Here's Why Changing Your Transmission Fluid Will Destroy the Transmission

Changing automatic transmission fluid. How to check your transmission fluid with Scotty Kilmer. Here's why changing your transmission fluid can cause damage. When you should change your automatic transmission fluid. The truth about a transmission fluid flush. How an automatic transmission works. Car advice. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 53 years.

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⬇️ Things used in this video:
1. Common Sense

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This is the people's automotive channel! The most honest and funniest car channel on YouTube. Never any sponsored content, just the truth about everything! Learn how to fix your car and how it works. Get a chance to show off your own car on Sundays. Or show off your own car mod on Wednesdays. Tool giveaways every Monday to help you with your own car projects. We have a new video every day! I've been an auto mechanic for the past 50 years and I'm here to share my knowledge with you.

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[scottykilmer]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


⬇️Scotty’s Top DIY Tools:

⬇️ Things used in this video:
1. Common Sense

[vondrebridges]

I swear whenever I think of doing something to my car Scotty literally post about it.

[monkeyxiong]

I’m a machine and I agree with this guy. Never ever change the transmission fluid. You know what, don’t change your engine oil too. After a while, your transmission and engine will make some very cool noise

[KaiFoxx]

I changed the transmission fluid on a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with 400k kms and it improved drastically.

[brianr]

Next scotty video, changing your wipers writes off your car.

[barrybambmessagedeletedbyy]

Don't pay for expensive oil change scams either. Your car comes with oil from the factory.

[gwats]

Just changed the valve cover gasket on my son's Corolla after watching your video.. the weatherstrip Glue was GENIUS!!! that car is gonna last YEARS!!!! Thanks, Scotty!!!

[raw_pc]

If you have a DSG then it's extremely important that you change the oil with filter in it every 50k-60k kilometers or 30k-37k miles. It will last a long time if you'll remember to do that.

[henrymartinez]

Last time i was this early, me and scotty had a full head of hair..

[TrickyDickie]

Last time I was this early they still drove horse and cart

[dpaulitejr]

I love Grandpa Scotty. If you’ve been following him long enough, he tells the same horror car stories and I haven’t got tired of them.

[k-a]

Next video: This is why you always should change your transmission fluid every 10 miles 👈🏻👴🏻

[RJ-vbgh]

I've been fixing cars almost as long as Scotty. And when most people suddenly decide to change their transmission fluid after the car already has high mileage on it... it's because the transmission is already shifting poorly and the fluid is burnt. For the most part it's already too late, the damage is done.

If your transmission is only shifting using the friction material in the fluid, that means your clutches are already worn out and most likely your filter is bypassing the debris through your transmission. Your trans is toast and it's running based on your personal relationship with some divine being.

So the job goes something like this...

1 The car pulls in with the clutches slipping like crazy... Like 2500 RPM at 5 MPH. You tell the guy he needs a trans job... He says NO, he just wants to try a fluid and filter change.

2 You do a fluid change and put in a new filter... The old fluid is jet black and stinks up your whole garage.

3 Sometimes the car even seems to pull a little bit better when you pull it out. The new filter might be giving the trans better oil pressure.

4 As the guy drives away he stomps the gas to see how much new power he has... and he's gone.

5 A couple of days later you get a call that the fluid and filter change killed his transmission. And he tells all of his friends that a fluid change killed his transmission.... And a MYTH is born.

New fluid will never hurt any part of your transmission, if you use the right fluid. If new fluid kills your trans, it was already on it's way out. I've seen one case where a fluid change actually helped and fixed a dubious transmission, on a 1973 AMC Hornet with low mileage. There's an exception to every rule, so it might not hurt to try a fluid and filter change before junking the car as you have nothing to lose... but don't expect much.

If you are changing all of the fluid in the trans, some folks call this a flush, you shouldn't be doing any harm, but a chemical flush might be a bad thing as it's hard to get all of the chemicals out of a transmission, especially if the torque converter doesn't have a drain plug. A normal fluid and filter change is usually good enough, if the fluid in the trans isn't already toasty.

So regardless of how many miles are on your car, if the fluid is still red and doesn't smell burnt a fluid change is usually a good idea and a fresh filter is always a good idea. The fresh fluid will clean everything and the filter and clean magnet will catch the dirt. It might take a few thousand miles for the fresh fluid to do it's work and a second fluid change after a year or so might not be a bad idea either.

So yes, all of us old timers have heard the scary story of a fluid change killing a transmission. But in my own experience, the trans was among the rolling dead already.

If your fluid is still red and doesn't smell burnt and you bought a high mileage vehicle or just thought about changing the fluid for the first time, it's usually still a good idea to change the fluid and filter and clean the magnet if you want to drive the car for a long time. If the fluid is black and smells burnt, it's your call. I might help, but it usually wont, and the trans might crap out, but it was about to do that anyway, especially if it is already shifting badly or slipping in gear.

Think about it this way... if someone told you never to change your oil, because the dirty oil was sealing your worn out rings and gaskets, would you do it? I mean if your engine is running on dirt and your rings are shot how much time are you actually buying yourself by not changing your oil?

Liability disclaimer:

In any case this is just my take on the subject, always take any advise you get on the internet with a grain of salt, consult your local transmission expert before making any decisions and remember that this information is based on my experience but is provided for entertainment purposes only and you are going to be paying for the consequences of what you decide to do or not do, because I won't be. My liability is limited up to the amount you paid me for the advise. Good luck.

[dontevenworryaboutit]

last time i was this early, they were still called standard transmissions

[alpinecurrant]

Next video: "why putting gasoline into your vehicle will kill the engine!"

[GunGlutton]

Scotty: Buy a 2012 Camry it’s the best Camry ever made

Facts: 2012 Camry’s have bad torque converters and go out between 25, 000-100, 000 miles and cost $2500 to replace

[bnikanor]

Scotty is like a granpa to me. Everytime is watch his video, it always have some influence on me. Now my cars are only hondas and toyotas. No problem on cars anymore for me

[zippocrow]

Happy Bird day Scotty, thanks for all the help over the years!

[kboak]

I've changed it in at least 5 vehicles, many but not all with high miles, with a new trans filter and no issues.

[MacLaw]

Change your transmission fluid often (every 10th oil change) but dont flush.