Do I need to get my transmission fluid changed or not?

[Naio]

It is clear with lots of teeny brown flecks.

2 shops(who do the changing $$$) said yes. One (who did not have a horse in the race, as they do not change tranny fluid) said no.

I made an appointment to get it changed at a small, local quick lube place (the fourth shop), showed up, and the guys said it really did not need it. They had no other customers waiting, so it wasn't a busy-ness issue.

I've been on the road, hence the multiple opinions :). I'm now on my last 500 miles home, over tall mountains. Can it wait till I get home or should I do it before the pass?

[Naio]

westend wrote:

Naio wrote:
Thanks, folks, a lot of good info here :).

No, it does not have a stench. It smells like oil... I am not really sure what is should smell like.

The van is an automatic, and has no symptoms when it shifts itself. No noises or anything.

When shifting by hand, e.g out of park, into reverse, etc., it seems unusually difficult to me, but friends who drive vans more than I do say they think it is fine. Maybe I am just not used to a shifter on the column. It's not like it won't shift, it just takes some effort.

For your own peace of mind, try shifting without the engine running. I think you'll find the shift lever moves with the same amount of force. This eliminates the transmission as a cause of bad shift lever tension.

Yes, it is the same (or harder). Thanks.

[spadoctor]

As far as I see the OP never stated what his vehicle is....As for the 50K yes that's 50000 TOWING miles which we in the trade considered the same as 100000 miles or more because of the stress and higher temps in the transmission

[westend]

Naio wrote:
Thanks, folks, a lot of good info here :).

No, it does not have a stench. It smells like oil... I am not really sure what is should smell like.

The van is an automatic, and has no symptoms when it shifts itself. No noises or anything.

When shifting by hand, e.g out of park, into reverse, etc., it seems unusually difficult to me, but friends who drive vans more than I do say they think it is fine. Maybe I am just not used to a shifter on the column. It's not like it won't shift, it just takes some effort.

For your own peace of mind, try shifting without the engine running. I think you'll find the shift lever moves with the same amount of force. This eliminates the transmission as a cause of bad shift lever tension.

I would suggest to change the fluid and clean any filters or screens, as to the Mfg's instructions.

[Bamaman11]

You have not said what kind of vehicle you have. But let me say something about transmissions. They're the weak link of any drive train. And heat is the big enemy of transmissions. Drive a heavy vehicle(s) over large mountains very fast and the tranny's going to be getting hot. That's when failures occur.

But the best insurance anyone can make for your tranny is in a auxiliary transmission cooler, like a B&M or TruCool. They're very easy to install and the cost is most often less than $150. They'll drop tranny temps dramatically and make your tranny last so much longer.

[CavemanCharlie]

spadoctor wrote:
You need to post what vehicle it is. Trans fluid is pink not clear. In Fords a slight burnt smell is normal. As stated DO NOT do the power flush. To do a proper trans fluid change could take as much as 22 quarts of fluid when you drain the trans...torque converter...cooler....lines and do the proper flush and refill. A proper flush should be in the 250.00 range since the fluid is almost 150 bucks I was a mechanic for years and have friends still in the business and I am a firm believer of leaving the fluid alone if everything is functioning properly and it has not been overheated. Many times you will see someone change the fluid and shortly thereafter the trans dies. I have never changed the trans fluid in any vehicle I have owned and never a trans issue even with 50K miles TT towing on a single vehicle. This is JMHO.

I am confused at what 50K means? You obviously don't mean 50 kilometers. If you mean miles is that not only 50000 miles??

[Naio]

You guys are great -- I had no idea there were different METHODS of changing the fluid, and that I need to ask a shop how they do it.

OTOH, it sounds like the good method is so expensive that I had better go to a trans shop and have them check out the existing fluid, rather than me guessing.

[2012Coleman]

I say get it changed - and make sure you go to a place that can suck the fluid out of the converter. Most places just drain the pan - not sure what the use of that is.

[Naio]

Thanks, folks, a lot of good info here :).

No, it does not have a stench. It smells like oil... I am not really sure what is should smell like.

The van is an automatic, and has no symptoms when it shifts itself. No noises or anything.

When shifting by hand, e.g out of park, into reverse, etc., it seems unusually difficult to me, but friends who drive vans more than I do say they think it is fine. Maybe I am just not used to a shifter on the column. It's not like it won't shift, it just takes some effort.

[rhagfo]

smkettner wrote:
I would change it after you get home. Especially if you have a shop you trust.
Visual test is important but I would mostly go by the book maintenance schedule.

needs to pass the smell test also.

[Yak]

A few notes here. First, most "power flushers" use the transmissions own pump to remove the fluid and a small pump to replace the fluid so it's no different than the vehicle running. Newer ones us a bladder system, so the old pushes the new in. Second, a lot of current cars and trucks have no dipstick, good luck changing it the old way. Third, I know at least Ford recommends using a machine.

[noplace2]

spadoctor wrote:
You need to post what vehicle it is. Trans fluid is pink not clear. In Fords a slight burnt smell is normal. As stated DO NOT do the power flush. To do a proper trans fluid change could take as much as 22 quarts of fluid when you drain the trans...torque converter...cooler....lines and do the proper flush and refill. A proper flush should be in the 250.00 range since the fluid is almost 150 bucks I was a mechanic for years and have friends still in the business and they don't do it.

Listen to what this person types!

[spadoctor]

You need to post what vehicle it is. Trans fluid is pink not clear. In Fords a slight burnt smell is normal. As stated DO NOT do the power flush. To do a proper trans fluid change could take as much as 22 quarts of fluid when you drain the trans...torque converter...cooler....lines and do the proper flush and refill. A proper flush should be in the 250.00 range since the fluid is almost 150 bucks I was a mechanic for years and have friends still in the business and I am a firm believer of leaving the fluid alone if everything is functioning properly and it has not been overheated. Many times you will see someone change the fluid and shortly thereafter the trans dies. I have never changed the trans fluid in any vehicle I have owned and never a trans issue even with 50K miles TT towing on a single vehicle. This is JMHO.

[LarryJM]

If you decide to get it serviced I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you DO NOT get it power flushed or with any kink of cleaning fluid such as that used with the B&G tranny service equip. All I EVER recommend is a total fluid change using either the internal tranny pump or a machine that simply replaces the fluid that the tranny pump moves and only do that with the same type of fresh transmission fluid you will be leaving in the tranny when done. Having it power flushed or using any sort of "cleaning fluids" is a sure fire way to kill a tranny with that many miles within about 10 to 20K miles of doing that type of maintenance.

With a tranny with that many miles on it with unknown prior maintenace performed I would also consider installing something like a Magnafine inline filter between the torque converter outlet and the coolers inlet before your service and then maybe changing that after about 10 to 15K miles after you get your tranny serviced.

Larry

[noplace2]

Let's look at the possibilities,

1) You go to a reputable (!) store and ask their opinion

2) In the VERY unlikely event that you have anything wrong with your transmission fluid and they suggest that you submit to further "testing "You might want to back away. TX fluid testing is bogus in 98% of cases