2003 Chevy Avalanche 43000 miles. To service the transmission should I drain the fluid and change the filter or take it in to get it flushed out and new fluid and no filter. Dealer says the filter is a permanent one that will clean itself with the flush. $150.00 to get this done at the dealer.
This post comes up every week or so. Most of use recommend draining and changing the filter, where possible frequently, like evry 30,000 miles, regardless of whatthe owner’s manual says. Flushing is a quick method for shops to flush your wallet, and not recommended or necessary.
That’s funny, the Advance Auto Parts website lists transmission filter kits for your vehicle:
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?parttype=1158&ptset=A&searchfor=Transmission+Filter+Kit
Clearly, the service writer is clueless. If you aren’t comfortable to do a fluid and filter change yourself, find an independent shop to do the job. You’ll end up with a change of less than 1/2 the fluid, but this shouldn’t be a problem unless the current fluid is contaminated or burned. If you do any towing or heavy hauling with your truck, consider increasing the frequency of fluid and filter changes to every 25K or 30K miles, and add an auxiliary trans cooler if there isn’t one already installed.
For a proper service, the pan HAS to be dropped. How else are you going to check the trans for any debris. This is how a transmission tech can tell if anything is ailing your transmission. Anyone who flushes a transmission without first dropping the pan and examining and cleaning the pan is not performing a proper service.
Consult your owner’s manual under periodic maintainance and see what it says re transmission fluid/filter. Then call the dealer parts department and just ask for a price on a trans filter for your car. If one is available wouldn’t it be cool to call back the person you originally talked to and gently grill him or her on the inconsistancy of it all? I mean keep’em on the hook for a long time, you know? Then
post back w/what happened . That would be cool. Per transman, flushing can do more harm than good- for $150.00?! On a regular fluid and filter change, the metal shavings that normally accumulate on pan’s bottom can be disposed of; would you want to blast them around w/the turbulent action that necessarilly would take place w/a flush?