Public Service Announcement

"Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness" (long-voyager-2nd-edition) 09/04/2019 at 07:30 • Filed to: stupid, public service announcement

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Changing your transmission fluid is bad.

You should never change your transmission fluid as it doesn’t get contaminated like oil.

If you say otherwise you will be attacked by the single guy who’s taken a Chrysler trans over 150k without changing fluid.

Taken from the glorious minivan forum:

Are you for real right now?

But he knows it’s terrible advice, so I’ll just say “I’m not giving advice”?

Then people wonder why Chrysler transmissions get a bad name.

When he says most of his vehicles are ov

er 500k, he really means he has 500k between 3 vehicles.

This douche is one of the guys who are ruining what was likely once a great forum.

jimz > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 07:50

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Two things lead to this myth, IMO:

1) someone’s trans was acting weird, so they changed the fluid. Then it took a shit not too long after. Blamed the fluid change instead of the reality that the trans was about to shit itself regardless.

2) people with the early Chrysler ultradrives changing fluid and  putting Dexron III in it, and experiencing problems shortly thereafter. Duh, wrong fluid.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > jimz 09/04/2019 at 07:51

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Agreed on both points.

jimz > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 07:54

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I have to be somewhat strict with fluid changes for the 5R55W in my Ranger.  Apparently one of the shafts rides in a plain bore machined in the aluminum case and dirty fluid will accelerate wear.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 07:54

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Lifetime fluids are a load of crap. When a manufacturer says lifetime they really mean lifetime of the warranty. 

pip bip - choose Corrour > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 07:54

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sounds like a right shitshow

Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 07:55

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What forum is this?

It reminded me why I usually avoid forums.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 07:56

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Every automatic I’ve ever had to work on has an interval for fluid changes. So, uh, that. Yeah I’ll change it.

15k seems short, though. On Hyundais and the ilk I wanna say it was like... 60k? Not too hard to change, though.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 09/04/2019 at 07:58

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Early Chryslers are 30k, 15k under severe use.

They only hold 4 qts of fluid in the pan.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 09/04/2019 at 07:59

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It’s the Chrysl er minivan forum I decided to join a little while back. Between this guy and his Moderator friend, it’s no wonder people have issues.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > jimz 09/04/2019 at 08:01

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Early Chrysler transmissions only hold 4 qts in the pan, I’m not about to trust 4 qts to handle much over 15-30k.

WilliamsSW > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:02

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That is an actual troll. The mods there aren’t doing their job. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:12

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Wow, that's short! 4 qt makes sense. It's a car transmission. 

jimz > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:13

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I’ve always thought partial changes were bunk anyway. the trans holds 11-12 quarts of fluid, what good is changing about a quarter of that?

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:17

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If you never need to change automatic transmission fluid then why do torque converters wear out? Or overheat?

benjrblant > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:19

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fake news!

where do you find these people? sheesh.

My bird IS the word > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:20

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The other thing ive heard is that people change fluid after waiting to long, and the new fluid breaks up dirt/buildup in the trans that causes failure. I was recommended on my heap to change the fluid with the cheapest atf i could buy, drive a little bit, then change it again.

MM54 > jimz 09/04/2019 at 08:23

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Especially the first one. Someone has a trans at 150k on the original fluid that starts acting up (because the fluid has become liquid sandpaper and everything is worn out). Now they change out the fluid, ignoring the fact that every moving part in the transmission is damaged. Another couple thousand miles and it fails - certainly it’s the fluid’s fault! It never would have done that on the old burnt abrasive-filled fluid...

MM54 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:24

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It could be true, maybe he doesn’t change the fluid in his transmissions and has cars with 500k miles on them - he’s just put 10 transmissions in each of them by now.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:25

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Few in this forum travels more than I do.

facw > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:33

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Really need to get around to having mine changed. Volvo says it is lifetime fluid, but pretty much everything I’ve read disagrees with that and says you should change it around 100k...

subexpression > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 08:59

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I don’t know what to make of the recent trend of manufacturers saying you don’t need to change the transmission fluid anymore. On the one hand, it feels wrong because it’s a very complex mechanical device . On the other, I remember when people scoffed at the longer modern intervals for spark plug and oil changes, both of which seem to be working reasonably well for most people today .

All that said, the drive train on a lot of minivans seems to be borderline disposable anyway. T ransmission fluid change in those   could be a placebo that gets the credit/blame for inconsistent quality .

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > jimz 09/04/2019 at 09:08

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I get people every now and then come in for just a trans service, at 3-4x the proper mileage interval. That's all. Nothing else. Never been in before. They're trying to either fix a trans issue or get one over on us and blame us for a trans issue. We will always drive these first, pull codes and adaptation numbers, etc. Fluid is always black and sparkly.

functionoverfashion > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 09/04/2019 at 09:38

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“engine oil gets contaminated by combustion by-products, ATF don’t”

Silly me, I forgot that transmissions don’t have any moving parts. Also grammar. Also, troll. But also idiot. 

functionoverfashion > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 09:41

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On the other hand, if you buy a used E46 bmw and go to bimmerfest, they’ll tell you to stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW and change out your ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY or face IMMINENT DOOM.

Then, and only then, will we tell you how to add moar power: sell your 325 and buy an M3. 

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > jimz 09/04/2019 at 09:53

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Fresh fluid is good. Even if it’s not a complete change. And also if you’re dropping the pan, you can clean all the gunk  out and clean off the magnet, and hopefully a new, clean filter.  So it’s not a bad idea.  I used to do my Dakota every 25k, but not as regimented anymore.  177k but this last change the pan had a lot of shiney bits in it.  Doesn’t bode well, but it’s still working for now.  Fluid is relatively cheap, vs a transmission replacement.  

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 09/04/2019 at 09:57

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Exactly.  They just want the service costs to be low so they push the interval to after 100k, they don’t give a shit after that.  But after looking at fluid from my S8 at 55k, I don’t doubt it would go 100k.  It still looked clean and clear.  ZF lifeguard 6 fluid.  Some of that $20+ a quart stuff.  Still cheaper than a trans replacement.  And ZF even has change intervals for their transmissions no matter what the OEM states.  

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 09/04/2019 at 10:07

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Chrysler minivan forum FTL.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > My bird IS the word 09/04/2019 at 10:08

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I have experienced that issue with changing fluid on a high mileage/unmaintained trans.

That said, maintenance has been key to keeping mine healthy.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > benjrblant 09/04/2019 at 10:08

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Chrysler minivan forum.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > jimz 09/04/2019 at 10:10

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IMO it keeps the fluid stable and gives a fresh filter to keep the crap out. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WilliamsSW 09/04/2019 at 10:11

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He happens to be friends with one of the main mods. Said mod happens to be just as much of an idiot.

WilliamsSW > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 10:25

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Good moderator = good board

Bad moderator = bad board. 

WilliamsSW > functionoverfashion 09/04/2019 at 11:11

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E46 cooling systems can last 110k miles and 20 years. Ask me how I know. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/04/2019 at 11:12

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I was quoting the (illiterate) guy. Sounds like a complete mow- R on.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > facw 09/04/2019 at 11:40

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If you’re doing it on a M46 gearbox it’s easier to fill with a long hose from the engine bay snakes under the car. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 09/04/2019 at 11:56

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I know. I was telling you where it came from.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > WilliamsSW 09/04/2019 at 11:57

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I feel like the board itself is good, it’s just this one guy and the one moderator that suck, the rest of the people on there seem to be decent.

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/05/2019 at 00:38

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If atf doesnt get contaminated at all, where does all the wear from the clutch packs and such go? Why does bright red atf turn black?

I change my atf. Its no-brainer maintenance. And neither of my 200k mile cars have had an issue after changing the fluid. They actually shift a lil better, who'da thunk?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's 09/05/2019 at 07:01

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Wait what? Changing your fluid can improve shift quality ? FAKE NEWS