213,000+ Miles , Change At Fluid Or Not?

[Bucknut]

213,000+ miles , change AT fluid or not? Could be 400,000 miles for all I know, odometer is not working..

 

Last time I changed the AT fluid and filter, it was on a Camaro with 700R4 and 200,000+ miles...Within a week , it was slippin all over itself...

 

But right now, this truck gives the name "slush-box" a whole new meaning...Just worried that I am gonna make it worse with a fluid&filter change...

 

Any words of experience here before I kill it?

[Draenor]

Is the fluid brown or smell burnt? Can you see black particles in it?

 

If you havn't changed it in 200K+ miles, why start now?

[Bucknut]

Is the fluid brown or smell burnt? Can you see black particles in it?

 

If you havn't changed it in 200K+ miles, why start now?

 

 

Just bought the truck used...Knowing what I have seen so far (rusty cap and roter, clear water in the radiator, black oily plugs due to a small air filter with upside down lid sucking in oil from missing pcv valve, etc), I never know what was or wasn't done with the tranny..

 

For all I know, previous owner may have used 2 stroke premix for AT Fluid..LOL...

 

My only real concern was a clogged filter not allowing fluid to flow smoothly putting a strain on the tranny...

[Draenor]

Gotcha.

 

Its sounds like a gamble to me, by the way it was maintained.

[Dirtbikindad393]

I just changed one for a buddy at 104k for the first time it works just fine. IMHO the damage by not changing it is worse than the possible damage that will happen by changing it. I would change it to synthetics run it for 2-5k then change it again.

[TexasAl]

Well,

 

I've seen people start to have problems after changing their tranny fluid for the first time. My opinion, if you are having problems with the tranny, then go ahead and change it. If it is doing okay, then leave it alone. Let us know if you do change it.

 

-Al

[Bucknut]

It seems to be running alright , I was concerned that the filter may be clogged and I didn't want that to kill the tranny..

 

Unless anyone knows of an additive to add to the new fluid to prevent slippage , let me know..If not , then I think we'll just leave her alone for now...

[grampadirt]

Wouldn't be a bad idea to go to a tranny shop and ask 'em.Because I tow a toy hauler often I take mine to a shop who does all my tranny work...highly trusted by local guys,he know his sh*t...and this guy races a '67 Nova,much like Robert's '66 Nova.

[pennzoil29]

I wouldn't do a flush, but I'd change the filter, and replace the lost fluid from the pan drop with new atf.

[mhenshaw]

I would not change the fluid, its probably the only thing holding the transmission together. If it starts slipping put some Lucas in it. Otherwise I would leave it alone.

[ZZ327]

youll probably be saving it by doing a FULL service on everything.

 

If it doesnt slip now, I think youll be OK. I had my Work trucks transmission flushed for the first time last year. The other drivers of it basically only ever had the engine oil changed. It had 163000 miles on it, and the JiffyLube mechanic told me. The Transmission fluid was like mud! Its still going strong now @ 167000.

[Spurshot]

Change it! Change it soon! Filter too.

 

I can't believe that having dirty fluid in a trans would help any situation. If it craps out after changing it, it was probably going to do it anyway. I think all those notions about changing the fluid caused a failure is just coincidence. Not changing it has definitely killed transmissions.

[Black02Silverado]

From personal experience, every time I have changed fluid that has been in a transmission a long time and is really dark in color the transmission went bad shortly after. From talking with several transmission shops around here they all agreed that you are better off not changing it. Granted the life of the transmission is getting shorter by the day if you don't change it. Basically it is a gamble. Either run it like it is until it fails or change it out and hope it lasts but be prepared for it to fail shortly after you change it.

 

One shop explained it that the fluid in the transmission is thicker than new fresh fluid so it allows for the clutches to still operate within reason. As soon as you change the fluid out, the new fresh fluid starts to clean and is thinner and so the tolerance between the clutches is larger thus causing it to start slipping.

 

Basically it is a now win situation, at least from my experience.