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transmission flushes?



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 9th 05, 11:42 PM
Magnulus
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Default transmission flushes?

What do you think of transmission flushes or changing transmission fluid
more often than specified in owners masuals (usually 100,00 miles or never).
Think about it, some people do overkill by changing their engine oil every
3,000 miles, but they never even think about changing the automatic
transmission fluid. Yet the automatic transmission gets alot of use and has
alot of moving parts. It's the second most costly thing on the car to
replace next to the engine.

My parents cars never changed their transmission fluids except every
100,00 miles or so. And the transmissions usually died after 125,000 miles
or so. Imagine if people only changed their engine oil every 100,00 miles-
I don't think engines would last that long with dirty oil.

My car only has 33,000 miles. I'm planning on researching who does the
best job, what's the best technique, and have it done, or do it myself,
before 50,000 miles at least.

I know there is alot of BS and snake oil involved in the mainanence
business, often on customers who don't have a clue about cars. Some people
think transmission flushes are also a waste of money, likewise.


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  #2  
Old March 10th 05, 04:54 AM
Laura Bush murdered her boy friend
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Posts: n/a
Default


Magnulus wrote:
> What do you think of transmission flushes or changing transmission

fluid
> more often than specified in owners masuals (usually 100,00 miles or

never).
> Think about it, some people do overkill by changing their engine oil

every
> 3,000 miles, but they never even think about changing the automatic
> transmission fluid. Yet the automatic transmission gets alot of use

and has
> alot of moving parts. It's the second most costly thing on the car

to
> replace next to the engine.
>
> My parents cars never changed their transmission fluids except

every
> 100,00 miles or so. And the transmissions usually died after 125,000

miles
> or so. Imagine if people only changed their engine oil every 100,00

miles-
> I don't think engines would last that long with dirty oil.
>
> My car only has 33,000 miles. I'm planning on researching who

does the
> best job, what's the best technique, and have it done, or do it

myself,
> before 50,000 miles at least.
>
> I know there is alot of BS and snake oil involved in the mainanence
> business, often on customers who don't have a clue about cars. Some

people
> think transmission flushes are also a waste of money, likewise.


Engines suck in dirty air, transmissions don't. So it's unfair to
compare the two. I've been thinking of changing the fluid and filter in
my AT but it's a messy job. Very few car makers put a drain plug on
the tranny so you have to take off the pan. I guess they figure you
don't need to change the fluid very often and if we put install a drain
plug, it will leak.

  #3  
Old March 10th 05, 05:33 AM
Magnulus
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Laura Bush murdered her boy friend" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Engines suck in dirty air, transmissions don't. So it's unfair to
> compare the two. I've been thinking of changing the fluid and filter in
> my AT but it's a messy job. Very few car makers put a drain plug on
> the tranny so you have to take off the pan. I guess they figure you
> don't need to change the fluid very often and if we put install a drain
> plug, it will leak.
>


If you do engine oil tests, you can see wear metals building up in the
oil. That's pretty normal to have a small amount building up. But
eventually the oil cannot really hold any more, and then it's time to change
the oil, otherwise the wear metals start depositing on something inside the
engine and you'll get alot more wear and a failure. With a transmission,
you are going to get wear metals, too. Maybe not as many, but they'll still
be there.

Any oil, engine or ATF, is also going to eventually break down, even if
it's synthetic. The additives, if any, will probably break down first.
This broken down oil will no longer have the viscosity that the moving parts
needs. Automatic transmissions can also undergo alot of heat, and this will
heat up the oil, especially in the torque converter.

Here's the way I see it. Most automatic transmissions fail long after
the warranty on the car has ended, about the time most sheeple are expected
back at the dealer for a new car. So why would the manufacturer care if you
change your automatic transmission fluid as often as it should? Having at
automatic transmission fail at 125,000 miles is not going to be as big a
mark against a brand's reputation for reliability. OTOH, having a problem
like an electrical window problem is going to mark off alot more points with
the so-called experts like Consumer Reports, even though the electric window
failing is far, far more trivial.


 




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