How to: Flush your ATX fluid and change your internal filter

[ProwlerGT]

Originally Posted by BigTyla

And I'm sure an external filter would pick up the other 10%.

Nice plug. LOL ... smoooth.

[ProwlerGT]

Originally Posted by Caffinated Soap

What's the point of a tranny flush? Let me put it this way...

Some people don't believe in regular maintenance. Most automatic transmission owners reserve transmission maintenance for special occasions, such as their 10 year anniversaries with their cars.

Good stuff. Though I will say that some people are completely ignorant to the fact that they should change their tranny fluid at all anyway unless the mechanic brings it up (as if engine oil is the only oil in a car) and I have found the mechanic rarely brings it up at some of the lesser desired shops. I guess it comes down to, "KNOW YER SHIT." "Your car will treat you as good as you treat it." If you ignore your wife/girlfriend long enough what do you think is going to happen? She's eventually gonna clog up and varnish on ya. LOL - What? Did you think I was going to say "She's gonna bitch slap ya?" lol - I bet (personifying the car) that it would do that too if it could for that kind of treatment or lack thereof.
People just SIMMA .. down na. SIMMA...... DOWN....... NA.

[ProwlerGT]

You are a few steps ahead of me Josh. I've had the same exact problems as you've had over the years. I really baby my tranny though cause I know its so touchy. I've got the filter kit in hand now, gotta order the fluid unless I can find it somewhere nearby, and then I'm just waiting for BigTyla's kit to come in. I want to get a flush machine, but I may not be able to justify the cost for the infrequent use it will have unless I use it on my mom/dad's cars too which would only further eat up more of my time (lol). Sure if you keep up with regular maintenance changing the fluid should be all ya need "most" of the time, but I think a flush is a good way to double wham it and be extra sure that you are cleansing the system that much more especially with high miles. Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow at work and I can check with that "flush system" place I mentioned earlier in this thread and answer the TC question. If anything xSabrielx flushing the system would provide a better "draining" if you will, in that it would be pressurized as the fluid exist the tranny case rather than just falling out of it with no pressure.

Originally Posted by JoshAnker

I had a few MINOR problems with my ATX... a small "bump" when first starting 'er up and going from reverse to "D" after backing out of the driveway being the most noticeable. Twice(in the 2 years I've owned the car,) it missed a shift and revved to high RPM's in Neutral(Where I let off the gas and it immediately "caught" and went into gear.)

I changed my fluid as posted in this thread and neither has occured since. When I install my external cooler and external filter(Thanks, BigTyla, great kit!) I'll change my fluid again.

fluid should probably be the FIRST thing that happens for any maintenance or troubleshooting... Always start with the simple stuff. My car was 10 years old when I did the maintenance, and had LOW miles for ten years... and it looked like CRAP.

Chances are you need a flush, and like Houdini said, chances are it'll fix your problem.

[houdini]

Originally Posted by xSabrielx

Have you ever consulted an automatic transmission professional to see if it is even recommended?

Yes.
I've been ASE certified for 14 years, racing cars for just as long, had my Buick GN atx apart half a dozen times upgrading it w/ trans brakes etc, turbo probe atx w/ wet shot, installed shiftkits/end clutchs on 3/S's, built up my TT myself, talked personally w/ John Shepard about trans and our cars http://www.shepracing.com , Buscher Racing/ Switzer Performance locally, 14 years going to Norwalk Raceway/Drayway 42, roadcoarsing at Nelson Ledges/ Mid Ohio, but ya your right I dunno what i'm talking about. Run those cars w/ 15 year old fluid and high miles. Wait until there is a problem then deal with it. Thats a great way to go about it. Prevenative maintenance is a myth. /sarcasm

Best of luck you.

[Mitsugirl3kgt]

Please get back to me on what you find out in regards to the TC.

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow at work and I can check with that "flush system" place I mentioned earlier in this thread and answer the TC question. If anything xSabrielx flushing the system would provide a better "draining" if you will, in that it would be pressurized as the fluid exist the tranny case rather than just falling out of it with no pressure.

Thanks for the credentials but considering I don't know you I'll rely on my own trans professionals to talk to me like I'm 4. My car has 94k on the clock, you mean I was supposed to change the trans fluid in that time????

Originally Posted by houdini

Yes.
I've been ASE certified for 14 years, racing cars for just as long, had my Buick GN atx apart half a dozen times upgrading it w/ trans brakes etc, turbo probe atx w/ wet shot, installed shiftkits/end clutchs on 3/S's, built up my TT myself, talked personally w/ John Shepard about trans and our cars http://www.shepracing.com , Buscher Racing/ Switzer Performance locally, 14 years going to Norwalk Raceway/Drayway 42, roadcoarsing at Nelson Ledges/ Mid Ohio, but ya your right I dunno what i'm talking about. Run those cars w/ 15 year old fluid and high miles. Wait until there is a problem then deal with it. Thats a great way to go about it. Prevenative maintenance is a myth. /sarcasm

Best of luck you.

[ProwlerGT]

Originally Posted by xSabrielx

Please get back to me on what you find out in regards to the TC.

- I will.

Originally Posted by xSabrielx

Thanks for the credentials but considering I don't know you I'll rely on my own trans professionals to talk to me like I'm 4. My car has 94k on the clock, you mean I was supposed to change the trans fluid in that time????

Clarity
Commenting on what I have bolded in your quote, if you are referring to what I said here:

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

If anything xSabrielx flushing the system would provide a better "draining" if you will, in that it would be pressurized as the fluid exist the tranny case rather than just falling out of it with no pressure.

I don't talk to people like they are 4 (if you check around on some of the posts/threads I've written); I only try to help "anyone". I wasn't inferring that you were dumb by my bolded comment above. That was actually me just being anal-y explicit like I always am. I suppose though your point brings up a neat insightful factoid about myself in that I'm used to dealing with complete morons because I do software development so I'm used to explaining things to the Nth degree whereas for someone with "active voluntary intelligence" and "common sense" would normally not need the level of detail that I write in sometimes. Also, I live in Louisiana and I can't say much for people's "eduMacation" out here. Communication is really difficult down south. lol

[Mitsugirl3kgt]

I wasn't referring to you.

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

Clarity
Commenting on what I have bolded in your quote, if you are referring to what I said here:


I don't talk to people like they are 4 (if you check around on some of the posts/threads I've written); I only try to help "anyone". I wasn't inferring that you were dumb by my bolded comment above. That was actually me just being anal-y explicit like I always am. I suppose though your point brings up a neat insightful factoid about myself in that I'm used to dealing with complete morons because I do software development so I'm used to explaining things to the Nth degree whereas for someone with "active voluntary intelligence" and "common sense" would normally not need the level of detail that I write in sometimes. Also, I live in Louisiana and I can't say much for people's "eduMacation" out here. Communication is really difficult down south. lol

[houdini]

Originally Posted by xSabrielx

I wasn't referring to you.

Sabriel was referring to me, I believe, tho not sure when I talked to him as a 4 year old? You asked if I consulted w/ profesionals, well I did, and mentioned my credentials. Whats yours? Better yet don't bother, I'm not going to debate "trans flushing". Its your car, good luck w/ it and drive safe.

[ProwlerGT]

K - Now that we've got all the BS straightened out here is what I have found out:
I called the place (http://www.autoprofit.com) and long story short the dude referred me to a guy who could answer the question:

Does the pressurized flush system flush the fluid out of the torque converter?
Answer: YES and he added it flushes out the valve body, tranny cooler, torque converter, and all tranny internals. I made sure to ask him twice about the torque converter and specifically asked him if this was an issue in different cars and he said NO. He said it gets the fluid out of the TC in all trannies it gets hooked up to and seeing as the machine would cost $4000 - I don't think I'll be able to justify the cost for buying one for myself. LOL - Unless of course for $100 a pop at every 3S gathering I'd flush everyone's trannies. LOL - In any case I now believe firmly in FLUSHING after high mileage. Say maybe after 75K flush it, and then do a follow up flush every 60-70k with "drainings" in between.

[Mitsugirl3kgt]

Interesting... Do you by chance know how many machines they have sold? I assume their primary clientele are trannie and automotive shops so $4k sounds reasonable considering the profit margin on that particular equipment.

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

K - Now that we've got all the BS straightened out here is what I have found out:
I called the place (http://www.autoprofit.com) and long story short the dude referred me to a guy who could answer the question:

Does the pressurized flush system flush the fluid out of the torque converter?
Answer: YES and he added it flushes out the valve body, tranny cooler, torque converter, and all tranny internals. I made sure to ask him twice about the torque converter and specifically asked him if this was an issue in different cars and he said NO. He said it gets the fluid out of the TC in all trannies it gets hooked up to and seeing as the machine would cost $4000 - I don't think I'll be able to justify the cost for buying one for myself. LOL - Unless of course for $100 a pop at every 3S gathering I'd flush everyone's trannies. LOL - In any case I now believe firmly in FLUSHING after high mileage. Say maybe after 75K flush it, and then do a follow up flush every 60-70k with "drainings" in between.