Inconceivable.

[gene]

Vizzini: Inconceivable.
Inigo Montoya:    You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means.

I have a 11 year old car with an automatic transmission. The transmission is starting to slip a bit. Either the transmission is on it's way out, or a change of fluid is all it needs. Probably the first thing, but I'm going to try the second today.

My wife said a mechanic told her that you should never change the transmission fluid on an old transmission because if you do the gears will drop down and it will ruin the transmission.

I can't think of ever hearing something more stupid than this! I am incredulous! Inconceivable!

The upholstery is in great shape for a car 11 years old, by the way. I'm mentioning this to quality my post for this forum.

gene

[SHHR]

I've heard that same thing for years, but never seen it. A good flush and filter change may do it good, also substitute a quart of Lucas transmission additive for a quart of fluid. Of course it could very well be mechanical too. There's too many little parts in automatics to just diagnose by saying it's this part or that one. Fluid and filters are cheap so you won't be out much if it doesn't fix it.
Kyle

[Bob T]

Because I tow a 25' Airstream quite a bit, I flush and replace the tranny fluid in my Tundra on schedule.  The first flush I switched to Mobil 1 tranny fluid.  Can you believe it, I had a mechanic tell me not to use Mobil 1 tranny fluid in any auto transmission because it was too slippery.  What?  He was wrong! My upholstry looks good in the Tundra, also!

[Mike8560]

I heard that o. The radio PBS click and clack bros with car talk radio.
I don't hink it would hurt you've been changing the fluid regulay right?

[Mojo]

Because I tow a 25' Airstream quite a bit, I flush and replace the tranny fluid in my Tundra on schedule.  The first flush I switched to Mobil 1 tranny fluid.  Can you believe it, I had a mechanic tell me not to use Mobil 1 tranny fluid in any auto transmission because it was too slippery.  What?  He was wrong! My upholstry looks good in the Tundra, also!

Very wise move. I got the tip to use Mobil 1 in the engine and tranny from Robert Yates and Jack Roush both when I was working in NASCAR. Was also told to use Mobil 1 by the late great famous engine builder Randy Dorton.

I also use it in my motorcycle and garden tractor. :)

Chris

[Mike8560]

I also use it in my motorcycle and garden tractor. :)

Chris

i have to confese i havnt changed the oil in my lawn tractor in :P 7 years.


what was gene talking about saying "Vizzini: Inconceivable.
Inigo Montoya:    You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means."?

[ajlelectronics]

You can see if the fluid needs changing or if you have a fault by the colour or smell of it. As you probably know, ATF is bright red.
If it is brown and / or smelly, you may have slipping brake bands which are burning. If it is still nice and clean, it probably will not achieve much to change it. Many vehicles claim it is a "lifetime" fill. But then of course, many manufacturers consider 10 years to be more than a lifetime. :-)

[Allan]

Gene

Auto transmissions have bands that need adjusting during the course of their life

You can notice this especially if the change is prologed

Easy to do with the right tools and you remove the oil pan to access the bands and filter so new pan gasket, filter and oil is needed

Oil will absorb moisture over time and for this reason the transmission fluid and filter should be changed periodically or if the oil as mentioned previously is discoloured or burnt

Any good gearbox mechanic should be able to do the job in a couple of hours or less

Allan

[Darren Henry]

I agree with the rest. Go ahead and change it.I had an '86 Caravan with about 250,000 Km on it that responded well to a flush.If I hadn't broke the tool I was using to get the broken spark plug out I'd still be driving it. I guess I am sorta; it donated the new axle for my boat trailer .

Where your wrench bender may have crossed his wires is with old engines. Some of them don't respond well to high detergent oils or additives like Rislone because the gunk they are cleaning out has actually been compensating for worn valve guides or weak rings etc...I had a bit of blow by in my 62 Fairlane and rolled the dice. Turns out I should have added a quart of used oil from a combine harvester instead of Rislone. :'( [shrug] it was a 50/50 shot.

[gene]

Thanks for the replies. I knew I could find voices of reason on this forum. I really thought this was one of the most stupid things I had ever heard and I was logging on to this forum when my wife told me it, which is why I put it on here to begin with.

Mike: Vizzini and Inigo Montoya are characters from the movie: The Princess Bride. It is an obscure reference but folks who know it always respond with "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

I did some checking: 2 issues.
1. Some folks think that on old cars there are metal parts floating around in the tranny fluid and this adds friction to the belts. If you change the tranny fluid you will loose this additional friction and the belts will slip even more. This screwed thinking would seem to ignore the fact that there is a filter.
2. Oil change businesses now flush the transmission when they change the fluid. This flushing can sometimes damage internal filters, especially on cars where the tranny fluid had never been changed because there can be a lot of crud on the filters. These shops flush because it is cheaper and faster than removing the pan.

My uncle, who is no longer among the living, used to work for AAMCO. A customer would bring their car in for an oil change and a free transmission inspection. They kept a jar of metal shavings in the garage that they got form a local machine shop. They would pull the transmission pan and sprinkle some metal shavings in the pan. Charlie would show the customer and tell them that the gears are grinding really bad and it is going to break down in a few days, a week at the most. IT IS REALLY BAD! The customer would almost never want to pay for a rebuild.
  Charlie would then have the mechanic put a ball bearing in the vacuum line of the transmission. Within a day or two, sometimes a week, that ball bearing would work it's way up and close off the suction. The transmission would stop working. The customer would have their car towed to AAMCO and tell Charlie how wonderful he was and how he was right and they should have listened to him the first time. Charlie would have the mechanic remove the ball bearing and Voila! A brand new rebuild transmission.

My car is running quite well and the slipping has stopped. The fluid level was low which may have been the culprit all along. If it ever breaks down though, I'm sure my wife will say it's because I changed the transmission fluid. LOL

gene

[sofadoc]

Gene: I think we ALL have an "Uncle Charlie" who's a "Ring-tailed Tooter".
But your story about the slippin' tranny with good upholstery is at the very core of why I didn't get into auto trim work.
A local trim guy always teases me with "Why should I get my couch re-covered, when I can just buy a new one (on credit) for the same price?"
My comeback is always "Why should I get my car seats re-done, since the upholstery usually outlasts the engine and transmission?"
"By the time the seats are wore out, it's time for a new car anyway."
You "car guys" please don't get offended. It's just me and a trim guy ribbing each other. We're ALL in the type of business that becomes a harder sell to the public with each passing year.

[ajlelectronics]

There is one further point with ATF. There seem to be two types, one is specifically for older boxes like the Ford C3 and I gather that using the later type fluid will cause problems. Here's the data from the horse's mouth....

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_australia/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/a/Auto_Trans_Fluids_B1191.pdf