Gonna be getting a tranny flush this coming Saturday.. was told I could have my tranny changed over to the new Mercon V fully synthetic Mobil 1...

Anyone have any opinions? It's gonna cost an extra 100 bucks to have it changed to synthetic... but might be worth it??

Or should I just stay Dexron III?

 

I'd just stay with the dex III.. If you are doing regular maintenance on the trans anyway then I wouldn't spend that much extra 100 bucks. Dexron already does a plenty good job...
How many miles on the car?
Have you been doing regular maintenance already?
That 100 bucks you could save and reinvest later into the car IMO

 

NOOO!!!!

Tranny flushes are BAD for our trannies my friend. If you are getting your fluid and filter done, please specify to them, and ensure they ONLY do a pan drop and filter change... flushing will cause issues down the road, I can pretty much guarantee it.

Have you had your fluid changed since you bought the car, or was it done before at all? If not, then there's gunk in your tranny, and it helps protect things. When you flush, you remove all the gunk, and metal particles end up moving around the system, and end up in the wrong places, and can wear out other parts.

Pan drop, filter change, new fluid, Dex III is fine, but I hear good things about Dex VI (6).

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

 

They are using 16 quarts to completely suck everything out, including metal particles. Even intense and zzp recommend tranny flush. Why WOULDN'T I if it is going to get rid of any remaining metal particles?

 

Oh, and car has 35 grand on the odo........

 

When I went to AAMCO to investigate Tranny Flushing the guy told me that nothing is back-flushed. They simply hook-up a machine to the Tranny-cooler lines -- in and out. As the Trannys own pump pushes the Old Fluid to the Cooler ... instead of the Cooler getting the Old Fluid ... its Collected by the machine. At the same time ... Clean, fresh fluid is pumped-in at the Tranny-cooler Outlet line.

There's two large cylindrical vessels on the Machine. You see what's coming out instead of being routed through the cooler and watch the vessel fill with the old fluid and you see the Clean, new fluid they fill the outgoing vessel with drain from the vessel and get pumped into the engine.

The net effect is to have ALL the Fluid exchanged, includinng that which is inside the Torque Converter and you leave with brand new fluid in the Tranny and a guarantee that nothing was harmed by having the Tranny's Fluid exchanged that way.

Seems like a good deal to me.
I'm having it done by the Professionals at AAMCO.
I want my transmission to stay young and not need a rebuilding for many years and miles to come.

 

+1

If you do not drop the pan start saving up for a new trans. The filter (as I found out the hard way) has to be changed. Second note, Dex VI is well worth the $$$$.

And my final .02, AAMCO and professional in the same sentence is an oxymoron.

 

I can't stop you from doing what you want, even if it's a wrong choice.. all I can do is give you advice best I know how.

People have testimony that their trannies have dumped on them as early as 2 weeks after the flush. If they are hooking a machine to your lines, it's pressurized. They can't "suck" outthe particles. They can only force fluid in from the wrong point of entry, forcing particles and shavings to end up in different areas of the tranny, and washing them away where they actually help keep things together. Parts wear out, boom.

Why would they recommend flushes you ask? Because they also "REPAIR" trannies. It's like guaranteeing continued business. Especially with ZZP and Intense, because you'll be heading right back to their shop to get a "performance" tranny, because that makes them even more money. It's simple business for them.

I won't hound you anymore on this subject... just remember that you were informed by those who have been around to know better.

 

Hardly hounding. I appreciate your honesty, and therefore, opted to NOT have it done. I will just ride it out... and see what happens...

 

But, having my transmission flushed is part of the 2004 Monte Carlo Scheduled Maintenance. According to the Maintenance Schedule, I was supposed to have it done at 50,000 Miles.
I got the Monte with 70,000 Miles on it and I am pretty sure that the PO didn't adhere to the Maintenance Schedule for a number of things. I mean, cripes, I found the Air Filter to be so caked with dirt and road dust I'm surprised that the car was even running right. Same for the Cabin Air Filter. Filthy. The Trans is one of the few things I have left to catch-up on.

I want to do what is going to be good for the car. Not something that's going to complicate matters or be the source of a big expenditure sometime in the future.
Now, I'm really confused as to what to do about getting my Transmission Serviced. One guy says one thing; somebody else says another.
AAMCO backs up their work for a year. If anything goes wrong after they service a transmission they pay for it ... or so I have been told.

I could do the Filter exchange if there was some good weather and I could jack-up the car in the driveway. I don't know how much of a mess it will be. There's no drain plug. I have to loosen the Pan and tilt it into a collection container before dropping the whole Pan and exposing the Filter. That's why I thought I'd just have the people at AAMCO do it and save me the time under the car and cleaning-up any mess I'd make.