92 lesabre tranny maintenence question

[Irie B]

hi everyone
thanks in advance for all responses.
just bought this car it has 184000 miles on it.
it runs really good as i bought it
the only real problem right now is that it needs tranny work
it runs and shifts fine. but upon inspection i notice that it might be leaking and the fluid is really dark in color
i hate to open this can of worms but i would like to discuss the question of
whether to drop the pan , change out the filter , replacing gasket and refilling with fresh fluid? OR i was recommended to do nothing out fear of major leakage. if i do nothing, won't the fluid break down, the filter clog and stop protecting the tranny? can someone recommend a partial solution, just to buy me some time before i will have to replace seals, of have any major work done?
please respond with any thoughts on this matter

thanks

B

[maxwedge]

Welcome to AF, once the fluid is that burnt trouble is coming, change the fluid, this is only of 1/2 what's in there and keep your fingers crossed.

[Irie B]

thanks thats good advice
do you know of a link to instructions on dropping the pan and replacing the filter?

[maxwedge]

Try autozone.com/repairinfo

[LeSabre97mint]

Dropping a trannie pan is messy! Have floor dry handy. Try to loosen one corner so the fluid only comes out that corner. When you get the pan off, clean out the black gunk on the bottom. Clean off the magnet (and remember to put it back in the pan). I believe the gasket is reusable.

I was told by a trannie repair guy that if everyone keepted fresh fluid in their trannies, he'd have a lot less business.

I think the reason why people have trouble with high millage trannies after having the fluid "flushed" is that crud gets into where it shouldn't and the trannie fails shortly afterwords. What I'm getting at is, I don't believe you can hurt a trannie by interdosing fresh fluid to it by dropping the pan and refilling.

Another couple items that probably should be changed are: power steering fluid, brake fluid, and antifreeze.


If the fluid is as dark as you say, I'd do a change now, and then another one say like 500 miles later. Or keep an eye on the color of the fluid and change it when it gets a bit darker.


Regards

Dan

[Alibi]

Here is a well-done tutorial that ought to help you--has pics!

http://www.lesabret.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2945

[Whoaru99]

I've seen a suggestion and have used it a couple of times on my truck about changing most of the tranny fluid.

The suggestion was to start with the unit stone cold as in sitting overnight so it's good and cool. Then, start the engine and let it run for just a couple minutes and shut it off. Next, feel the tranny lines where they go into the rad. One should be slightly warmer than the other - this is the line coming from the transmission. Disconnect this line and put a piece of tight-fitting hose over the hard line that is long enough to direct into a large container.

With an assistant, start the engine and the tranny will pump fluid out of itself throught the line/hose into the container. The fluid will come out in a solid stream with some pressure so hang onto the hose and don't get splashed. AS SOON AS the fluid flow starts to spit and sputter, IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE.

Now, reconnect the line to the rad and drop the tranny pan. There will still be some fluid, but not near as much as normally and the torque converter will be mostly empty too.

Change your filter, cleaning the pan and magnet as already instructed. Now, take note of how much fluid came out of the pan and what is in the container. Put several quarts back in and start the engine for 5-10 seconds to pull some of the fresh oil out of the pan as it will not all fit at once. Then put roughly the remaining amount back in (just a tiny bit less) the transmission - the goal is to come close to full, but not over full. Once you have done this, start the engine check the tranny fluid as one normally does and top off as necessary.

DISCLAIMER: I have used this procedure succesfully on a 1994 Chev pickup twice that now has 198K on the original tranny and still going strong. This truck has been used to pull a 7x16 cargo trailer for about 1/2 it's life so it has not been babied. Personally, I don't believe this will damage the tranny, BUT FOLLOW THE ADVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

[mcqueary]

The last time I had my transmission pan off I installed a drain plug on it (available off ebay and other sources). It should be much easier and cleaner the next time I need to drain transmission fluid.

[HotZ28]

Originally Posted by mcqueary

The last time I had my transmission pan off I installed a drain plug on it (available off ebay and other sources). It should be much easier and cleaner the next time I need to drain transmission fluid.

Yes, a drain plug is a handy addition to the tranny pan and something I did to several of my cars. When installed by knowledgeable people, the drain can make a nasty and difficult job, clean and easy. Now, "common sense" would dictate, that after you drain the fluid from the pan, the next step would be to remove the pan to clean it well and change the filter!
(Unfortunately, not all car owners have common sense)

Did you ever wonder why the factory chose not to put a drain plug in the tranny pan? The logic behind that decision was, if drain plugs were installed by the OEM, most people (including quick lub techs) would simply drain the fluid and refill the tranny, without changing the filter.
(This procedure would increase warranty claims!) Big $$$

Now, you ever wonder why transmission failures are more prevalent after a “Quick lub flush”. Could the new fluid (Unlikely) cause it, or could it be from not changing the filter and cleaning debris from the pan? (More than likely)!

[Smith1000]

I have used Slick 50 transmission additive in our vehicles. Also, I have used Lucas transmission additive. Every vehicle I have with an automatic transmission has Slick 50 additive in it. They recommended this on Car Talk. I also try to change the fluid occasionally. I have never lost a transmission. Both of our '97 Lesabres have this in the transmissions. One Lesabre has 162,000 miles. The other has about 130,000. I used Slick 50 in the '91 Ford Taurus that I used to have. When I sold it, I believe it had about 159,000 miles on it. The guy who bought it put about 15,000 more miles on it before wrecking it. The tranmission never went out though which is unusual because the Ford Taurus was notorious for transmission problems.