Changing you transmission fluid without the filter is betterthan never changing the fluid?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

If you like doing things yourself and have a drain plug on your transmission maybe just maybe your saving lots of money and chancing a botched up job from a dealer or shop , I hear you can get 4 qts out and use synthetic fluid do this about ever 20,000 miles

2

A simple drain and fill is good if you do it at every 2 oil changes because it wont get all the old fluid out.Dropping the pan and changing the filter is even better and will get more out.Flushing the old fluid with a machine is not recommanded.Always use what the manufacturer recommand in your transmission.

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3

It depends on the transmission. Honda transmissions don’t have a service panel, and you can only drain them. Their way around it is to drain and refill three times to clear almost all of the old fluid out. A good way to handle it is change fluid every 30,000 miles and only refill once. I’m not sure what the procedure is for CVTs.

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4

That’s what I used to do on my Saab with its Aisin transmission. there was no access to any filter and the drain was just under 4 quarts so every 30K it got changed.

My Mustang and truck have no drain plug but the pans are accessible with a dozen bolts. You have to be careful not to make a mess but the filter is right there.

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5

thank you I believe from my own experiences with over 22 cars and trucks I have owned since 16 to 71 years of age this is the only way to do it yourself without harming anything or taking a chance with a botched up shop job.

6

thank you your right and i cant go under the cars like i used to so this is the only-way for me now not to get involved with a large costly repair job from a shop then it leaks after they finish with cigarette butts left in the bottom pan area yes it did happen to me at Toyota once dealer also.

7

so how else can you get the fluid out through the fill tube or you cant even do that?hmm

8

And what do you do with sealed transmissions?

Where there’s no pan, drain plug, or dip stick tube?

Tester

9

Remove the drain bolt at the bottom of the transmission, replace it, and refill with oil. Hmmmmmmm…

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10

The unknown that you’re dealing with by not changing the filter is that you have no idea just how restricted the filter may be.

A restricted filter can inhibit the flow of fluid from the pan through the transmission and over time that can cause shifting problems at the least or frying a transmission at the worst.

11

But if you can’t access the filter, then this is irrelevant.

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12

The LeSabres have a filter although granted, some cars don’t have a filter in the normal sense of the word or an easily accessible one.

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