Transmission question for you mechanics

[hkruss]

I have a Chevy Tahoe with right at 100,000 miles on it. If I recall, the owners manual says to service the transmission at 80,000 miles. O.K., I admit I haven't done it yet. I know, I know,...shame on me.
What I want to know is if I should do it now. The reason I ask is that I seem to recall reading online somewhere that the transmission develops a kind of 'set' (can't think of a better way too describe it) to where if you wait too long to service it, the servicing can actually cause more problems than just leaving it alone. Any truth to this? I'm going off memory, so maybe I'm mistaken.
So go ahead and service it, or leave it alone?
Thanks, HK


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[hjsmith00843]

changing it will not hurt anything. have someone with a pressure pump that flushes out the whole system. usually most shops will only change out the fluid. I would go ahead and put in a new filter kit and us a quality fluid. THE B & M fluid is made for race cars but it is the best transmission fluid I have ever used.

[76Highboy]

Hey bud, you work with computers and helped me, so I worked on trannies and I will help you now.

Servicing it will not cause it to go bad. If you service it and it goes bad, it would have already went bad. The thing is this, make sure they flush the tranny cooler lines also. If they service it and don't flush the lines thoroughly then all the old fluid that is in the lines will contaminate the new fluid and that is not good. Also, by flushing the lines it returns them to the nice I.D. they were when new by getting the crud out. If you don't have a tranny cooler, put one on. It will make your tranny last a long time. Also, don't have a quick lube just suck it out. Have a real shop do the whole job so you get the new filter, cooler flush, and new fluid.

Hope that helps.

[hjsmith00843]

I would also get your rear diff serviced. Get a high quality synthetic lube and also add in some limited slip additive. it comes in a very small bottle and get it from the dealer. if not the dealer NAPA.

[1LoneWolf75]

Originally Posted by hjsmith00843

I would also get your rear diff serviced. Get a high quality synthetic lube and also add in some limited slip additive. it comes in a very small bottle and get it from the dealer. if not the dealer NAPA.

Don't do this unless the rearend actually needs it. If it don't and its an open diff(only one wheel spins) yhou've wasted money on somethin you don't need. Also if it is a limited and you do this and yer not supposed to you can ruin the clutch pack. Yer owners manual should tell you or yer local chevy dealer. And before anyone asks I worked in a shop and have been workin on cars fer 16 yrs. Also I'm ASE certified in Transmission n rearends. Go with Jim's advice and have a reputable dealer do the work. And defineatly(sp?) get the cooler flushed and possibly add another one in series to help it stay cooler.

[hkruss]

I appreciate the advice guys. I will definitely follow it!

Originally Posted by 76Highboy

Hey bud, you work with computers and helped me, so I worked on trannies and I will help you now.

Highboy, I know next to zip about computers. You must have me mixed up with one of the smart guys on TFF!!! (But I do thank you for the advice!)


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[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by 1LoneWolf75

Don't do this unless the rearend actually needs it. If it don't and its an open diff(only one wheel spins) yhou've wasted money on somethin you don't need. Also if it is a limited and you do this and yer not supposed to you can ruin the clutch pack. Yer owners manual should tell you or yer local chevy dealer. And before anyone asks I worked in a shop and have been workin on cars fer 16 yrs. Also I'm ASE certified in Transmission n rearends. Go with Jim's advice and have a reputable dealer do the work. And defineatly(sp?) get the cooler flushed and possibly add another one in series to help it stay cooler.

An automatic tranny will last indefinately if it is cooled properly. Heat is what kills all tranny's, not use.

[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by hkruss

I appreciate the advice guys. I will definitely follow it!





Highboy, I know next to zip about computers. You must have me mixed up with one of the smart guys on TFF!!! (But I do thank you for the advice!)


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Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that was you that gave me good computer advice. I guess you owe me now.

[pdg929]

hk russ...i have also heard this in my transmission class at skool. not so much as a "set" as it is just wear.\100,000 miles on it. If you have been draining the tranny fluid and changing the filter regularly, then you shouldn't have any trouble with a tranny flush,
Now, if this is the first time in 100,000 miles that the truck received ANY type of tranny fluid drain and replace, as there is quite a buildup of gunk that could break loose and clog transmission passages in the valve body and other areas, thereby making your transmission fail.
Now my opinion: If the transmission fluid has never been changed in the previous 100,000 miles, and the filter not removed, then I would be leary of doing the transmission flush. If the transmission fluid has been changed regularly, then I see no real problem in getting a tranny flush.

[TRAP55]

There's a "service" and "flush".
The service is draining the pan and a filter change, but you sill have a torque converter full of dirty oil.
The flush is when new fluid is added as the motor is running, and a cooler line to the radiator is used to empty the dirty fluid from the trans and converter, until it comes out clean.
That leaves the system full of clean fluid, but a filter full of crap. I alternate between the service and flush every 30K, and use full synthetic fluid. 1990 K-1500 with a 700R-4 trans, and it'll still bark the fat tires on a 1st/2nd shift with my foot in it.
With 100K on it, I would have a flush done, bring it back in 20-25K and have a service done.

[Gun Geezer]

My son was a tranny builder for 10 yrs. with a small independent shop. CHANGE THE FLUID AND FILTER NOW!!!

[Sig Willy]

A quick way to check your tranny. Pull the dip stick and smell the fluid. If it smell burnt it's overdue or worse. Service your tranny anyway and beware of shops trying to sell you a rebuild job when you may not need it. They might "seed" the pan and show it to you. Just tell them to service it because you can't afford it for now. Drive it and see how it goes then.

There's three things we look for in the pan and that's black, gold and silver. Black is your clutches, gold is bushings and silver is the sprag. The amount found in the pan shows the extent of the wear and tear of the parts mentioned.

[aa1911]

x3 on having either the stealership or a good shop do a full flush, not just a drain and refill; more often is better, 100k is pushing it, should be done at least every 60k or so really. Cost will likely be close to $300 depending on where you go but much better than $2k for a new tranny.

The deal with being leary about changing your fluid is a double edge sword; if your tranny starts to slip or have problems, people will go get it flushed. Problem is, the gunk in there is actually helping the transmission function (on it's last leg), when you flush then it causes more slip and it will fail soon. The caveat to that is that if you let it go long enough without maintenance, whether you flush or not, it will soon fail regardless.

So, yeah, have her flushed!

[gvw3]

My team has 2006 GMC vans. Our last vans had 250,000 at least and still ran good. They never serviced the trans. My van now has 130,000. We did have some with over 500,000 miles on them. I never thought you could get this kind of miles on anything.

The one I had that had 250k on it never had the valve covers off.