown, change the filter first. then have it flushed the next day. not with synthetic. just the generic. if you change it every couple years no need to buy the expensive stuff. when I was younger I would take it anywhere and get synthetics all the time. not that I was doing something to waste money, it was "red line" and supposedly the best synthetic everyone swears by. I wouldn't ever put "mechanic in a can" or beaker shaped bottles in my car, but now, I have one shop that has a snap-on trans flusher, and that is the only place I will go. not the dealership anymore where it blows up the next day. I couldn't say if it was the pump they used, or if that red line fluid is thinner, or the thing was just ready to go out. but I like having fresh fluid every couple years and not take chances with 100k old ATF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) If its brown, change the filter first. then have it flushed the next day. Why double the labor and replace additional diluted fluid? Change filter, change ALL the fluid...one time, one process...done. Edited April 23, 2012 by Schurkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 just to help douche it out some more. what's the big deal if you just get generic quarts of cheap ass fluid anyway? its to save money so the shop doesn't have to charge you for a filter change. I just drive it around for a couple days on a partial change actually, then go get it 100% flushed again. and call it good. actually if the fluid was brown I highly suggest it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 If you can afford to have "a shop" use the expensive flush machine, you can afford to buy three feet of tubing and a drain pan, and flush it yourself, in your driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 heck yeah as long as it gets done. what's the exact way to accomplish that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 (edited) The trans cooler has an inlet and an outlet fitting. The older cars typically use 5/16 steel tubing for cooler plumbing, along with the SAE inverted flare nuts to attach the cooler tubes to the cooler. (Newer vehicles have different plumbing, often with metric-thread or quick-disconnect fittings, and makes this more difficult. Buy what you need for YOUR vehicle!) For those that use the old steel tubing/inverted flare nuts, figure out which one is the outlet from the cooler. Also called the "return" tube, that takes the cooled fluid back to the transmission. Drop the trans pan, replace the filter, clean and reinstall the pan using normal service procedures. Install a drain plug kit in the pan if desired. Disconnect the steel tube from the outlet of the transmission cooler. Thread a ~3 foot piece of pre-flared steel tube (purchased at any auto parts store in North America) into the cooler. Bend the tube as needed to direct the open end of the tubing into a large drain pan so that the fluid coming out won't splash out of the pan. Install four or five quarts of fluid--about the same amount you drained out, plus an additional quart--down the dipstick tube. Take a good guess, it's not critical. Open several more quarts--about the same number you've already installed. Have a few more quarts handy but maybe not opened. If you know the trans capacity, you'll want that many quarts installed or opened, along with perhaps three more. Having a helper to start and shut off the engine at your command while you add fluid and compare to the crappy stuff coming out of the tube makes this job more pleasant, but is not absolutely needed. Start the engine in PARK, Old, dirty fluid immediately starts gushing out the tube you've installed, into the drain pan. You're dumping more clean fluid down the dipstick tube as fast as it'll pour. When the fluid being flushed into the drain pan is as clean and red as the fluid you're pouring in--shut off the engine. Re-connect the cooler tube. Start engine, check fluid level. Top off as needed. Clean up any spills on the driveway. Dump the drained fluid into your recycle barrel. Check for leaks. Drive vehicle so transmission fully warms up, and re-verify fluid level. You've just flushed the transmission, torque converter, and fluid cooler. Have a beer. You're done. Takes maybe 1 hour labor in addition to the pan and filter labor; and the time it takes to buy the drain pan and steel tubing. (less than an hour when you've done this a time or two.) Edited April 24, 2012 by Schurkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 thanks, I will check with the homies on this so I am the designated beer drinker and key turner that gets orders barked at them. when they worked for their other shop they had that snap on machine, now; I am not sure if they do tranny oil changes or just pan drops. if not I will have to get a drain tube. Bubinga 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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