Should a 1998 with 120,000 miles have the transmission oil changed.
Yes, for the fourth time.
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+1
However, if the OP didnât have it done at 30k, 60k, and 90k, then it may be too late if the transmission is already showing signs of slippage.
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OP: can you confirm whether you have an automatic or a stick.
It doesnât matter.
I should be changed.
Tester
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Tester: at what frequency do you recommend for a manual?
It depends on manufacturer and use.
Tester
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Pretty sure thatâs not true, at least the 30,000 number for âmost manufacturersâ
ATF should be changed about every 30 to 40k miles (more often depending) even if the car maker says differently; including that âlifetime fluidâ recommendation. Agreed; in the OPâs case itâs due for the 4th fluid change.
The way I look at it is that if a car maker says the fluid is âlifetimeâ then the warranty on the transmission should also be lifetime. Put their money, not the car ownerâs, where their mouth is.
As Iâve mentioned previously, a long time friend of mine runs a trans shop which he took over from his dad decades ago. He sorts out trans problems and rebuilds them 5 and sometimes 6 days a week. He has stated more than once that almost every transmission failure he runs across is caused by not changing the fluid regularly or by running the fluid low due to a leak.
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Iâd say change it, even if itâs past due, could be a case where it helps the tranny live for another 120k.
I believe it. I have never had to overhaul the trans on any of the cars that I have owned over the past 50 years. On the other hand, I have known a few people who have had to do it at somewhere between 80k and 120k. The difference between my cars and theirs is that mine had the trans fluid changed every 30k or so, and theirs were never serviced.
A drain and refill should still be fine, just not a flush. If itâs slipping, yes, it wonât cure the matter, but it may buy some time.
And Iâm not saying that youâre suggesting this here, but OP donât listen to anyone who says you shouldnât drain/refill at this mileage because it will cause more damage. If that were to happen, it just means that your transmission was basically running on very borrowed time, and couldâve conked out any day just driving down the street; better to have it happen under circumstances which you can control.
Tester
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On that, we can agree.
I note that my Mazda3 manual says change the manual tranny at 112,500 miles and the auto tranny at 125,000.
⊠and the manual probably also states that your Powertrain Warranty expires at 90k miles, after which the mfr has no responsibility for paying for trans replacement. The trans is unlikely to fail before 90k miles even if it isnât serviced, but once the warranty is over, it all comes out of your wallet.
Do you see where Iâm going with this?
Here is the conflict I feel about normal maintenance: my 2007 Mazda3s with 167000 miles has a trade-in value of $1100, even though I think it is a car that could go to 300,000 miles (my wife wonât let that happen). A number of things in the recommended maintenance are not safety related, but would help get to the 300,000 mile mark. How much should I spend? As far as a manual tranny, I donât expect it to have a sudden failure, but I would expect that as soon as I detect a problem, it is already too late. So, I am gambling $1100.
I stopped watching at the 0:58 minute mark, when Pat says that a drain/refill + replacing the filter + cleaning the pan âdidnât really do anythingâ.
Next heâll be saying that I need to steam clean my intake manifold, because replacing the air filter âdidnât really do anythingâ 