Cost Of Tranny Filter Change ?

pastorscott · February 3, 2009

On my 04 burb, I wanted to have the dealer change the tranny filter and fluid, Whats the typical cost if something like that ?

Is it better to go to the dealer or a tranny shop.

thanks

Pastor Scott

bowserb · February 3, 2009

I would say dealer, only because they probably see more gm vehicles, and have probably done a few trans services on suburbans in the past month or two. I would say most dealers around here have been doing them between $150-200.......

I personally would say this from my opinion........ take it to the dealer,

I'd rather pay an extra 40 bucks every 50,000 miles to have the piece of mind knowing it was done right.......and knowing they put in good trans fluid, instead of some no name "Dex/Merc III ATF" stuff you get at walmart

Just my .02

BuckFeverZ · February 3, 2009

When I had it done a couple years ago on my '99 it was $125. I'm sure its gone up since then tho.

pastorscott · February 3, 2009

Thanks

Was going to do it myself but after reading the forums it sounds like some work.

merlin5577 · February 3, 2009

You could buy all the parts & materials and do it cheaper then if you took it to the dealership. Something to think about.

pastorscott · February 3, 2009

[ How hard is it to get that pan off. I heard something tricky about the tranny cable bracket ??

merlin5577 · February 3, 2009

[ How hard is it to get that pan off. I heard something tricky about the tranny cable bracket ??

The transmissions in our Suburbans are dimensionally the same so I can tell you what I have to do on mine, but only guess at yours without actually looking at it. On mine, I disconnect the shifter linkage, slightly bend the bracket back, then start loosening the bolts on the pan. If yours has a drain plug, obviously drain the pan first. Once all the bolts are loose, start at one end and start removing bolts, eventually the oil will start to leak around the pan, this is when it pays to have a BIG catch can. Eventually you will get down to one bolt. Here is when it gets tricky. You have to take the bolt out without dropping the pan, unless you dont care about spilling transmission oil everywhere. If you can get someone to help you, or have a transmission jack, now is the time to use them.

Its honestly not as bad as it sounds. An hour or two and you'll be all done, with the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

jpremeaux · February 3, 2009

[ How hard is it to get that pan off. I heard something tricky about the tranny cable bracket ??

It can be a real SOB! But when you think about how much you have saved it is well worth doing it you self. Just one thing to think about if you do it your self read every thing you can about it on this fourm. If I would have done that it would have saved me lots of time.

MarkD · February 3, 2009

Local transmission shop $100.

Spurshot · February 3, 2009

The gasket alone on my 4L80E was some unreasonable amount like $75 or $50. The filter wasn't too bad but twert cheap neither. Sorry I did this in the summer and have CRS disease (Can't Remember Sh*t). However, the gasket is a metal reinforced rubber ribbed thing and is likely ok to use again. I just didn't want to get stuck on a weekend without it.

Mine has a drainplug. If yours doesn't, go to HomeD and buy a midsize cement/mortar mixing plastic tray to catch all the oil, lay a big sheet of cardboard on the driveway/garage floor and ... good luck. Wear some safety glasses to keep the oil out of your eyes if when it splashes. Use Dawn dish soap in the shower to cleanup.

Spurshot · February 3, 2009

A couple things:

1. some shops and dealers have the capability to flush the system, including the torque converter and cooler.

2. If your pan doesn't have a drainplug, I'd put one in it while it's off. A local machine/fabrication shop can help with this by brazing in a threaded boss. Use an OEM plug for the engine or some such thing that is available over the counter, should you have to replace it someday. The same one as the oil pan would be smart. Once you have a drainplug in it, you can change it more often without pulling the pan and it will eventually dilute the old fluid in the converter.

Bad experience to relate;

I had a GMC dealer near my house do a trans flush after 50,000 miles. They needed to keep it during the day while I went to work. I rented a vehicle to go to work. I went there after work only to be told they needed it another day. Next day same thing. Another rental day. Next day same thing. Another rental day. Next day (day 4, but WTF was counting) they had my truck pulled into the service lane. I noticed the right side front inner fender was covered in oil. I raised the hood in the service lane to find they had obviously had a high pressure trans fluid version of a Water Wiggle under my hood. The radiator support and everything like headlights etc was still dripping the stuff. The hood insulation was a dripping mess. They had cleaned it up somewhat , but that's what was left for me. I chewed the service mgr out and told him I wanted a new insulation blanket for the hood. They ordered it and asked me to leave it for another day so they could clean it up. They also billed me about $150 for my trouble and this "flush". Now, mind you, I was 4 days of $35 a day or so for the rental car, plus this bill. I told them they would never, ever touch another vehicle of mine. It took me about 2-3 washes at the local spray car wash and another 3-4 hrs of disassembleing the fan shroud, etc to Simple Green all the oil out of the radiator fins and other components like the headlight (yup, oil in the headlight). What a mess and it cost me over $300 for this headache. That dealer went out of business last spring. No surprise.

ukrkoz · February 3, 2009

I guess, y'all are blessed with some magic dealerships. Here in Seattle area it's $470 filter and flush. And I do not quite blame them, as removing that oil pan is a female canine. Because of the gear shifter bracket.

As of the drain plug, mine has it, but what's the point - can't remove it anyway, no matter what tool I tried. And I am not the only one to have that trouble with those drain plugs.

I'd say, for the hassle of bending the shifter bracket - and breaking it when rebending it back or something - for $100, let someone else do it.

sillyazz · February 3, 2009

I guess, y'all are blessed with some magic dealerships. Here in Seattle area it's $470 filter and flush. And I do not quite blame them, as removing that oil pan is a female canine. Because of the gear shifter bracket.
As of the drain plug, mine has it, but what's the point - can't remove it anyway, no matter what tool I tried. And I am not the only one to have that trouble with those drain plugs.

I'd say, for the hassle of bending the shifter bracket - and breaking it when rebending it back or something - for $100, let someone else do it.

Its not only the shift cable bracket that gets in the way its also the exhaust where it crosses under the trans pan, if not careful you can break a shift solenoid or unplug it trying to get the pan back on. Plus doing this while laying under it F that . Take it to a trans shop or the dealer. Costs about $100 here at the local trans shop not sure what the dealer charges.

Spurshot · February 3, 2009

I'd be highly suspicious that the places charging only $100 are not pulling the pan and changing the filter. They may be just pulling a couple cooler lines and hooking up the flush machine. 'Not saying they couldn't or are definitely not doing it, just that I'd want to watch if it were my truck.