4L60E Fluid Change Question
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4L60E Fluid Change Question Hi guys! I have a question about the automatic transmission in my car.
I have a 2002 Firebird v6 with the 4L60E (At least, that's what I'm told the 4-speed auto was for v6 cars in '98-02). I very recently just passed the 130k mile mark. I bought the car three years ago when it had approximately 107k miles on it. I have no maintenance history of the car before then.
I want to be good to my car and do whatever maintenance I need to, so I was wondering if I should change the transmission fluid and filter. I had heard that at a certain point doing that may do more harm than good, but I'm sure it's different for every transmission, so I was wondering what it's like for this one. Is changing the fluid/filter a bad idea at this point? Thanks
I have a 2002 Firebird v6 with the 4L60E (At least, that's what I'm told the 4-speed auto was for v6 cars in '98-02). I very recently just passed the 130k mile mark. I bought the car three years ago when it had approximately 107k miles on it. I have no maintenance history of the car before then.
I want to be good to my car and do whatever maintenance I need to, so I was wondering if I should change the transmission fluid and filter. I had heard that at a certain point doing that may do more harm than good, but I'm sure it's different for every transmission, so I was wondering what it's like for this one. Is changing the fluid/filter a bad idea at this point? Thanks
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I should be getting the car back today or tomorrow from the convertible top repair place. After that I shall let you know.
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
As for fluid, I don't really see any benefit to using Dex VI if you're just doing a pan drop and filter change. That's only going to get out maybe 1/3 of the fluid, so it will still mostly be Dex III (assuming it's original). I'd just top it off with more Dex III.
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Yes and no. I do agree that fresh (proper) fluid won't damage the unit directly, but if there is already a ton of debris/material in the old fluid then fresh fluid might accelerate the process of noticing shift-related problems. I think this is what leads to the rumors about fluid changes "hurting" neglected transmissions - but you're not actually damaging it further, you're just exposing an already-present problem by removing the final crutch that still allows it to operate. But this is less likely with a only a partial change (such as a simple pan drop) vs. a complete flush.
As for fluid, I don't really see any benefit to using Dex VI if you're just doing a pan drop and filter change. That's only going to get out maybe 1/3 of the fluid, so it will still mostly be Dex III (assuming it's original). I'd just top it off with more Dex III.
As for fluid, I don't really see any benefit to using Dex VI if you're just doing a pan drop and filter change. That's only going to get out maybe 1/3 of the fluid, so it will still mostly be Dex III (assuming it's original). I'd just top it off with more Dex III.
I favor changing it.
My 91 RS's 700R4 which is basically similar to a 4L60 went 390,000 miles and worked fine when it was swapped out. Had regular transmission fluid & filter changes.
My 02 Z28 has 250,000 miles now and I didn't hesitate to change the fluid and filter when i bought the car with 239,000 miles.
My 91 RS's 700R4 which is basically similar to a 4L60 went 390,000 miles and worked fine when it was swapped out. Had regular transmission fluid & filter changes.
My 02 Z28 has 250,000 miles now and I didn't hesitate to change the fluid and filter when i bought the car with 239,000 miles.
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Yes and no. I do agree that fresh (proper) fluid won't damage the unit directly, but if there is already a ton of debris/material in the old fluid then fresh fluid might accelerate the process of noticing shift-related problems. I think this is what leads to the rumors about fluid changes "hurting" neglected transmissions - but you're not actually damaging it further, you're just exposing an already-present problem by removing the final crutch that still allows it to operate. But this is less likely with a only a partial change (such as a simple pan drop) vs. a complete flush.
As for fluid, I don't really see any benefit to using Dex VI if you're just doing a pan drop and filter change. That's only going to get out maybe 1/3 of the fluid, so it will still mostly be Dex III (assuming it's original). I'd just top it off with more Dex III.
As for fluid, I don't really see any benefit to using Dex VI if you're just doing a pan drop and filter change. That's only going to get out maybe 1/3 of the fluid, so it will still mostly be Dex III (assuming it's original). I'd just top it off with more Dex III.
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
That hasn't been exactly consistent with my experience, but it's also true that they can fail in more than just one way. So I guess it depends on what has gone/is going wrong.
Yes, I should have said "Dex/Merc". Actually, I didn't think that anyone still had licensing for Dex III at this point but I should have been more clear. Dex VI is typically more expensive in my experience (perhaps I'm not shopping at the right places?), and I'm not sure that I see any real benefit to using it when you're only doing a partial change (such as a pan drop). The bulk of the fluid will still be original Dex III, so Dex/Merc should be just fine IMO.
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Yikes... I'm sure I should change it.
But now the question is, should I add some transmission fix fluid to it when I change it?
