High mileage ATF for high mileage auto??

[surferfletch]

I service my tranny every 15K, alternating drain/refill with dropping the pan. It gets an additional drain/refill if something else comes up, like my radiator change or coolant leak, just in case the tranny fluid heated up or got low. I'm due for dropping the pan in a little under 8K (160K). EVERY time I work on it I notice smoother shifting. I don't think it's in my head. It costs very little to drain 4 qts out and pump 4 more in, so why not do it every 15K. The first auto tranny I had was in a Mitsubishi Expo (Chrysler trannny) and I never serviced the tranny. Under warranty, luckily, it was replaced at less than 60K. Lesson learned.

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by marcre

..I think it isn't necessary to replace tranny fluid all the time. At least I hope it isn't.

Thats true. Every 15Kmi is a very generous ATF OCI. For a normal people mover, I'd touch it every 30K at a minimum. Do a lot of towing or offroading, I'd do it every 15-20K.

Joel

[Ramblin Fever]

I'd say 30k if you have a total fluid swap all at one time; but if you're doing partial's, I'd say 15-20k.

Just don't wait as long as 50-60k, as I've read of many failures on these trannies.

The only reason I'm doing partial swaps right now, is over half my fluid has 36k+ miles on it.

[df2000]

R.F.
The book say check ATF level at 90-140 F, warm but not hot. I think your ATF was above 200 F so level was higher and now you somewhat underfilled.
Probably, not a big deal as you lost under 1q.
My usual drain and fill take just under 4q. When I did filter change last year, it took at least 1q more, may be 5 1/2 q. I usually start drain/fill truck cold in the morning and by the time I add last 2q(engine runing 10-15min) it about right temp warm to get me right level. Last 5yr I used Pennzoil ATF, work fine,
just got case of Shell ATF at Costco for $16, so now it will be Shell. I think any major brand will be fine. Well... house brand ... you never know quality control and what cut corner...

[Ramblin Fever]

df2000 - I do believe it's a tad underfilled, as I did pop the bolt at a pretty hot temp. It's not underfilled enough to cause any "noticeable" difference in shifting quality, but the more I think about it, the more I know I let too much out.

Ok, so you do your drain with a cold transmission? Then - truck off - you add back in almost 2 qts and then start the truck to add another 2 qts?

Is that about how you do it?

I thought I'd get more old fluid out if I heated up the transmission first? Or is that necessary?

[df2000]

RF: exactly, drain cold, add 2q, turn on engine, add other 2q. Try to lift front-driver side, you can get some more out(1/2q may be). I see no point doit this. I service trans ones a year or it about 15K mi for me. I changed original filter at 100K. There was 1/8'' of steel paste on magnet, there was nothing on bottom of the pan, there was nothing like metal chips or metal grit in the filter. I think 4q drain/fill ones a year is very effective, and may be even overkill.

[Ramblin Fever]

GREAT! Thank you very much for the info. Let you know how it all goes - tomorrow!

[Ramblin Fever]

3 qts and 24oz sound about right?

If so, it was almost a full quart low, as only 3 qts & 2oz drained out.

I did the drain about 45 minutes after returning home this afternoon - couldn't do a cold drain as I wanted as my nephew was being Baptised at 9AM and I didn't want to smell horrible.

When I drained the tranny, I allowed it to get to a slow trickle, then put the plug back in, put back in 2 - 2 1/4 qts, then started the truck (in Neutral) and immediately was able to put in the rest of the 3rd qt, then put the plug in and got in to shift through the gears 3-4 times, then got back under the truck, pulled the plug, added a little more and each time it began dripping back out, I'd put the plug in, get in the truck shift through gears and so on.

At first it only wanted to take in 3 qts & 14oz, shifted through all the gears, and undid the plug to discover a very very slow trickle, so I hurried up and got in another 9oz (every board I've read, people say these trannies take back in almost 4 qts on a drain/refill) and closed the plug as the trickle wanted to become a stream.

All in all, I allowed it to run idling almost 30-40min while going back and forth, I used a water fish finder thermometer against the outside of the pan, but it said it only got up to barely 92F.

This doesn't sound like too much ATF, does it (3 qts & 24oz roughly)? Some having spilt of course.

BTW - previously only 5 qts were fresh within the last 5k miles, the other 4 qts were over 36k miles old - when comparing the 3 qts that drained this morning to the new stuff, it was just a very very slight darker red then the new stuff, like a deep rich cherry color versus a see-thru bright cherry.

Only thing is it DID smell a little burnt - wondering if that was from either just having driven the truck, or because it was 24oz or so low.

I ended up using Pennzoil Dex III (H)/Mercon regular ATF, couldn't get a hold of enough Maxlife ATF, and it was about $1/quart more.

[surferfletch]

Sounds like you got it! I think it will smell a little burnt as soon as you drive some, as you've just mixed some new with the old... Your 4L-30E will reward you!

[Ramblin Fever]

Took it for a good drive, 30 miles or so. Shifts great, except when it shifts into 2nd gear on an incline, it's just a slight tad rougher then usual - is the transmission having to relearn it's fluid levels per say?

I hope I didn't overfill it now.

[Ramblin Fever]

Ok, well, my transmission is officially out it's fluid.

Think that the leak at the floor shifter has obviously gotten worse , either that, or it's mad at me because I decided to give it a few days rest and drive the new one

Yesterday morning it left a 6" round puddle under the area of the range mode sensor; well, I ended up moving around the vehicles yesterday and put it in a different spot on the driveway, this morning I woke up to find enough fluid under there that it looks like I killed the neighbors cat

I did look all around under there yesterday, and you'll be happy to know it's NOT the bolts I drove it to work today to drop it off at my mechanics on the way home - I have no idea where to find this particular seal/part that's leaking and/or how to fix it.

My mechanic already ordered the part the last time the truck was in, but we held off doing it because it was only a mild drip.

Let you know how it turns out - FWIW, the seal at the floor shifter is connected to some wiring, and if I understand my mechanic correctly, it's all one piece, the part is $200. Probably with some mark-up on his end, but what can you do?

This seems to be a rare place on this transmission for a leak to occur, but for those in the future that may experience it - it's a drip that comes down from just above the range mode sensor, and within a few weeks to a few months time it goes from a tiny issue to looking like a murder scene.

[Ramblin Fever]

Ok, well, my mechanic called today, and you know that gasket they put on in February has been weeping ever since they did it, come to find out, someone overtorqued the small bolts on the pan so much that it's warped.

I have taken the truck back to them twice, as I didn't feel I should have to redue it after paying them; both times they said that nothing was wrong with the gasket or the pan and that it was the tiny leak at the hand shifter that was causing the puddles.

I personally couldn't see how that small of a drip drip could cause 3-4" puddles every night, and ONLY if the truck was parked on an incline, on flat surface it didn't leak - so how was that possible?

Not only that, but my crossmember was just drowning in ATF every single day - I can't stand a vehicle that leaks so I was washing off the underside of the truck everyother day, hoping it was just run-off ATF from the leaking fill-plug. But, when that got fixed, and I could still see tons of ATF on the crossmember, down the whole front of the pan, I knew it was more then something I had done.

The good thing is, it's getting a new transmission pan at no cost to me, the ATF fluid is DEFINITELY clean enough to drink (if you wish too ), and the source of the LITTLE leak is also getting fixed - unfortunately, I still have to pay for that.

FWIW - has anyone ever noticed how when one has preventative maintenance performed sometimes it leads to bigger problems?? Seems to happen to a lot of people, so I'm not alone here I know, but it gets VERY aggravating, especially when they don't want to admit that something COULD be wrong with something they did. I'd rather someone be honest and admit, "hey, I think we screwed up," and work it out like adults, instead of having to beat around the bush for 5 mnths, leaving the owner extremely aggravated at the whole thing.

I REALLY like the owner of this shop, I just wish HE was the one that still did the work. I personally believe his guys are responsible for this, and tried to cover it up and then HE found it today.

[Ramblin Fever]

Alright, well, she's home, and she's VERY CLEAN under there.

They steam cleaned the whole underside for me, as it was a big ATF mess!

The original tiny leak that they thought was coming from the floor shifter; has turned out to be a leak that was coming from the overdrive pan with the undercarriage wind carrying it.

All in all, I got off CHEAP for what it is they did, but, half of it was their own error:

new main transmission pan (original was warped); 2 new gaskets, new overdrive filter, 7 qts of new fluid.

The overdrive gasket/pan was one they have never touched, obviously the gasket was just worn out - Gee, with 157k miles, I wonder why.

Guess what - it's completely DRY!!!

Oh, and of course, it shifts REAL nice - it's got SUPERCLEAN fluid now

[surferfletch]

There's a filter in the overdrive? Next time I service the tranny I'm doing both pans and gaskets...and 2 filters?

[df2000]

Factory manual for '97 does not show any filter in adapter case, just filter in main case.