I have the service manual for my Entourage. I want to change the ATF. It says to disconnect the hose to the oil cooler and then to run the car in neutral to drain the fluid (for up to one minute), and then to remove the drain plug to get the remaining fluid out. Then replace the plug and add new fluid. No gasket / filter change necessary.
My question is… where is the oil cooler on this vehicle, and which hose do I disconnect?
The oil cooler is probably the bottom part of the radiator. Most are built that way…Some vehicles (like my 4runner) have a separate tranny cooler (came as part of the towing package).
Thank you.
Is there a way to know which hose is IN and which is OUT?
Is it safe for me to touch the hoses while running to determine which one is hot, and assume this is the inlet and disconnect that one?
Treat it like you would any hot pot on the stove: Tap it quickly, and gradually get a longer feel to see if it’s too hot to touch.
I don’t think it would matter, really, which one you d/c. It’ll pump fluid from any open hose.
I wonder why they don’t want you to drain the fluid with the drain plug? Is it possible that this will get some of the fluid out of the converter? And why neutral instead of park? Is this from an official Hyundai Service Manual? I would be interested in hearing from anyone with actual knowledge about this.
I don’t know what service manual you’re looking at either, but I would be curious to know. Maybe its something about the Entourage since I don’t really know the specifics on them, but in general you DO NOT want to pull a transmission line and run it dry with car running. This is a good way to burn up the pump which requires the fluid for both lubrication & cooling.
If I were you I would just drain using the plug & refill. If you want to change out more of the fluid then that, just do it a few times in succession - like for the next couple of oil changes.
If this car has a serviceable pan & filter the most important thing to do would actually be to pull the pan & change the filter.
I have the same concern as cigroller. Running an automatic transmission dry with this method could cause transmission damage. Make sure you follow the procedures to the letter and the “1 minute” rule is the most important procedure of all in my book. Double check that “service manual”.
I guess I could have mentioned that the only place I’ve seen this kind of idea is from DIY transmission fluid exchangers - I’ve never seen it as part of any recommended service from a manufacturer. (Ok - there is a lot I haven’t seen). But the DIY fluid exchange involves pulling both lines. You put the transmission outlet line in an empty container (big) and the inlet into a big pile of fresh transmission fluid. You then run it until the outlet runs clean. I have never tried this and probably won’t. If I ever wanted that done I’d take it to a shop I trust that has a transmission fluid exchange machine.
That proceedure is unusual but seem to be correct. The following is from Alldata which is probably coppied from the service manual.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID
REPLACEMENT
If you have a fluid changer, use this changer to replace the fluid. If you do not, replace it using the following procedure.
Disconnect the hose which connects the transmission and the oil cooler.
Start the engine and let the fluid drain out. Running conditions: “N” range with engine idling .
CAUTION: The engine should be stopped within one minute after it is started. If the fluid has all drained out before then, the engine should be stopped at that point.
Remove the drain plug(A) from the bottom of the transmission case to drain the fluid.
Mmmm…and when the pump goes out shortly thereafter I’m sure Alldata will be happy to pick up the tab. Still sounds like a bad idea since the instructions imply but do not say that you can do damage. (CAUTION: The engine should be stopped within one minute after it is started. If the fluid has all drained out before then, the engine should be stopped at that point.)
It is an electronic (software) service manual i paid about 10 bucks for and downloaded online specific for this vehicle. It is possible that it is a bootleg of the Alldata for the vehicle. I have not been able to find any other service manual for this vehicle other than the factory service manual on ebay (for quite a high price). It has diagrams that are absolutely correct that I have never been able to find anywhere else.
In any case, I should mention that it says to use a special machine to fill / drain the fluid, but then says if you do not have the right equipment to do it the way I described.
Somebody must feel that the transmission can safely be run for one minute with the line open without damaging anything. They also seem to feel there will still be fluid left in the pan that needs to be drained out also…I don’t think you can hurt anything in one minute at idle in neutral or park…