10 Min Atomatic Transmission Fluid Flush + Replacement (Most Cars)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAadc9fY

 

That's the way it's done, the way I've always done it anyway. I like it a lot better than mixing old and new in a drain and fill.

 

I don't quite understand. Pumping out the transmission fluid when the engine is on, is it bad for transmission? I think during this process, the transmission fluid level is always low, right?

 

I don't do it quite the way he did. I drain it, take the pan off and clean thoroughly, replace the filter (or wash it in the case of my DIL's RX (metal screen)), install new gasket, fill with 4 qts. of new T-IV fluid, start it with the hose disconnected the way he described, shut off (or if I have a helper have them shut it off) at the 1st. sign of air, refill with 4 more quarts and do the same thing again. By the 3rd fill you should show an almost instantaneous change of color to bright red, top it off and you're done. It's too dificult to pour it in as fast as the pump pumps it out. Trust me, the trans is BATHED in fluid (and I do mean bathed) inside at all times (even as it gets the 1st gulp of air) and there is NO danger of damaging anything under THOSE conditions. AT NO TIME DO YOU RUN IT FOR MORE THAN 3 OR 4 SECONDS AFTER THE 1st. SIGN OF AIR! If you pulled the pan at that point you'd see that the internals are still COMPLETELY bathed (dripping) with oil. I have always done it that way and NEVER had a problem of any kind, short OR long term. The fact that the trans. is always low has no affect on it at all, so long as it doesn't run out and you continue to run it for a while that way. As long as the pump is picking up fluid, the internals never know it's low. You don't RUN (drive) it low, but this type of flush is completely safe.

 

The key is to keep filling at the rate at which the fluid is being expelled.

Personally I simply drain and fill and did a pan drop and cleanup at 110k miles. Unless something has gone terribly bad inside the transmission (component failure), drain and fill ought to be enough. But that is just my point of view. You may have a different opinion.

Salim