Do I Really Need To Drop The Pan And Clean The Magnet

Services that y'all DON'T demand: Transmission Flushes

A popular upwards-sell at lube shops and other auto service businesses is the transmission flush. A manual flush (as described in this article) involves connecting a machine to your vehicle's transmission libation lines, and letting the auto pump new manual fluid into the vehicle while information technology draws the old fluid out.

So, what's wrong with that? Indeed, changing your transmission fluid is very important maintenance. The problem with a transmission affluent is how the service is being performed. Most car manufacturers recommend only draining your manual fluid, and then refilling it. Read on!

Fact #one: On many vehicles, transmission flushes are an incomplete service.

Hooking up a transmission flush machine is a quick, easy money-maker for shops that perform this service. However, it neglects the nearly of import office of servicing the transmission: changing the filter. About 60% of vehicles accept an internal transmission filter that should be replaced every time the fluid is changed. Changing the filter is time consuming and messy, simply information technology's part of the complete chore. This is where we like to illustrate the difference betwixt a manual flush and a transmission service.

From our page on transmission fluid:
Amanual service involves a lot more work than a flush. In add-on to replacing the fluid, this service besides includes replacement of yourtransmission filter, if equipped. Your transmission filter is usually accessed by removing a pan or cover on the bottom of your transmission. While nosotros're within there, we also clean the within of the pan, including special magnets that are installed to trap metal filings and debris. Some transmissions too crave certain adjustments while the pan is removed. Checking your vehicle'stransmission command module for software updates, (and installing them if required) completes our full and correct service of your transmission.

Fact #2: Car manufacturers recommend confronting transmission flushes.

About automakers recommend against using an external machine to affluent transmission fluid. Amid other reasons, this is because these machines, (especially when continued improperly) can cake or pressurize the wrong passages inside the transmission and cause harm. Some machines will run the transmission pump dry as they remove more than fluid than they add back in. Flush machines, unless meticulously cleaned out between unlike vehicles, tin also pump a small amount of the wrong fluid into your transmission. Fifty-fifty if there's only a small chance of your transmission being damaged by a flush machine, why risk it?

Fact #3: Transmission flushes tin damage your transmission.

Equally mentioned higher up, a transmission flush (using an external machine) may not be good for your transmission. Here is an extract from a General Motors technical service message that provides their opinion on transmission flush machines:

Fact #iv: A conventional transmission service doesn't supercede all of your transmission fluid. (And that'south okay.)

Proponents of transmission flushes will often contend that a affluent is a better service because it replaces more of your transmission fluid. It's truthful that removing your transmission pan or draining your transmission via its drain plug (equally your car manufacturer intends) only removes about lxx% of the fluid inside. Some fluid is trapped inside the libation or torque converter, and can't exist drained out. It'due south also true that a flush machine will replace a higher per centum of the fluid; most machines advertise about 90%.

However, replacing lxx% of the fluid is not a trouble. Motorcar manufacturers know how much fluid will be tuckered out during a normal service, and they accept adapted their maintenance schedules to business relationship for this. As long as your transmission fluid is being replaced in accordance with the schedule in your possessor's manual, you're giving your manual all the maintenance that it needs.

Going from bad to worse: What are transmission flushing chemicals?

Transmission flushing chemicals are solvents or detergents that are added to your transmission before flushing the fluid. The vehicle is allowed to run for x-15 minutes before the flush, in order to circulate the chemical through your manual. The theory is that these chemicals will help to loosen upwards or clean out dirt and varnish from inside the manual. However, there are a few reasons why transmission flushing chemicals should not be used:

These chemicals are completely unnecessary. Because of transmission fluid's high detergent content, nigh every manual on the road is absolutely spotless within already. If your manual has excessive clutch material or droppings inside, this is due to a pending failure of the unit, and no flush will ready this.
Near every car manufacturer recommends against using manual flushing chemicals, and most will void your manual warranty if they can show these chemicals are beingness used.
These chemicals can impairment your transmission, which is why most automakers recommend confronting them. 1 of the reasons for this is considering well-nigh transmission flush machines only achieve 80-90% fluid replacement, some of the chemic volition always be left within your transmission later on the flush.