opinions on ATF fluid changes in cars trucks

Mike M · Oct 18, 2012

So how many change it at regular intervals and how often ?

I keep hearing horror stories of those who changed it and then the tranny went out soon after ? but then you never know if they were suspecting a problem and changed it to try and help it ?

I just got a 1999 Dakota with 71,000 miles on it. I have no history of maintenance on it. Fluid looks and smells good.didn't taste it-- LOL
Torn between changing it to try and make it last or if changing it will for sure kill it !
I have always changed all fluids in my tractors without killing them. Are modern auto trannys this picky that new fluid kills them ? Most I ask seem to think it may.

David G · Oct 18, 2012

I change mine every 50K.

Wile E · Oct 18, 2012

I am of the opinion that clean ATF oil is better then burned up dirty ATF oil. And the correct fluid is needed, check the owners manual. Type/viscosity/AW grade, etc.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 18, 2012

what does the owners manual say? My Chevy's say 75k and I have had mine done with no problems.
You are probably right around the right time for doing it. If it was high mileage and never done than I would say no. And in today's environment they do a flush which removes more of the fluid then just a drain.

the tractor vet · Oct 18, 2012

Six of one half dozen of the other. The War Dept's 03 Durango with the 360 has over 180000 on it and has never been touched. Yea i know i am on borrowed time . The problem with changing it is that you can only get out what is in the pan and not what is in the converter as there is no more drain plugs in converters today. , yea ya can clean out the pan and replace the filter , screen what ever but there is still a lot of trash in the converter that you will not get out and it will eventual contaminate the three to four qts you just put in . So this is my take on this All slush boxes fail over time and how fast they will fail depends on what you do with it. Pulling works on them getting stuck and rocking back and forth works on them stop and go driving works on them . So when it goes yuck youcko phue then ya replace rebuild with a new converter and refill and go again . If that Durango would have had a standard i am sure that i would also have to put a clutch in it at some point also. If man made it it will break at some point, that is why we have tools.

42 M · Oct 18, 2012

Either it was always changed at regular intervals or never change it. With the new elec trans the tolerances are a lot tighter so more sensitive to poop in the oil. Your right on the boarder on to change or not to change. I would look into a remote filter and install it and change the filter often 2-3 times then pull the pan and do a major change. WHAT EVER YOU DO DON'T POWER FLUSH IT! You will be walking shortly after.

MSM · Oct 18, 2012

I believe the bands require adjustment on that trans. To do it requires dropping the pan to adjust the rear band. Might as well drop the pan, adjust the bands and replace the filter/fluid. Manual should spec the mileage interval.

Dick2 · Oct 18, 2012

My first Toyota pickup manual said to drain & refill at a specified mileage; Only about 3 quarts of the 7 quarts in the transmission drained out.

The manuals for the Camry and Tundra don't even mention changing fluid nor drain & refill.

Years ago, Ford said to never change the fluid in the transmission. Then the dealer cried that they weren't getting enough service business, so Ford put change intervals back in their manuals for the same transmission that they said not change fluids.

Gambles · Oct 18, 2012

Years ago, Ford said to never change the fluid in the transmission. Then the dealer cried that they weren't getting enough service business, so Ford put change intervals back in their manuals for the same transmission that they said not change fluids.

Dick2,
Do you have a reference for that? Which year/model?

oldtanker · Oct 18, 2012

This is a direct quote from a transmission repair guy I know. "If you do a flush you need to drop the pan, clean it and install a new filter when you flush it....right after the flush". According to him flushing gets all of the old oil out but it also knocks any deposits loose. Then that loose crap settles in the pan and plugs the filter and presto, the tranny starves for oil and you busn it up.

Rick

RN · Oct 18, 2012

Check Hertz rental trucks- the Ford based e150/250/f150s. The transmission pan has a drain plug and the line from the radiator heat exchanger has a filter on it. commercial amintenance was at extended engine oil change interval do a transmission pan drain for about 1/3 the fluid and the line filter change. Do this for 300,000 miles and then sell whole vehicle. My old Kaiser DJ had the tranny pan drain plug also, postal drill was tranny drain every third engine oil change. Couple of the newer Dodge minvans have 30,000 mile tranny change intervals noted in manual- and that is the high priced semi synthetic fluid. The practice of not changing tranny fluid as suggested is a example of extra quality built into transmissions now- engineers are figuring only commercial users read the manual even 1/2 the time, rest will abuse cars and light trucks so the engineers add a little capacity to get through warantee period- or the legal dept puts in a "must service at dealer for warantee honored" line in sales contracts. Allison trannies have drain plug for heavy trucks, Ford E450s also and recommended change with engine oil- and the diesel engines get the old oil filtered and put in fuel tanks to dispose of. RN .

tomNE · Oct 18, 2012

as i was taught for years when i ran my shop was.
if fluid wasn't changed in the first 50k, don't change it unless really dirty or burnt and then it's prolly a waste of time!

huntingreen2day2 · Oct 18, 2012

I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevy Silverado 3500 both of them had just over 150K on them and were shifting fine. Never changed the trans oil or filter.

JayinNY · Oct 18, 2012

I have 99 Dakota, had ATF and filter changed once, it wasent shifting right in cold weather. Staying in 2nd gear unless I reved it up, truck has 178,000 on it still same tranny never rebuilt, I usually change the ATF and filter once in my trucks, all pull a trailer and have over 170,000 miles on them. I wouldent worry about it at 71000 miles maybe 120,000 or more.

Duner Wi · Oct 18, 2012

When I get a new old vehicle I change the fluid, filter and put a drain plug in the pan along with additional magnets. After that I drain what I can get and replace fluid every 2 years or so.

Matt in Mich · Oct 18, 2012

Currently driving a Buick Century with over 300K on it. Never changed fluid. Have never changed tranny fluid on any of my vehicles, and usually get 250K plus miles at least. Just my $.02 worth.

Russel AZ · Oct 18, 2012

Dodge 99 Dakota shows first trans oil change at 37,500. Normal service.

New fluid won't hurt.

LeoinMI · Oct 18, 2012

Got a 99 Dodge 4x4 pick-up. 110,000 miles. Changed the tranny fluid and filter once. Never had a problem. Service manual says once wvwry 80.000 miles. I agree with the others,...only if the oil looks burnt or the filter is due to be changed.

John A. · Oct 18, 2012

Mike, Here in Texas,, Heat is the #1 killer of most trannies! 2nd is dirty oil / stopped up filters.
Here most of us will cut the tranny loose from the radiator cooler, in favor of a stand alone cooler in front of the radiator! Most especially on older G.Ms. Suburbans and Pickups.
I would check Dodges specs on tranny maintenance. and do accordingly. At 71K, the truck is just past being broke in, IMO Take it to Dodge and see what they say and do it. Hop[e this helps.
Later,
John A.

toadady · Oct 18, 2012

some dodge's have a sump filter AND a spin on filter IN the trans. don't know right off my head if your's does,

on the trucks you need to have the bands adjusted too.

and make shure you use ATF+4, it replaces the +3

as for flushing on high milage trans' i've heard many storys about it loosing up junk in the passage ways then getting caught in the solonoids making them useless

Morgan Flowers · Oct 18, 2012

(quoted from post at 22:53:48 10/18/12)

Years ago, Ford said to never change the fluid in the transmission. Then the dealer cried that they weren't getting enough service business, so Ford put change intervals back in their manuals for the same transmission that they said not change fluids.

Click to expand...

Dick2,
Do you have a reference for that? Which year/model?

I have seen this also in a Haynes manual for 83-91 Ford Rangers. I know we had a 85 with a 2.8 v6 and a 3 speed auto and the manual said to never change the transmission fluid. I also remember reading in my brother in laws 2005 Mustang v6 to never check or change the rear differential oil unless you notice leaks. I guess they figure they put the good stuff in and more than likely what the owner would put back in it wouldn't be as good as original?

Mike M · Oct 19, 2012

Manual says if you tow do it every 12,000 for schedule "B" do it every 30,000 and for "A" normal driving do it 100,000.
It doesn't have a reese hitch on it,but don't know if it ever pulled with the step bumper ?
If I do it and I likely will because I can't keep my hands off this kinda stuff,I will just drop the pan and change what fluid comes out and the filter. I have seen on some dodge forums that if it shifts fine to leave the bands alone.

dhermesc · Oct 19, 2012

Change it.

If you change your transmission fluid as often as you are supposed to you only need to do the flush. Take the hoses loose at the radiator and let the transmission pump suck in the new fluid while pumping out the old. Every transmission I've owned (I know there are others) only have a screen to keep the big chunks from being sucked back through the transmission. If your transmission screen is clogged with large chunks you need a rebuild - not a fluid and screen change.

Beings how this is a Dodge, you may want to drop the pan and see for yourself what you are dealing with. Maybe their new 8 speeds will be better than the POSs they been selling for years.

Texasmark1 · Oct 19, 2012

I read somewhere that the Dodge with the OD (4 speed I guess) tranny will not up shift into the 4th gear if it is too cold. It apparently has a thermostat controlled module to hold it in 3rd. I had 2 trucks like that and both acted the same. Bought them new. By the time I got to the nearest town, about 3 miles down the road, they would work normal, if the day was cold enough to activate the shift limiter.

I HATE to change tranny fluid in the conventional manner so every time I changed the oil in the crankcase, I'd suck out what fluid I could from the tranny and replace the amount I removed. I never had a problem.

On my '11 Chev, changing the fluid is not mentioned at all in the service instructions of the owner's manual. Guess they finally got smart and went with synthetic; same in the differential.

Mark

Dean Olson · Oct 20, 2012

Growing up we never changed it and trannies seemed to last about 100k. I bought used and ran them till they died, then bought another junker. Couldn't afford much then.

I used to trade cars about every 50-60k so never did any more maintenance than I had to. Usually just oil changes. Standing joke was when the tires wore out it was time to trade.

I had more money during that part of my life.

After learning about proper maintenance I now change the fluid in my 06 Dodge Mega cab with cummins every 30K miles. I even spend the extra money having it flushed rather than just drop the fluid and filter. It failed at 108K. It failed again 20k later, under warranty. It's now got 167K on it and it's never been quite right since the rebuild.

The previous Chev Suburban got changed every 50k and that tranny failed at 120K. That tranny was never quite right after the rebuild either. I traded it to the dealer that rebuilt it. Trade in guy said it had some trans issues. I said BS and handed him 3 service tickets from his service department stating "can not duplicate customer complaint".

My wife's Buick has been maintained exactly by the book. It has 120K on it and so far the trans it fine.

I'm of the opinion it doesn't make a lot of difference whether you change fluid or not.

opinions on ATF fluid changes in cars trucks

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