Hi all! Well, I got a little mailer in the mail from the dealer for a 89.99 trans service and decided to take them up on it. Being so nervous of a good running truck getting in the hands of a dealer to flush my transmission, I went ahead for the price. All I can say is WOW. I really never noticed how much a transmission performs after swapping the trans fluid out. I mean its night and day. This was my first @ 22K and let me tell you, this truck shifts soooo much nicer. More noticeable is when it drops into OD, it doesn't have that firm drop, just a nice clean drop now. It's like driving a new truck again. I was really surprised. Anyone else have such an experience?

 

I posted in the other transmission thread here that I had mine done last week; the first service at 15,000 miles. According to the invoice, the dealer dropped the pan, did filter service, new fluid, etc.

I have noticed no difference in the way my truck shifts or performs - not that is was an issue.

 

I dropped the pan added new filter and fluids and still shifts the same as before, no noticable difference but I didn't have a problem with it to begin with.

 

Nonford - for that price it sounds like the dealer dropped the pan, and changed the fluid/filter in the pan. Typically a flush is a lot more expensive from the dealer. Are you sure you got a flush for that price? I'm just curious, because I've seen some people report smoother shifts after flushes, but not really many after dropping the pan and just changing out the 6 quarts or so and filter.

 

Yep, they flushed it Lightman. The price is normally 139.99. That is why for 89.99 I said the heck with dropping the pan and try the flush (my first time to flush). But you know, after reading about it and seeing how it pushes everything out and replaces ALL of the fluid, it can't be that bad. I hear alot of debate of the filter needing or not needing changed this soon. All I can say, when I changed my own, I was surprised on how clean the filters were and always questioned changing them. So, it was cheaper for me to flush it and I did it this time. If the coupon didn't come in, I would of dropped the pan and only replaced 3 pints. I thought it was my imagination, but today, it shifts so nice. I was used to it when it would drop into overdrive with some authority. It doesn't do it anymore like that. Just glides in to OD. Hope everything is ok.

 

As I've posted SEVERAL times the FLUSH is the only time I had customers comment about improved shift and torque convertor lock up quality being improved.Its the ONLY way to service one.Anything else is like a shower and fresh clothes and wearing same under wear for three days!

 

OK Houndog, question for you or any trans expert. Why does the torque converter seem to be improved via a flush? That is what I am pondering. I mean, I only had 22K when I did this and it is very noticeable in all gears too. In the past, all I have done before was drop the pan. I knew by doing so I wasn't getting all the fluid replaced. This procedure does replace all the fluid. Is there stuff built up in there and gets pushed out and trapped in the filter? I am tempted to drop the pan and see. But, when I have dropped the pan, my filters were never really dirty or to be concerned about.

 

Fliud looses some of its propertys due to heat and usage.The torque convertor lockup has clutch's. Older more worn fliud causes a roughness.Just dropping the pan gets you at most on most vehicles 4 to 6 qts of new fliud.(some only 3)It is already contaminated as soon as its installed.Flush removes all OLD fliud through out entire unit and replaced with NEW.Filter is good for MANY MANY miles.I don't worry or change mine until min.of 60k and left HUNDEREDS in customer vehiles until 90k.(One of mine also)Just flushed every 30k.On work truck fleets we fushed MANY of them every 15k and filters at 60k.Mail delivery vehicles we did as needed(fliud condition)or every 12 to 15k. I'm NO trans expert just handled 25 to 60 vehicles a day for year after year(25 plus) for about ever kind of breakage/failure/situation you can imagine.

 

Nonford - sounds like a great deal, I probably would have jumped on it too.

Hounddog - when flushing, what do you suppose happens to the filter? Does the force of the flushing fluid push contaminants into the filter to be caught, or does it push contaminants out of the filter into the fluid stream to be flushed?

It would almost seem like the best thing would be to flush without a filter,and then put a new filter in after all of the fluid is flushed.

Since I got a PML trans pan, I may still resort to the pan dropping method. I know that this doesn't remove all of the fluid, but as easy as it is to drain the pan with my fumoto/finger touch drain valve, I could theoretically drain and refill the 6 quarts the pan holds every 10k miles or so..which would keep the fluid pretty fresh..(and be a lot cheaper than a flush)

 

Heavy particles that are caught by the filter to whatever micron the filters catch stay there.Heavier metals that are trapped by the magnet stay there.Lots of trannys out there with NON servicable filters such as Nissan fwd's and Asian Warners etc.There only serviced in a major repair/overhaul.Interesting how some of you "All"will spend BIG bucks on the truck and MODS/BOMBS but try to figure out real messy/cheap/pain/ in the butt ways to service something.Like lots of posts about ROTATING your OWN tires and trying to flush a trans in the driveway etc.Somethings I wouldn't,didn't do when I was BROKE. A few things I won't do at home.Tire Rotations/oil changes and trans servicing.Too messy,too dangerous/too time consuming and too hard to dispose of used fliuds.I'd rather pull a head off one of these trucks at home quicker then I do any of the above mentioned items.

 

Just checked my tranny fluid level today, first time since I had my flush two weeks ago. According to the dip stick, it read up at the S curve of the stick, about 1 inch above the full mark. I drained out about 5/8 of a quart and drove it till it was hot again and it reads about 4 mm above full. I feel better about the level now.

Shifts like a dream now, best it ever has in its 60K mile life so far.

Why don't they (DC) get this right? When I bought the truck it was about 1.5" above the full mark. If level is so important how come the tranny didn't blow up when I bought it or in the last two weeks after having the flush done???

thanks Jamie

 

Biggest thing to worry about is it foaming.Level hot and cold is fairly wide.All of mine have read high hot.No worrys here.

 

what cuase's the fluid to foam?

 

Maybe foam was wrong word.Too high a level and fliud gots to go somewhere when it expands.Out the overflo or some autos use to push it back up the dip stick tube.I've never seen a D.C. trans do that tho.