ok here is the debate

how often do you change your transmission fluid.

what I mean is on how often is if you have a mix of city and highway driving would make you do it.

or city that the miles wont show how much wear the fluid has gone through.

because of the variation of the rpm range stop and go type of traffic.

if you do a lot of city how soon will you do the fluid or wait till it hits the miles on the odometer.

with the mix of city and highway can make it to the mile marker.

the big debate of this is what is the true mile marker to promote the change.

me if I do more city I might do the transmission change sooner do to the stop go and the rpm range of the engine to trans.

what I mean if the engine oil gets dirty faster going through city driving the trans fluid can be the same right before the mile marker.

the manuals say 30k60k 150k type of intervals but the trans is a big part of the power train if some thing goes wrong with that,

it is as much as a rebuilt engine. I had both done at 85k.

the trans seized and the shop I took it too you might want to take a look at this. it snapped the crank. I still don't know how it did that but I don't know that much about gm v6's either.

does every one do like I do have a good eta on if it is more of a mix city and highway do it about every or pushing 30k.

or less do to more city than highway. 15 to 18k to keep it healthy

keep in mind it is a debate to help get a good estimate on a good cycle for changing the fluid. to have a good idea on not just when a good all around change.

most change there engine oil a couple of hundred or a thousand mile sooner to just get it out of the way and make sure it gets done type of thing.

 

I like to do a debate on the other fluids as well coolant and break fluid but that would be a later time and place.

 

My trans fluid gets changed every other year and with about 1,500-2,000 miles on it. I use Dave at triple edge "secret sauce" mixture as well which is a mixture of dex3 and caterpillar hydraulic fluid. But I am sure I am an exception to to the power I am making etc lol

 

I'll be the first to admit, Im no fluid expert. I'm also probably more lax than most about trans fluid changes. But doesn't 15k seem way short for trams fluid on a stock car with a stock converter?

If I remember right, dex 6 was supposed to be 100k standard change interval, or 50k with severe use. To change it at only 1/3 of the severe use interval seems borderline wasteful to me.

I can certainly see shorter intervals if you're doing something that creates a lot of heat - towing, road racing, drag racing with a loose converter, etc but I can't see the point on a stockish daily driver.

Im much more strict on engine oil since blow by can dump all kinds of nasty stuff into the system that you don't really get with a sealed system like the transmission.

For the record, ive been doing 50k since we moved to AZ due to the high summer temps, although I'm at 48 and change on the vette and I'm REALLY dreading that fluid change with the transmission in the back!

 

Change every year, usually around March.

210,000 miles on original transmission.

kicker is that it gets a 'fluid flush' at spiffy lube. Really ought to drop the pan and change the filter correctly but "if it aint broke..."

 

I bought my '00 SS new and had the dealer flush at 60k, Jiffy lube flush at 100k, and I dropped the pan, replaced the filter and put in Mobile 1 ATF synthetic fluid at 130k. Haven't had a problem yet at 135k. I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to expensive transmission repairs. I also think the type of use and climate are a big factor when considering change intervals.

 

On all the GM FWD cars I have owned, the owner's manual is recommending changing trans fluid and filter ever 100K miles, unless you are in an extremely hot climate or drive up hill quite a bit (and I am neither of those). So far, I have been blessed with no transmission issues. I changed the Monte at 70K (early, but the age of things was older than most my cars because the Monte gets limited driving).

I stand by, drop the pan, fluid and filter change at 100K miles. It has yet to do wrong by me.

 

when I did my trans pan drop I kind of cringed because of the mess it can make. imo I think it is what most do on not doing it because of it. I know the monty is my first auto that I ever personally owned. every thing else I owned from the past to now was manuals. granted that Silverado and mustang are manuals and my monty is a auto as well as that cougar xr7. both trans fluid was pinkish red. I dropped both pans and waited for about a hour or two to make sure to get majority of the fluid to drain. and changed the filter as well. they both run like a champ still. the only thing I would have to do is to do what I always do to them maintenance. that's all. but I might do the trans fluid change a little early than the mark though because I was 2k off the last change and I am kicking my self in the but for it

 

If you use a fluid transfer pump....like I do....you can suck about 4.5 quarts of tranny fluid out through the dipstick. then its not so much of a mess dropping the pan.....in fact its very much easier. keep in mind where the dipstick gets its reading from and slightly incline the car towards that area to get all the fluid possible. I think about 2 more quarts came out when I removed the pan and filter. I did my 1st fluid and filter change at 105k and the fluid was dark for sure. no metal pieces in the pan and very little crap was seen on the pan magnet. so id say 100k intervals is perfectly acceptable. after I put my pan and new filter back on I drove my car for a week and then sucked out another 4.5 qts.........replaced that and called it good ta go.

 

Pan drops can be messy but to my knowledge, all transmissions are made that you have to drop the pan. It takes being patient and carefully unbolting the pan and a big enough catch pan to avoid a major mess.
I've gotten better over the years (when I did my first one, it looked like an Exxon spill on the driveway).