When a Transmission Fluid Change or Flush Can Damage Your Transmission

Should You Flush your automatic transmission? Should you replace the transmission fluid on an old car with high miles? Will changing your transmission fluid cause damage? How to do an automatic transmission fluid flush. Answers to all these questions and more in this video. Enjoy

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[robsonselzelin]

I went to a transmission shop to do the flush. My car has 100k miles and I have no idea if the previous owner maintained the transmission or not. After the service, my transmission is more responsive and smoother. I don't know if I've got lucky, but the flush improved the gear shifting and smoothness of the ride.

[anonymike]

Another little tip. If you have a vehicle where the transmission pan, does not have a drain plug, sometimes you can buy a replacement pan that does have a drain plug or find one in the wrecking yard that has a drain plug. Or you can drill a hole and install an aftermarket drain plug. Once you have dropped the pan and installed a new filter, likely you will never need to do so again. You will only need to drain and fill every 30, 000 miles or so. A drain plug will make that very easy.

[nathonsmithson]

transmision fluid in a dodge lasts the life of the trantransmission. just change the fluid when you install the new transmisions every 80 thousand miles.

[mattrodgers]

As someone who has spent many years in the transmission repair business, most people don’t think of servicing the transmission until it starts to shift different or starts to show problems. If the trans already has issues, of course changing the fluid won’t help. That would be like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. I change the fluid and filter on my Dodge cars and trucks every 50K, adjust the bands where needed, and all of them have gone at LEAST 100k before I traded or upgraded. My current 06 Ram diesel has over 200K of hard towing, still going strong.

[jamespn]

We changed transmission fluid and filter on a 1993 Lexus ES 300 that had 197, 000 mlles and the transmission was never serviced before. We also disconnected the transmission fluid return lines and shot compressed air to clean out the cooler passages in the lower radiator. We drained and filled the transmission 2 more times between 40 mile drive cycles and the transmission performed perfectly.

[georgeglovier]

I sold used transmissions for 36 years. This guy knows what he is talking about when and when not to change transmission fluid.

[cheath]

Well, I guess I rolled a dice a couple years ago in replacing transmission fluid in my 1990 4L60 transmission with 206, 000 miles. Old fluid had somewhat burnt smell. So far, still working. Already added 13, 000 miles and still going.

[Justin-bboi]

Where did you find a dodge with 60, 000 miles!!

And where did you find a dodge with a working transmission!!? 😂

[RJ-vbgh]

The first transmission fluid and filter change I did was on a car that had jet black burnt and stinking fluid that was slipping... The trans didn't get much better and failed within a couple of months. Some folks might argue that the new fluid killed the trans, whereas I might argue that the new fluid kept it going for a couple of months....


Most of the arguments about new fluid killing a transmission are due to the trans being toast in the first place and the fluid change is a hail Mary to rescue it. For the most part, if the fluid is burnt it's been overheated. Changing the fluid won't fix the overheating problem nor will it fix a trans with worn out clutches. The question to ask someone is why they decided to do a fluid change in the first place. Most will admit it was because their trans was in trouble already... The fluid change didn't kill their trans, it just didn't rescue it.


That said, most cars are best off with a filter and partial fluid change as long as the trans fluid still smells and looks good. The clean filter never hurts and clean fluid won't hurt a good trans. Basically by adding about half of the fluid you are removing some of the free floating debris and crud in the sump and upgrading the additive package in the fluid, which isn't usually a bad thing.

[rogeronslow]

So basically you can only flush your transmission fluid when it doesn't really need it.

[MarshallSambell]

i had my fluid completely flushed in my 97 audi a8 5 speed zf auto by a shop. he said the fluid in it was old but there was no evidence of damage to the transmission. that was over a year ago now that is was completely flushed and i haven’t had an issue since, shifts gears beautifully.

[caiobabe]

Probably the best, "To change or not to change", transmission fluid video on YT. The 1ROAD vids are giving false hope to DIY's bent on thinking they must flush...Plus, that guy is working on his only two vehicles and not saying what happens next month. At least you have an array of real life customer's vehicles. My personal experience mirrors your advice: I drained, (NOT flushed), the A/T fluid on a 2008 Kia Rio with 140, 000 miles and semi dark fluid, no smell. Did two quarts one week. Drove. Then two more quarts week later. In another two weeks of normal driving, trans went out almost instantly. I towed to my trusted mechanic of 9 years. First thing he asks me...."Did you change any of your trans fluid recently?". Don't take a chance folks! Tranmissions are EXPENSIVE!!!

[stevemasterson]

Im a big believer in pulling the pan, clean the magnets ect, change filter and then exchange all fluid from the trans. As long as it didnt have issues to start w.

[Mr.Unacceptable]

As a transmission rebuilder. Sorry Number one is wrong but not entirely. A simple filter swap can fix your transmission. I have had many cars that appear to be slipping be completely fixed because the filter was clogged, restricted or fallen and sitting in the pan.
Don't EVER add conditioners to an auto transmission to try and fix anything unless you are trying to get another month out of it. You will guarantee a complete rebuild and compromise longevity of a rebuild. You can do the same thing with a couple of drops of brake fluid. Makes all the seals soft and pliable but soft and easily disintegrate. Any of that fluid remaining in a port of a rebuild and you just compromised the new transmission. If your transfer case shares fluid you now have a transfer case that will soon leak or stop functioning.
The average transmission tales 5-8L of fluid. Dropping the pan replaces at least 4-7 L. Most converters only hold 2L or less. You really need to talk to a transmission rebuilder.

[cygnus]

When i bought my 2003 Escape, it clunked in and out of Torque lock. I did three drain and fills, now 3 years later still shifts excellent.

[G-ra-ha-m]

Great video! The method I used on a car with a neglected transmission was to do a partial change, and then do the next after about 15 miles, then every hundred miles. After about 3 partial changes the fluid started coming out more clean than dirty. I.e you can't do a single flush, it's just the first wash cycle!

[wesleyhurd]

Thank you for the thorough explanation. Other mechanics on YouTube just say it's a bad idea to change the fluid on high mileage vehicles with unknown service history, but they don't give a good explanation as to why it can cause harm.

[nymack]

2006 Chevy Silverado 271k miles today, OEM Transmission, I installed a pan with a drain plug, and so far so good. I will not even mention the fact the baby is due for a full service including solenoids as recommended. BTW it hauls a Boat 200-plus miles sometimes.

[KobeCorona-ujzb]

Hell yes he’s right I’ve had two cars transmission go out after the shop flushed it

[thebbqprince]

My mechanic once talked me into replacing my transmission fluid at around 80k miles on my Grand Prix (I think the factory recommends doing it every 100k miles). At the end of the service, the mechanic pulls me into the shop and says "I just removed THAT from your car" pointing to a bucket with what looked like black engine oil in it. It wasn't, it was entirely burnt transmission fluid. Change your transmission fluid regularly!