Transmission Flush?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I’m not sure about this … Is a Transmission Flush a good idea or a bad idea.

Thanks in Advance

Caveman

2

First, you need to tell us:

Make
Model
Model Year
Odometer Mileage
When the transmission was last serviced
What causes you to be considering a transmission flush

3 
Why do you ask?  Automatic transmission?

Generally transmission flushes are sold to make money.  Most of the time is it better to replace the fluid and clean the filter.  Depending on the car, most transmission have filters and a flush does not clean them.  

 Most owners do not service their transmission until it starts having a problem, which means it likely it already too late.  

 Check your owner's manual and never service it less often and most of us here will recommend fluid replacement with filter cleaning about between 30,000 and 60,000 miles. 

Totally avoid all those quick oil change places.
4

Automatic transmission flush is an extension of auto transmission fluid change. An auto tranny fluid change is typically a periodic maintenance item.

Some people feel when a tranny acts up to perform a tranny change but then get conflicting advice it will cause problems including from mechanic. A change itself never causes problems unless performed improperly.

5

Thanks for the replies
The vehicle is a 2003 dodge durango,
74,000 miles,
No problems with transmission and the transmission fluid has never been changed.
And that is why I was considering a flush.

6

Just have the pan dropped and cleaned out, the filter changed, and the fluid replaced.
Make sure that the correct fluid is used, not one of those “this additive makes Dexron fluid okay to use in a Chrysler transmission” situations.

And, just be sure to AVOID AAMCO, Lee Myles, Cottman, or any other chain unless you want to be told that your healthy transmission needs an overhaul.

Addendum: After this tranny service, make it your business to have the fluid & filter changed every 30k!

7

Thank You Again

8

And make sure you follow VDCdriver’s advice. I couldn’t have worded it better.

9

FWIW, a regular customer called with a flaring shift problem while on vacation. He was at a national chain transmission shop which insisted that the transmission be overhauled and from 1,000 miles away I couldn’t offer any other advice. $2,500 later the owner returned home and asked that I inspect the truck. It appeared that the pan had not been removed from the the transmission since my last service. I took the truck to the local franchise of the shop which billed for overhaul and had them service the transmission. While the pan was off I produced the bill for overhaul and the shop manager could only agree that there had been no recent internal work done on the transmission but insisted that they would honor the nationwide warranty given for an overhaul. The freshly cleaned radiator tank led me to believe that the cooler and/or transmission were flushed. How prevalent is such theft? I wonder…

10

“How prevalent is such theft?”

Probably more common than anyone suspects–especially if the chain-operated shop has an out-of-state customer in the shop.