Trans flush time

05AZgmc · January 2, 2007

GOt about 51k on my truck, 05 gmc serria ext cab 4x4 5.3L. i was wondering where a good place was to get a trans flush except the dealer? any experience with a jiffy lube or any other franchise shop? or shoudl i just pay the extra and go to the dealer

C & A s Dad · January 2, 2007

I may be offering too much advise here.

I would recommend staying away from the flush. Drop the pan, replace the filter and put it back up with 4 to 5 qts of new fluid. You can do this at 15K but that may be a little early. This is up to you.

The flush is not a bad deal but many times it is used as an alternative to dropping the pan and replcing the filter. This is a "cop out" in my opinion. If a tech is going to use the flush system, that is fine as long as he uses it to remove the fluid, then drops the pan and replaces the filter.

I do not think you are going to find many Jiffy Lubes that will do this but I could be wrong. They will also try to convince you that the filter is a screen and the flushing will clean it out. This is simply not true. I would highly recommend tht you change the filter when you change the fluid.

One Professional Tech put it like this. When you take a shower, would you wash under one arm and not the other?

rmreid · January 2, 2007

For what it's worth:

2 of the local "LARGE" well respected Chevy dealerships here do tranny flushes and do not drop the pan. A tranny flush at the dealership around here will cost you $119.99 if you do not have a coupon w/coupon $99.99.

I've been having the tranny flush done on my GM vehicles and have not seen any adverse effects of the tranny flush vs. dropping the pan and changing the filter...

C & A s Dad · January 2, 2007

Bob, this seems to be a more accepted practice in some areas than others. You will likely never see any adverse effects from doing this. If it comes down to not servicing the trans or doing a flush, I would take the flush. However, there are many professional Technicians that are not in favor of the "flush only" procedure. I am not disputing your report on the two GM Dealerships in your market but this is likely the result of a Service Manager who is not a Technician. The profit of doing a flush only is much greater than servicing the filter and I am afraid this is what drives the "recommendation" to flush only.

As with anything to do with your truck, you have to decide what is best for you. In my case, as long as the trans has a pan and bolts that hold it on, that puppy is coming off every 30K miles so I can change the filter.

PS I mentioned earlier that I have heard the argument that today's trans filters contain a screen type material that can be flushed out. This simply is not true. There are some applications that are a nylon mesh material but most applications (including GM trucks) still use a paper media very similar to an oil filter and it cannot be cleaned by "flushing it".

ken1mod · January 2, 2007

Just do the standard drain the pan and replace filter thing. Power flushing can get wierd. Really just do what the manufacturer says and you will have a long and healthy transmission experience. I managed a fleet of trucks under heavy use conditions and that is what we did with super results. Replacing the filter is the most important concept.

Ken

rmreid · January 2, 2007

Understood and agree to some extent

I guess it is the same debate that rages on whether or not to trust/believe in the Oil Life Monitor or to change your oil at 3000 miles, me I go by the Oil Life Monitor

Bob, this seems to be a more accepted practice in some areas than others. You will likely never see any adverse effects from doing this. If it comes down to not servicing the trans or doing a flush, I would take the flush. However, there are many professional Technicians that are not in favor of the "flush only" procedure. I am not disputing your report on the two GM Dealerships in your market but this is likely the result of a Service Manager who is not a Technician. The profit of doing a flush only is much greater than servicing the filter and I am afraid this is what drives the "recommendation" to flush only.

As with anything to do with your truck, you have to decide what is best for you. In my case, as long as the trans has a pan and bolts that hold it on, that puppy is coming off every 30K miles so I can change the filter.

PS I mentioned earlier that I have heard the argument that today's trans filters contain a screen type material that can be flushed out. This simply is not true. There are some applications that are a nylon mesh material but most applications (including GM trucks) still use a paper media very similar to an oil filter and it cannot be cleaned by "flushing it".

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fossil · January 3, 2007

I'd go by the owners manual on that one

05AZgmc · January 7, 2007

Hmm, i dont see how good it can be to replace the filter and some fluid, when you still have dirty fluid in the torque converter and other areas that you cant possibly drain w/o a flush. and from what i get of the dealership tranny service is that it is a flush. not sure tho, ill have to look into it, ill just do what the book or the dealer says, enless the dealer is just tryign to sell me something, and ill do it every 50k like the books says for a transmission service. thanks for the info guys.

01z71 · January 7, 2007

I went to the dealer and supplied synthetic fluid. They flushed the system to redline synthetic and then replaced the trans filter & pan gasket. I also got the magnet and bottom of the pan cleaned out.

I like the flush method but also like to change the filter.

c4cruiser · January 7, 2007

First, I would totally stay away from the drive-thru oil/lube places regardless of their prices and their quick services. The "techs" at these places have very little training and really don't know the ins and outs of the systems they "service".

If you don't lke going to a dealer, find a reputable auto repair shop that will take the time to explain to you the proper tranny flush procedures and the reasons behind filter change vs no filter change. Some vehicles dont require a filter change when a flush is done.

I had a tranny flush done at the shop where I work and they included a filter change as part of the procedure. My truck had 60K on it and I was prepping my truck to tow my 87 Vette so I wanted to make sure the tranny was ready for that.

Quadrasteer · January 9, 2007

There should be a past post about flushing the fluid yourself from the upper tranny line. It uses the pump in the trans and dosen't back flush the dirt and junk back through the system. On my '00 Sub. with 37k on it, 3 weeks after having a dealer do a flush the trans blew. The hot fluid didn't even smell like t fluid because they use a cleaning chemical and when they refill it they use a conditioner. I'f I had to use a comercial flush I would ask them not to use the chemicals.

C & A s Dad · January 9, 2007

George, you are correct concerning the post about changing all the fluid yourself at home. I have posted concerning this several times but the best instructions that I have seen have been on Amsoil's website.

If done this way, you have changed your filter, cleaned your pan and magnet and changed ALL the fluid. This to me is absolutely the best method and what I did on mine.

I still have no problem with a reputable tech using a well maintained trans machine to remove all the fluid, change the filter, clean the pan and magnet and replace with new fluid.

I do have an issue when they claim they can "flush" your filter clean with a machine. This is not true for a paper filter and IMO should not be done even on a vehicle with a screen type filter.

pnz · February 24, 2007

Had a really bad experience with one of those oil lube places when i had the transmission serviced on my jeep many moons ago.. The trans pan recepticle flared out to fit the pan and the "TECH" used a pry bar to get what he thought was the pan ennded up being the trans housing.. and so he cracked the housing.. This "TECH" then decided to cover up his mistake by putting some silicone on the newly destroyed trans housing.. Well i came in with a jeep that left no fluid anywhere.. but when i went to work and parked it for a few hours.. and returned there was a trans fluid puddles that touched all four tires.. Well i went back only to have the "TECH" tell me and his boss that was the way it was! So no more lube joints for ME

600 dollars later for a new trans casing.. i am lube joint free..

AcetyleneDreams · February 24, 2007

I have always gone to the dealer. The pros are that they will use GM parts (gaskets and filters in your case). I saw a Buick once that had some crappy gaskets and I later found out the customer had taken it to a Valvoline express lube. I'd be careful where you take it. Quality parts makes all the difference.

Angler · February 25, 2007

Not a believer in the trans. flush. About every 12,000 I drain about 3 qts. out the pan. Would like to know how long it takes fresh fluid to enter the torque converter ???