old wives' tale (try 2...)

[Tim Conway]

I have a 2000 Forester with 176k miles and I'd like to change the
transmission fluid and replace the filter if it has one. I told the shop I
don't want it flushed - only drained and filled. I had heard horror stories
of bad things happening if you flushed an old transmission. The shop said
that this is an old wives' tale and isn't a problem. Opinions anyone? The
car has been reasonably well maintained. TIA

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

I have a 2000 Forester with 176k miles and I'd like to change the
transmission fluid and replace the filter if it has one. I told the shop
I don't want it flushed - only drained and filled. I had heard horror
stories of bad things happening if you flushed an old transmission. The
shop said that this is an old wives' tale and isn't a problem. Opinions
anyone? The car has been reasonably well maintained. TIA

Have you done proper maintenance along the way?
One thing you have to understand; they use a 'generic' ATF and add
'friction modifiers' to get the right blend for your car. When I had a
Chrysler LHS I said, thanks but no thanks, since most trans problems with
Chryslers are caused by using off the rack tranny fluid. But that's
Chryslers.

I was working selling used cars for a guy who LOVED Fords. We sold a
crapload of Escorts and Rangers and Explorers. (I hate SUVs, but the
Explorers from the mid 90's were pretty neat...). We sent an Escort with
~175K for a tranny flush, I sold it and about 10 days later the tranny
quit! Being the reputable people we were we replaced it. Then we had one
that one of our associates wanted to acquire for his cousin. He took it up
for a tranny flush. THis one had about 165K on it. About an hour later the
phone rings....Can you send Joe up with the flatbed, the car won't move!
Three miles from the service center!

It's a general rule of thumb...if you have done regular fluid changes, you
don't NEED a flush, and if you didn't, then flushing it is probably going
to wash out the friction material suspended in the fluid, and make the
tranny a brick.

I just drain and fill at regular intervals, about 2 years for an older car
(I'm talking 80's vintage here) I would suggest taking a look at the
fluid; if it's red or pink, just do a normal service and call it. If it's
brown or black, do a regular service, run it for ~1,000 miles, and repeat.

Good luck!

 

[Ben Jammin]

The wonderful independent Subaru shop Super Rupair of Boulder, Colorado
(I have no connection with S-R other than being a satisfied customer
for nine years and three cars plus my wife's Forester) flushed and
refilled the transmission of my 1997 Subaru GT station wagon at the
142,500-mile service. S-R continued to perform regular maintenance (but
no additional flush) on the '97 until I sold the car at 200,500 miles.
The transmission was working perfectly at the time of sale and never
needed any repairs.

My understanding is that there are a couple of different flush systems
available to car shops, some apparently better than others. I don't
know which system S-R uses (one could call them and find out) but it
certainly didn't do any damage to my car. I'd flush again but my
current Subaru -- a WRX -- has a manual transmission.

--ben

 

[clare]

I have a 2000 Forester with 176k miles and I'd like to change the
transmission fluid and replace the filter if it has one. I told the shop I
don't want it flushed - only drained and filled. I had heard horror stories
of bad things happening if you flushed an old transmission. The shop said
that this is an old wives' tale and isn't a problem. Opinions anyone? The
car has been reasonably well maintained. TIA

If it is done properly, flushing will not cause any more problems than
just dropping the pan and changing the fluid. However, a fast lube
shop can screw up anything - so make sure you have someone who knows
what they are doing flush the fluid.

 

[clare]

Have you done proper maintenance along the way?
One thing you have to understand; they use a 'generic' ATF and add
'friction modifiers' to get the right blend for your car. When I had a
Chrysler LHS I said, thanks but no thanks, since most trans problems with
Chryslers are caused by using off the rack tranny fluid. But that's
Chryslers.

That's Soobs too. Use ONLY the specified fluid.
Period.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

The wonderful independent Subaru shop Super Rupair of Boulder, Colorado (I
have no connection with S-R other than being a satisfied customer for nine
years and three cars plus my wife's Forester) flushed and refilled the
transmission of my 1997 Subaru GT station wagon at the 142,500-mile
service. S-R continued to perform regular maintenance (but no additional
flush) on the '97 until I sold the car at 200,500 miles. The transmission
was working perfectly at the time of sale and never needed any repairs.

My understanding is that there are a couple of different flush systems
available to car shops, some apparently better than others. I don't know
which system S-R uses (one could call them and find out) but it certainly
didn't do any damage to my car. I'd flush again but my current Subaru -- a
WRX -- has a manual transmission.

--ben

You can basically "flush" the system yourself in an afternoon. Disconnect
the trans cooler lines from the radiator, lift the driven wheels off the
ground, start the car and see which line ATF is squirting from. Put that
line in a 5 gallon pail, and either plug the other one or put it in a pail
of the right grade ATF, start the car and put it in low gear. Run it until
the fluid runs clear, reattach the tranny lines and check the level.

Either that or plug the return line and keep adding ATF through the
filler tube while the engine is running, when it runs clear shut it down
and top it off.

Same thing. A little messier, a little more work, but you KNOW what went
into the tranny!

 

[clare]

You can basically "flush" the system yourself in an afternoon. Disconnect
the trans cooler lines from the radiator, lift the driven wheels off the
ground, start the car and see which line ATF is squirting from. Put that
line in a 5 gallon pail, and either plug the other one or put it in a pail
of the right grade ATF, start the car and put it in low gear. Run it until
the fluid runs clear, reattach the tranny lines and check the level.

Either that or plug the return line and keep adding ATF through the
filler tube while the engine is running, when it runs clear shut it down
and top it off.

Same thing. A little messier, a little more work, but you KNOW what went
into the tranny!

That's the way I've been doing it for over 40 years.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

That's the way I've been doing it for over 40 years.

I called a local S00B specialist and asked about how to get most of the
trans fluid out and he told me it's what he does. He's been in business
for a long time and is the Go To guy for a lot of people in the area; so
if he says it, I believe it!

(BTW, you too!)