Yesterday the oil change place said my transmission fluid was darker than normal and I should replace fluid, gasket and filter for $180. Today I noticed the transmission was kicking when going into 1st and 2nd. At the mechanics I was told not to change the fluid but do a diagnostic also $180. Would changing the fluid make a difference in how the car shifted? Is there a chance its just the fluid? I don't want to waste the $180 either way. Any advice?

 

Change the fluid. If that doesn't make it better, then you need the diagnosis. If you end up needing repairs, you'll end up paying for another fluid change as well, FYI.

 

I agree with 96z34man, change the fluid. I would NOT flush the fluid. I would drop the pan and change the transmission filter. Yes, this does not change all the fluid (as it does not clear out what's in the torque converter), but it does clean out most of the old fluid.

I believe GM recommends with normal use of the car, the the trans fluid and filter should be changed every 100K miles.

 

Thank you both for the replies.

 

WOW, $180 for a fluid and filter change? Rippers...

NAPA for a filter about $30, 8 quarts of DEX III fluid at Walmart $40.

It is an easy cheesy repair you can do. Pull your Montes front wheels up on some ramps and get dirty. You will want a rather large diameter container to catch the fluid. (I used an old plastic kids sand box) Loosen all the transmission pan bolts a little at a time, eventually having the down hill bolts the loosest so the pan hangs lower there and the fluid will almost all empty out. Remove the remaining bolts, remove the pan and empty the pan of any remaining fluid and wipe it clean. Observe if you have an excess of metal filaments in your pan, will give you a clue as to the health of your trannys internals. Pull on your filter to remove it, twisting and pulling at the same time. Reinstall your new filter reverse wise, pushing and twisting it into place. (Put some fluid on the nipple to help seat it). You should feel it seat itself. You can usually reuse your old transmission pan gasket. Clean the pan and tranny surface to insure you get a good seal. Reinstall all the pan bolts, each a little at a time use the star method, don't do one after the other, one on one side of the pan then the opposite of that bolt etc. Once all bolts are snug then proceed to tighten them, do not over do it as you can easily strip the bolt holes. Just take your time tightening them, no hurry. Add 7 quarts of fluid, start your car, run it through the gears with your foot on the brake. Put it back in park, let it warm up some, while it is warming, look for any leaks at the pan. Back your car off of the ramps, once the fluid is warm, check your transmission fluid with the engine running and top off the fluid level. The whole job for a rookie is perhaps 2 hours. You saved $100, learned something, heck say you paid yourself $50 per hour, that is good money.

 

A hard shift going from 1st to 2nd sounds like a shift solenoid problem. I had the same on my 02 at about 125K. I changed them all myself and saved $100s but it's a big job.

 

The fluid change made a big difference. The shifting is back to normal. After its been running for a while (45 min - 1 hr) in stop and go traffic the hard shift returns but not as bad as before. It might just be in my head. Hopefully the inevitable transmission repair has been pushed out a year.

 

Congratulations! Good to hear.