Tranny flush or not to tranny flush

when i go the oil changed on my "new™" SVX the guy at the oil change place suggested a tranny flush. i balked at the idea when he handed me papers to sign saying basically if this fubars the car u are screwed, having heared horror stories of tranny flushes on this car i wanted to know if this is as bad an idea as i fear it may be. oh and for referance its a '95 with 149K miles.

[dcarrb]

I would not submit to the transmission flush. Just change the ATF regularly (simple drain and refill), and install a supplemental, aftermarket transmission cooler, if your car doesn't have one.

dcb

[PhatWeasel]

Here's an experiment.

Take a white soap bucket and fill it with water. Then add a shovel full of sand and let sit over night to allow the sand to settle. Now imagine...the bucket is your tranny and the sand is all the build-up from years of driving like a maniac. Now take a garden hose and place it in the bucket just above the layer of 'build-up' and turn it on. Notice how all the 'build-up' is dislodged from the 'pan' and sent everywhere in the transmission.

Don't flush the ATF, just change it. Oh and the filter too.

[Chiketkd]

Originally posted by PhatWeasel
Here's an experiment.

Take a white soap bucket and fill it with water. Then add a shovel full of sand and let sit over night to allow the sand to settle. Now imagine...the bucket is your tranny and the sand is all the build-up from years of driving like a maniac. Now take a garden hose and place it in the bucket just above the layer of 'build-up' and turn it on. Notice how all the 'build-up' is dislodged from the 'pan' and sent everywhere in the transmission.

Very good illustration.

The auto trans on my wife's former '90 240SX was ruined after she got a trans flush within 200 miles of it being done.

Don't do it!

-Chike

P.S. BTW, her car had 108K on the odo when the trans flush was done.

[svxfiles]

Drain and refill, if you have been doing power flushes every 30,000 miles, or just had it rebuilt, thats one thing. But to power flush it at 149k could spell desaster! I've seen it happen lots of times on Legacys, Imprezas, thankfully not on an svx yet.

just noticed, this is mt 444th post, how appropriat its about transmissions

[Ron Mummert]

I gritted my teeth & had a power flush done at 100K three years ago on a Suby rebuilt unit (probably installed at 60-70K), with no ill effects. The organic fluid's still pink, no grit from drip test & there're no shift gremlins hanging around. It's now due for another flush @ 132K. Should I or shunt I? Dat be 'da question.

Ron ( I hate when decisions like this happen).

thanks, ill follow your advice! though i dont know if it in the past was driven by a maniac or a slowpoke like i said its "new™"

[svxfiles]

Originally posted by Ron Mummert
I gritted my teeth & had a power flush done at 100K three years ago on a Suby rebuilt unit (probably installed at 60-70K), with no ill effects. The organic fluid's still pink, no grit from drip test & there're no shift gremlins hanging around. It's now due for another flush @ 132K. Should I or shunt I? Dat be 'da question.

Ron ( I hate when decisions like this happen).

Ron, a factory rebuilt unit should be the same as a factory new unit. So I'd concider it a 62-72,000 mile trans that has been well cared for. When you drive short distances, (like to the wine box store and back) does it warm up to normal operating temp. It would get cleaner with the power flush, but it would be safer with a rinse and repeat. If you drive like a gentleman, and allways have the car up to temp, I for one think that its safe. Tom

[Royal Tiger]

Those of you at Reading III that watched my 94 LSi get towed away a week after a flush can make your own minds up. It had 55k on it or so at the time.

[svxfiles]

Was it your first power flush? Tom

[Royal Tiger]

Yes. It had 39k on it when I bought it in August of 2000. I had the flush done in March of 01 I think. It might have had less then 50k on it. It blew up on the way to Reading III. I got rid of it last September (03) for a 99.5 Pathfinder. It had 82k on it when I traded it.

[Chiketkd]

Originally posted by svxfiles
just noticed, this is mt 444th post, how appropriat its about transmissions

Everything goes back to those sweet 4.44 gears, eh?

-Chike

[svxfiles]

Originally posted by PA_SVX
Yes. It had 39k on it when I bought it in August of 2000. I had the flush done in March of 01 I think. It might have had less then 50k on it. It blew up on the way to Reading III. I got rid of it last September (03) for a 99.5 Pathfinder. It had 82k on it when I traded it.

The reason I was asking if it was the first power flush is, so that we can find out when its safe. If you had less than 50k and it blew right after the power flush, thats just scarey. Mine was replaced at 36k, 3k before I got it under factory warranty.

Your call Ron.

Originally posted by Chiketkd

Very good illustration.

The auto trans on my wife's former '90 240SX was ruined after she got a trans flush within 200 miles of it being done.

Don't do it!

-Chike

P.S. BTW, her car had 108K on the odo when the trans flush was done.

Yes, NO FLUSHY! I had mine flushed and it died like 30 days later, it went to hell!!!! NO FLUSHY!

[Ron Mummert]

Originally posted by svxfiles


Ron, a factory rebuilt unit should be the same as a factory new unit. So I'd concider it a 62-72,000 mile trans that has been well cared for. When you drive short distances, (like to the wine box store and back) does it warm up to normal operating temp. It would get cleaner with the power flush, but it would be safer with a rinse and repeat. If you drive like a gentleman, and allways have the car up to temp, I for one think that its safe. Tom

Yes, Tom, the car is always warmed totally as the cheap wine store is 15 miles down the road, & my commute is 20 minutes each way. The car's got a 16,000 GVW B&M cooler, & I replaced the campaign filter after the flush. And as you know, I'm always the gentleman. Just ask Diane.
Gotta go now, I hear there's some threads in here what's got nekkid lady pics.

Thanks again, Ron (Hmmm...rinse & repeat - just like shampoo).