skytower31

Our '03 has 100k on the clock. We bought it with 30k. The trans has never been drained, flushed, etc since we bought it. Would a drain and fill be worth doing?

I've heard the horror stories of doing a full flush in a high mileage trans that has never been flushed and how it could start slipping and quickly take a dump. Will a drain and fill be safe or should we just keep it all exactly as is?

Thanks for any suggestions!!!

mannetti21

iTrader: (3)

Play it safe and leave it alone. If you really wanted to change the fluid, you probably should have done it way before 100k

Child_uv_KoRn

iTrader: (7)

Drain and fill is perfectly safe, but use good fluid. I used mobil1 (I'm sure others can recommend better stuff) on my 1st maxima at 12x,000. I disconnected the cooler line and shifted through the gears a couple times to squirt out more fluid. You might want to run a few quarts of cheap fluid through it to wash even more old crap out. And don't mess with the screen. It's pointless to replace. If there's stuff in it, then you have more important things to worry about with the tranny haha. They warn you about overtightening the pan bolts, but seriously, those things need to be tighter than you think if you're not using a torque wrench. I would check them after a few days of driving. Mine started coming loose and I'm in no way a small boy Use a power tool to take them off. There's just soooo many of them.

Was perfect until it got totaled haha. And I drove the **** out of it (all city).

It's those power flushes that shops do that kill them.

mannetti21

iTrader: (3)

FWIW, I did mine at 98k...tranny failed, completely failed, at 111k. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have taken the $2,250.00 risk.

sublime258

iTrader: (9)

Listen to your instinct and DON'T do a flush. I had slight tranny slippage from 2nd to 3rd and I thought that maybe doing a flush would help. Big mistake...it made it much worse. I did the flush around 70k miles and am around 84k right now. I'm basically waiting for my transmission to totally fail. If you do some searching, you will run across a lot of horror stories from people who did tranny flushes with semi-high mileage. My advice to you is at the very most, do a drain/fill...but NOT a flush.

Col Ronson

Don't do a full flush. Just drain, and then refil. I did it, nothing bad happened.

These guys with their horror stories are talking about a full machine flush. Yes that is very bad, but its better to replace gradually. I drain/fill all my auto trannies every year to keep the fluid fresh, and because i live in AZ. don't bother with the tranny cooler line and all that crap, that's a full flush, you don't want it.

Blitzfist

iTrader: (2)

I wouldnt do a flush. My tranny never had a problem until one day my shop said that I should have a fluid flush(106K)....they did this and two days later it started slipping from 2-3 when cold...as time progressed it got worse and worse until my tranny died with around 115k miles....

ridinwitha35

iTrader: (1)

Bought mine at 123k. So far, I've done 2 drain/fills with Castrol Import-Vehicle ATF from AutoZone. So far so good. 130k miles now. No slipping issues before, no slipping issues now. Shifts the same.

Love_00_Max

Flush or drain/fills are perfectly fine. Do 2 consecutive drains/fills within 15 days and if there are no issues with the fresh fluid, do a flush 6 months later!!..

I prefer Castrol MV Import ATF but I am running DexVI and my tranny loves the soup. There is no shudder from 2->1... completely gone.

Mobil1 MV ATF is another excellent choice when it comes to synthetics.

Col Ronson

Yeah, you will be a-ok will a drain/fill. i dont think anyone on the forums has ever had a horror story regarding a partial drain/fill. Use Mobil 1 ATF. Its synthetic, its good, plus its Nissan Matic-D compatible

sprale

My i30t has just over 100k, I've been thinking of doing the same. All of the axle boots are trashed, so I need to replace them. I'll just do the Autozone axles with boots, as they're just a few bucks more than all the boots alone.

My struts are toast as well, so it looks like a long weekend job. It sounds like I'll drain the fluid before the axles, refill when all is done.

Would the wheel bearings be a waste of time or money if they don't need replacing?

nzelinsky

iTrader: (1)

:matt93se:

murphy390

I'm at 116K with my '01 SE and had done about 5 drain and refills using Shell DEXIII/Merc. I just did my own flush by pulling the return line. Color really wasn't bad so periodic drains are a great and safe way to keep the tranny running. This time I used Advanced Auto Parts DEXIII/Merc and so far its running as smoothly as the day I got it.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

Mine had 113,897 miles on it when I bought it. ATF was very dark but smelled normal. Did 4 drain and fills over the first few months I had the car and then again right before last winter. Still shifts the same now as it did then and I just past 160,000 miles.

quickex99

Are there any write ups on this. How many quarts should I buy and what's the safest fluid to use to just do a drain and fill. I have 90k

rhays

I have a close friend that owns an AMMCO Transmission shop .. he did advise me that once a car that has not had a flush before 80K miles, it is better NOT to flush as it has "past the point of no return". The new cleaner fluid will hurt the system as it cleans out all the metal flakes that are keeping the gears together.

CraigSE

Always drain and refill.
Did the auto trans on my dads car last year for him with Napa brand DEX III ATF and it shifted a lot better afterwards. Basically felt like a new trans. (Was starting to hold onto gears too long etc)

It had gone several years on its 2nd fluid change ever. Now on fill #3 at around 115kmi.

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

+1!!! I've only ran into drain and refill for a manual transmission but not auto.. Anyone have a link?

CraigSE

It's no different minus the slightly different placements of things, and the fact you add the new fluid down the dipstick tube, as opposed to through the filler hole on the side of the trans on a M/T.

You can use a M/T fluid change write up to get you through an automatic fluid change. You just need to know how to check the fluid.
I like to add roughly what I drain out, and take the car for a nice drive (beat on it) and then come back and check the fluid with the car idling and at full operating temp. Act accordingly.

Done.

LongIslandMax

iTrader: (3)

1. Unbolt tranny pan drain bolt
2. Drain for about 25-30 mins
3. Put in the same amount that drained.
4. ????
5. Profit

jasonmax

iTrader: (2)

drain, dropped the pan cleaning the magnets, then refill.

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

gotcha, we bearly looked under the car and figured out it was different and then got lazy and went inside.. Thanks for the tip

tookrzy4u192

iTrader: (19)

I know the basic steps but was hoping for pics cuz haven't seen any for auto trasmission, but thanks

spock

iTrader: (5)

Drain & drop the pan. Clean magnets and hope you don't find metal shavings. Gray dust type particles o.k. Measure how much came out & put the same amount back in, (obviously after reinstalling the pan with a new gasket). Start the car, put your foot on the brake and shift through all the gears, (not sure if this matters, but it's what I did), for 1.5 - 2 mins. Shut off car. Drain & refill again. Take it for a drive to reach operating temp. Check fluid level and adjust accordingly. Drive it for a week, then drain & refill again. This should replace about 80% + of the old fluid. That's how I did it and has been working like a champ since last September. Oh, and I used Mobile semi - synthethic.

mandyfig

Drain and fill every oil change. That's what I do, 2 qts every time.

CraigSE

That's awesome you are so pro-active but so so overkill man.

Unklejoe

iTrader: (6)

The metal flakes hold the gears together? That's BS.

The problem with doing flushes on transmissions that have never been maintained, is that there can be debris that can be broken loose and they can clog up small ports in the valve body.

People seem to have developed some theory that the metal flakes that are suspended in the fluid act as a friction promoter for the clutch packs, and that the transmission "gets used" to the friction material being there, and when you remove it, it slips. It's time to debunk this.

The TCM does not have any way of knowing that the transmission is slipping, so therefore there is no way for it to "learn" anything. Maybe shift points, but I'm not even sure about that.

The reason that you shouldn't flush a transmission that hasn't been maintained is the same reason you shouldn't pour synthetic oil into an engine that is sludged up and has been running on regular oil all of its life. The massive amounts of detergents can break loose small particles and clog up tiny passages.

Like everyone else said, drain and refills are the way to go for your situation.

Hope this helps...

Intrepid1

I did a auto solutions flush about 1 month ago. They add a chemical that dissolves varnish and buildup. The fluid used was valvoline brand - used 12 quarts.

So far it shifts and runs well. The car had a drain and fill at 85000 miles, now has 136000.

The flush was about 1500 miles ago. So far so good. I will post if I notice any changes.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

I would expect nothing less coming from someone who owns an AAMCO.

mandyfig

Not really, in my case the Dexron III cost me $1/qt. Stocked up when they were selling them for cheap and or rebate.

mandyfig

Plus I bought the car at 160K, I am playing catch up. Am at 169K now, barely a year later.

CraigSE

That's fine that it's cheap and all, my point is that with people going 10 years on original fluid, every or every other oil change drain is not necessary... But all the power to you since you like doing it.. it's certainly easy enough that's for sure.

spock

iTrader: (5)

Don't mean to be a tree hugger, but, since that's so unnecessary, it is adding to waste oil that isn't really waste.

AngryHalfbreed72

I'm reading that mostly everyone agrees to do the drain n fill. Well I did that...in fact multiple times....and now my trans took a sh*t on me. In the process now obtaining another one....smh BTW..I only have 130K on it

mandyfig

Ok guys, I will quit on doing it every oil change. Did I tell you that I do 7K on every oil change? In fact will do it 2x a year. So even if I drop 2 qts of tranny fluid/six months, am I not a tree hugger anymore LOL!

LETINES

My 02 is 5 qts. w/ drain plug on tranny pan. Takes 5 minutes. I always use amsoil syn ATF

Rods03Max619

iTrader: (5)

Did a Flush on my ride and no problems so far to me even better no slipping or nothing before had problems lost my reverse and would be barely moving at 2k rpm like what the F$$k!!

Intrepid1

I wonder if the failures after a flush might be due to the owner deciding to flush after they have problems that will soon result in failure anyway?

CraigSE

Don't know but the moral of the story is to not let the fluid go too far, and never do this goofy "flush" people talk about. Just drain out roughly 5 qts, and refill. Every 2 years or 30kmi is probably plenty good.

Heel Til I Die

I am doing a manual transmission oil change right now and need some help on a 2000 maxima. I took off what I thought was the drain plug and out popped a spring a ball bearing. I have no idea what order they go in. Can anyone help?

Thanks