[ProDigit]

Do any of you do the transmission oil change?
I'm at 43k miles at mine, and read I need to do a transmission oil change at 45k miles.
I've seen cars going up to 100 or even 120k miles before changing the transmission oil.
At $300-500 it's a steep price to pay for an oil change.

Recommendations?

 

[NickD]

Are you talking about AT fluid or manual transmission oil?

 

[money_man]

It's recommended to do it at 45k miles. You can do it anywhere between 45k miles and 90k miles.

Older vehicles had longer intervals, they also had less gears and therefore more room to dissipate heat.

 

[evo77]

Why not change it according to what your owners manual says?

 

[pandrad61]

Why not change it according to what your owners manual says?

If its an automatic the manual is wrong. it is a sealed trans with the manual saying life of the trans oil.... yeah i don't believe in that for a second.

 

[money_man]

All lifetime fills do is destroy stuff. Look up the ptu's on the awd ford's. The fluid would fail and basically dynamite the insides.

 

[pandrad61]

All lifetime fills do is destroy stuff. Look up the ptu's on the awd ford's. The fluid would fail and basically dynamite the insides.

exactly. this new sealed non serviceable trans is an absolute horrible idea in the industry. there is absolutely no way an oil can last 100k miles and have the additives not breakdown. a new synthetic base oil will hold but no additives will survive that long. on top of this the old fluid will collect debris overtime.

 

[money_man]

Yup. On the ford's, people were drilling out a spot on the bottom of the ptu's and tapping it and putting in a plug. They had a fill plug but no way to drain it so most people had to suck it out with a tube.

 

[pandrad61]

hmm thats using your head for a proactive action.

 

[Falke401]

I do my own. I went the simple route by measuring what comes out, and put that amount back in. Way cheaper and gives you options for better fluid. So far no transmission issues. I have 2 chevy cruzes (Both 1.4, Automatic, eco) and they both have over 95K miles.

I run Amsoil fluid and have been happy with it. Just get the 2.5 gallon jug and go at it.

 

[evo77]

If its an automatic the manual is wrong. it is a sealed trans with the manual saying life of the trans oil.... yeah i don't believe in that for a second.

My 2012 manual calls for the automatic fluid to be changed at 97,500 miles.

Why not trust the engineers that built the vehicle?

 

[bsb2001ca]

My 2012 manual calls for the automatic fluid to be changed at 97,500 miles.

Why not trust the engineers that built the vehicle?

Because the same goes for BMW and Mercedes. I use to work in a shop dealing with those two alone, and those guys are great for saying "lifetime" oil. But the life time of the transmission might be just that, just like your blood is for your life. Once you die, it's no good anyways, so once your trans explodes, that's the life of your trans. I think the biggest thing on that is that it's to make the car look greener to say that you can do X miles on this oil, and it's still running, they don't say how well it's running, just that's it's running. So change the oil or change the transmission. Your choice.

 

[bsb2001ca]

Same goes with their "extended drain oil." In those cars. You can do that, but by the time you get to mid life of the car it'll need a whole new set of valve stem seals cause they're super hard from the old oil. Even some of those cars have exploded oil filters for those people who drive them to the way the engineers say it should be, and I don't think the engineers are saying that. I think the manufacture is saying that and the engineers have to keep hush about that or loose their jobs.

 

[NickD]

See an AT Filter listed for the Cruze, GM part number 24267569, is the list price really $517.54 for this thing? Kind of use to paying 6 bucks for an AT filter, labor to replace it is listed at 3 hours. This could add up.

Fluid capacity is 8.45 quarts using DEXRON-VI AT fluid or equivalent. Runs around $4.00-$4.75 per quart so looking around 40 bucks just for the fluid.

For a complete change of AT fluid, been doing this myself. Typical open one of the coolant lines, run both into a container, and idle the engine, one of the hoses will pour the old stuff. Could also flush it out with a couple of new quarts, but this is when it was 30 cents a quart.

Cruze will be more of a problem, all four corners have to be blocked up so the car is level. Then the fluid has to be pumped in somehow through the side fill plug, should be filled to the top when cold. Was so much easier when they had a dipstick. Not sure if you can find a nipple to put in the fill hole, run a hose to the outside, and use a funnel. But with all this new BS, decided to get a manual.

Nothing beats a AT fluid cooler, not sure if the Cruze has one, 88 Supra sure does, but also and engine oil cooler and a PS pump cooler, you can imagine all the fun I had in changing the timing belt in this thing, all that stuff had to be removed.

Fluid loss in an AT can wreck these transmission in a hurry, hydraulic pressure get low, and clutches burn up like crazy.

 

[bsb2001ca]

$517??? Wow. I mean I read else where that the filter is also squished in somewhere and was designed to be changed when it was rebuilt or if the trans was removed?
Speaking of oil channge. When I use to do changes on Mercedes's, I think they had a drain plug on the torque converter. That would give you another gallon that your sure would come out along with how ever else you decide to change your fluid... I haven't gone under neath my car yet, but is there an inspection plate like some of the older cars use to have?