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service or not to service transmission


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Aske d a local mechanic about servicing my transmission strangely he said that he would not do it but they no longer need to be serviced he actually turn down work so is this true or should I have it serviced I have a 161k miles

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If its never been serviced before no,don't service it now,however if you've been servicing it every 30-50k continue doing so.

why wouldn't you service it if its never been serviced before?

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if you flushed it out the old varnish keeping valves sealed could get dissolved then you lose pressure and tranny is dead.

But how is that different than changing the fluid every 60k? Is it because there wouldn't be a build up if you keep the fluid new?
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No need to flush. Just drop and fill, make sure u change the filter. This partial new fluid will clean and suspend some of the dirt/contaminates. So after about 1-3 thousand miles, do a drain and refill. This will get rid of some of the suspended dirt /contaminates now in the fluid. Some people drive 500 miles and then the drain and fill. I have done this on a truck that had 170k miles (including towing) on its original trans Dex3. Zero problems, still running today. I replaced the filter and did a full trans fluid replace in my dad's 13 year old 100k mile S10 factory fill trans dex3. I put in supertech dex/merc. It's been 2 years and the truck is driven 50 miles a day work commute. Again, zero problems. Ur truck, ur call.

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But how is that different than changing the fluid every 60k? Is it because there wouldn't be a build up if you keep the fluid new?

I was told by several techs if you don't flush it every 25-30K, then only service the filter and the fluid in the pan. So the answer to your question is yes.

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I was told by several techs if you don't flush it every 25-30K, then only service the filter and the fluid in the pan. So the answer to your question is yes.

Oh, I was just asking about the filter/pan... maybe I misread lol I don't believe in flushes... ever lol
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The idea that servicing a tranny can kill it IMO is based mostly on people only getting them serviced when they are acting funny, then when it dies they blame the service rather than whatever felt off that caused them to service it.

 

That said if wanting to be cautious fluid can be sucked out through the dipstick tube change a few quarts at a time.

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After 161K with no fluid change, your existing transmission fluid is pilifirated (sp) and well varnished. Is the color of the fluid cherry red? if not you need to change it.

 

GET ANOTHER MECHANIC!!!!!

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All fluids will degrade over time and mileage. If the trans already has issues, changing the fluid is only a Band-Aid, but changing the fluid will not hurt anything.

 

I don't agree with the quick-lube way of sucking fluid out via the dipstick. Dropping the pan is the best way to see if you might have other issues (like metal or other debris in the pan) and is the only way to change the filter and clean the pan out. The only other thing I would do is blow out the cooler lines with low pressure compressed air.

 

Stay away from flushes. Solvents in the flushes can wreak havoc by dislodging varnish that can get stuck in the valve body or clog fluid lines. A good, fresh fluid can break down varnishes slowly over time with the detergent package in them and a new filter should be able to capture the very small particles as they break down over time. The only way to stay ahead of this is with regular changes with premium fluids.

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Obviously a pan drop and filter change is best occassionally, but if say you find metal, what can you do about it? Damage is done.

A quick partial fluid change at home via the dipstick tube is simple and tidy as opposed to a full pan drop and I think carries less risk than a quick lube type exchange where they claim to backflush.

Even just a partial fluid change can rejuvinate fluid by replacing some consumed additives. IMO the "best" combination of care and ease would be to once or twice a year swap 3-4 quarts through the dipstick or a cooler line, then maybe every 4-5 years deal with the whole filter. A tranny doesn't see the contamination an engine does, if the filter gets clogged it is already consuming itself which is why some cars don't have servicable filters anymore.

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