Can't Decide...
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 126
Likes: 1
From: Paso Robles, CA
Can't Decide... After searching and reading about 10 threads about changing & flushing automatic transmission fluid,I can't decide whether or not to flush,change, or leave it alone.Reading everyone's different opinions has got me pretty frustrated.
I bought my 95 Formula at 75K miles a year ago from a small mobile home building type stealership,without service records (big mistake!).Car has 81K now.So,I don't know if the tranny fluid & filter has ever been serviced.
I checked the fluid through the dipstick.It is kind of brown with a pink looking tint,for lack of a better description.It isn't that dark of a brown color shade.It doesn't smell burned,but since i'm kind of new at this,I don't really know what burned tranny fluid smells like.I imagine if it has never been serviced,it would probably be a very dark brown by now and obviously smell burned even to a noob like me (not sure on this..).
I don't want to accelerate the death of my tranny,in the case it is already screwed and is being held together by gunk and crap..I can't afford a rebuild or replacement anytime soon.Is there any way I could tell if my tranny has ever been serviced? Should I just do the 4 quart & filter change,get an all out flush and filter change,or leave it alone?
According to Carfax...the car was a lease car for the first 9 years of its life,and had 4 owners before me.So chances are at least one of them was maintenance minded,or maybe the dealership(s) it was previously at earlier in its life did the service while reconditioning it between owners.But there's really no way to know.
What should I do? I suppose I'm kind of in a hit or miss situation if I did end up changing or flushing it.
Thanks for reading.
I bought my 95 Formula at 75K miles a year ago from a small mobile home building type stealership,without service records (big mistake!).Car has 81K now.So,I don't know if the tranny fluid & filter has ever been serviced.
I checked the fluid through the dipstick.It is kind of brown with a pink looking tint,for lack of a better description.It isn't that dark of a brown color shade.It doesn't smell burned,but since i'm kind of new at this,I don't really know what burned tranny fluid smells like.I imagine if it has never been serviced,it would probably be a very dark brown by now and obviously smell burned even to a noob like me (not sure on this..).
I don't want to accelerate the death of my tranny,in the case it is already screwed and is being held together by gunk and crap..I can't afford a rebuild or replacement anytime soon.Is there any way I could tell if my tranny has ever been serviced? Should I just do the 4 quart & filter change,get an all out flush and filter change,or leave it alone?
According to Carfax...the car was a lease car for the first 9 years of its life,and had 4 owners before me.So chances are at least one of them was maintenance minded,or maybe the dealership(s) it was previously at earlier in its life did the service while reconditioning it between owners.But there's really no way to know.
What should I do? I suppose I'm kind of in a hit or miss situation if I did end up changing or flushing it.
Thanks for reading.
If it was burnt, you would know it. maybe someone else can chime in but the way I understand it is that if a tranny is close to its last leg, the last thing you should do is change the fluid. For some reason this will accelerate the transmission breakdown. But in your case if the trans mission is working correctly, there should be no harm in changing the fluid and filter. my .02
