Car still runs and drives great. Motor does not burn any oil. Ride is still pretty tight and quiet. The only issue us the tranny...The fluid has not been changed since 40k. I wanted to do it at 120k, but my mechanic told me that the tranny would probably bite the dust is he changed the fluid. He said something about the "gunk" in the fluid is whats holding it together. The tranny shifts fine, but lately I notice a slight slip when going into overdrive.
Should I still change the fluid?

Anyway, I need to decice if I should keep it or sell. I start a new job soon, and will be commuting 300 miles per week, and I need something RELIABLE...don't want to break down somewhere. The only thing I have replaced is:

Alternator & serpintine belt - 100k
brakes - 60, 100, 130k

Oh yea, I hear a clicking sometimes when turning sharp right. Just sometimes...CV joints?

Will this car start nickel&diming me at this point? Anything I should check for wear if I DO decide to keep it?


Thanks in advance...AL

The cv joints are probably the first warning that everything is about to start falling apart. Id keep it, but get another car to drive to work in.

Car still runs and drices great. Motor does not burn any oil. Ride is still pretty tight and quiet. The only issue us the tranny...The fluid has not been changed since 40k. I wanted to do it at 120k, but my mechanic told me that the tranny would probably bite the dust is he changed the fluid. He said something about the "gunk" in the fluid is whats holding it together. The tranny shifts fine, but lately I notice a slight slip when going into overdrive.
Should I still change the fluid?

Anyway, I need to decice if I should keep it or sell. I start a new job soon, and will be commuting 300 miles per week, and I need something RELIABLE...don't want to break down somewhere. The only thing I have replaced is:

Alternator & serpintine belt - 100k
brakes - 60, 100, 130k

Oh yea, I hear a clicking sometimes when turning sharp right. Just sometimes...CV joints?

Will this car start nickel&diming me at this point? Anything I should check for wear if I DO decide to keep it?


Thanks in advance...AL

I just changed mine for the first time at 112,000. Three thousand later, all is fine.

That stuff about not changing the fluid is bull, in my opinion. Here is how that fallicy got started. Tranny starts to act a little wierd. So the owner has the fluid and filter changed. Tranny finally comes unglued, and the owner assumes it is because of the tranny service, not because it was going bad to begin with. I have never seen a healthy tranny suffer from a fluid change. Same rumour goes around about PTFE engine treatments. Guy notices his motor is starting to knock. So he puts in a Teflon treatment. 2 weeks later, it blows a rod through the pan. It's that damn PTFE!! It's no good!!! Blew my motor up!! No. The motor blew because it was falling apart. Teflon doesn't rebuild your motor, dude. Some strange ideas about things sometimes.

I have seen these cars go well into the 200,000's before really serious issues start to arise. That overdrive issue might be something that can be fixed, before it gets serious. I wouldn't ignore it.

With that kind of mileage, I assume it's a lot of highway? Those are easy miles. Keep that oil changed, protect it from overheat at all cost, and it should be around for a while.

Thanks for the replies. I think I am going to have the fluid changed. I called the chevy dealer and they recomend doing the "power flush" for $120. They flush the trans through the cooling lines and they say that it actually cleans the filter! Anyone have an opinion on the "power flush" or should I stick with dropping the pan and changing the filter?


Thanks, AL

I would say, drop the pan and change the filter, only sure way of getting all the contaminates out. I have a 92 with over 260,000 Km. and started changining the fluid every year about 3 yrs ago, still runs like a champ!

I'd always change the filter. Its just a filter, after all, and I sure don't want to trust flushing my oil or fuel filters. You just can't be sure that after that amount of mileage the filter will be squeaky clean.

I'd always change the filter. Its just a filter, after all, and I sure don't want to trust flushing my oil or fuel filters. You just can't be sure that after that amount of mileage the filter will be squeaky clean.

I'll second that. I think the exchange is a time saver for the mechanic, that's why they like to do it that way. There is no guarantee that you wont force contaminates into places they shouldn't be, from sitting harmlessly in the bottom of the pan. The pressure could damage an older filter media. The only thing I like about that process is it flushes the transcooler in the radiator, but if you keep up with service, and the tranny hasn't run hot, there shouldn't be any restriction in there. Keep doing the pan drop and filter change! If someone suggested changing your oil by exchange, and using the old filter, you'd tell them they were nuts! Why do we accept it for a tranny?

don't do the trans flush, just do a filter change and replace the fluid that drains from teh pan. Putting all new fluid in an old trans will "shock" the clutch plates, and can cause the friction material to be torn from their backing (due to the grippier nature of the new fluid). The clicking is most likely a bad outer cv-joint on the passenger shaft. Buy a reman unit and replace the whole shaft. Much less labor intensive than just changing the outer joint, and you'll get a warranty.

don't do the trans flush, just do a filter change and replace the fluid that drains from teh pan. Putting all new fluid in an old trans will "shock" the clutch plates, and can cause the friction material to be torn from their backing (due to the grippier nature of the new fluid). The clicking is most likely a bad outer cv-joint on the passenger shaft. Buy a reman unit and replace the whole shaft. Much less labor intensive than just changing the outer joint, and you'll get a warranty.

That is the first technically plausible argument for leaving old fluid in the tranny that I've ever heard. I could see that. I was suprised how much fluid I got out of mine when I changed it. Most FWD cars that I serviced only took 4.5-5 qts. to refill after a pan drop. This one took just over 7!

(had an old 1977 Ford LTD with FMX tranny, took 14 qts. with convertor drained:eek:!)

My 99 took all 8 quarts I bought for it, and that was just a simple pan drop change. I expected only 6 at the most, but I remember running to advance at 8:30pm to grab 4 more bottles just in case. Turns out that sucker holds TONS of the stuff.

Wierd thing was, at 2.5 qts low, it still shifted perfectly. Only drove 1/2 mile to AZ to get more, though.