Read Hammajamma posts.I found what he stated to be the norm not the exception.I swapped my 06 Gran Marquis over to Amsoil ATF at 30k.Left pan and filter alone.Somewhere between 60k and 90k I do the filter and add make up fluid.Then net time around I'll do a complete exchange again with no filter etc.I've run several auto trannys over 250k doing it that way.I handled many many vehicles over 7 years doing it that way.Many and I mean many of the filters came off looking good and looking like they had many more miles of filtering in them left.That entails Caddys,Olds,Chevys,Isuzu,Mazda and alll of the Chrysler line up.Didn't change general catr and suv filters until 90k.Work trucks at 60k.

 

I've never personally dropped the pan. I've always imagined that the pan is so full that it overflows all over the place when you drop it. Is that the case or does a full pans fluid sit below the top of the pan and get pulled up? Just out of curiosity.

 

Dropping the pan is always a nasty mess.Not all that bad I guess in a shop but at home under it.YUK.I have done many years ago when I worked on vehicles for a living but once I left that end of the business not again.No desire to do my own trans service at home.YUK.

 

synthetics are the biggest hype in todays market. Years ago they were a great product but with todays refining and additive packages the group IV synthetics are no longer worth the higher price tag.

Fluid exchange machines, as fluid goes into the transmission it's being mixed with old fluid, it does not push the old fluid ahead of the new a some would have you think. If you know anything about transmission internals you would know this.

 

Group 4 synthetics are still in a higher tier then group three.That's just a plain fact.However a exchange machine works and you are correct in your description its still the best thing going.I have seen MANY mail carrier vehicles and others with BLACK nasty smelling fluid that when the machine bladder was emptied stunk bad enough to smell up he entire shop have NO signs of it after a exchange.No signs period.Drain and refills would not faze it in the least.I'll stick with full synthetics and continue to patronize fluid exchange machines.Heck its got a site glass and its plain as day whats going through and out.

 

I don't subscribe nor beleive in the synthetic hype of leave it in longer. I can change my fluids with superior conventional fluids (as compared to yesteryears fluids) more often allowing me to have fresh fluids more often.

In my opinion regular maintenance is more important than spending less or more.

 

Rather then strat another thread I figured I would ask on this one.

I just droped my pan and changed my filter and fluid. I mesured the old fluid and about 5.5 quarts came out.

So I fliied it back up with 5.5 quarts of new fluid....when the truck is running and in park I can see fluid almost halfway up the hash marks on the dipstick. When I put it in nutral it barley registers on the stick. so

1. How much fluid should go back in after dropping the pan and changing the filter?

2. how hot is hot when checking the level in nutral?

 

1. Depends on how long you let it drain, anywhere from 5-8 quarts.

2. Always check fluid with transmission in neutral, drive 8-10 miles and recheck. Fluid should be hot enough for correct level reading.

 

It's not that bad. Just get a 10-gallon plastic (Rubbermaid or similar) storage container from Walmart*, they're only like $5 or so on sale. Carefully loosen the tranny pan bolts a little at a time, but more so on one corner than another. The weight of the fluid will pull that corner down and it'll drain into the pan. When the flow starts to slow down, just loosen a little more.

*Or just do like I did and go down in the basement and find one your wife has Christmas ornaments in. I was going to clean it up and put them back, but it was too dirty in the end. Shhhhhhhhh!

 

I just had a rotate and balance all 6 with 3 being broken down and turned on the rims which made a big difference in the amount of weight needed on those tires.Oil,Lube and filter using my Amsoil and a Fleetguard filter AND I got to kinda stand over them while air psi adjusted and oil drain etc.Cost was $42 bucks at a big tire store.There is a moderate size chain of them..Asked about what kind of trans machine they had.A BG fluid exchange and using my fluid they charge $35 bucks.Now that's MY kind of service and prices.Point is I'm NOT going to do that stuff myself and have to dispose of old oil and make a mess in the driveway.