Transmission Fluid Question (With Pictures)

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tom joyce

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Auto Tranny fluid should NEVER get worn out or dirty. If it does then there is other problems. It is not exposed to what other fluids are exposed to - except heat. Heat is the killer of most trannys and it's fluid. Tranny fluid is red because of a dye added to the fluid. It is designed to turn dark brown when it gets over heated - hense the burnt color/smell. Even fresh tranny fluid can get burnt in a few hundred miles down the road. Point being, tranny fluid does not go bad - something else goes first, (abuse, heavy towing, burn outs, over heating coolant etc etc.) overheats the fluid, thus causing clutches to fail, and that is what causes good running trannys to fail - NOT THE FLUID....
Understanding that - I would never change the fluid you have posted.
Also realize, that when you change the fluid (especially when upgrading to dex6) you are introducing new cleaning agents into your transmission. This may seem good - but it isn't. Trannys like to be worn in once. Cleaning them out introduces a whole new break in process. Not good for the friction plates and valves.
Also, transmission flushes, non-spec additives, fixes in a bottle, stop leak etc etc. are ALL snake oil. Some certainly work, but for a transmission that is running good, they will NOT make them better or last longer...They will lessen their life...
 

DerekTheGreat

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The 700R4 in my '89 Fireturd had never seen a trans service in the years my dad beat on it. Looked brown & dingy, shifted rough and eventually the torque convertor lock-up function came and went..

Well, when I was 19 the radiator decided to blow apart and I replaced it. Dumb me over filled the trans fluid so I then overdrained it by taking the return line off the cooler for a few seconds. Filled it correctly with Quaker state Dexron III or whatever it called for and it shifted like a hot knife through warm butter at that point. I'd say two quarts of fresh stuff were introduced to the system. Continued to shift great until the torque convertor lock-up got sketchy. At that point I had the pan dropped, filter changed & lost fluid replaced. Regained TC lock-up and shifts have still be great. Trans works well and I'd do it again on any other autofail I buy.
 
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