I just had my oil changed not too long ago and the mechanic pointed out my transmission fluid's color, saying that it might need changing. How much would it cost for me to do it myself and how difficult would it be? Could a beginner/dumbass be able to handle it?
2006-12-12 15:43:37 · 8 answers · asked by Brendan S 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Ok, pretty easy for a do-it-yourselfer.
First you need to get the parts to do the job. filter, fluid and gasket. Let me know what vehicle you have and I can look up the parts and qty. and tell you what it would run.
After you get the parts, its pretty straight forward. jack up the car and secure it. remove the tranny pan bolts. drain fluid. replace filter. replace pan and gasket. add fluid. your done. :-) Dont worry about the torque convertor, thats a pretty good sized job for a beginner. How many miles on the trans.?
hope this helps.
If you need any parts or have any other questions, feel free to contact me directly at wgarrison@logixautoparts.com or give me a call 866-712-1984.
We can also supply you with all the parts you need at better pricing than the "big" stores.
If you need to look up any parts or need any other info. please visit our website at http://www.logixautoparts.com
Best Regards,
Wayne T. Garrison
2006-12-12 16:08:32 · answer #1 · answered by logixautoparts.com 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Transmission flush. Just buy the recommended transmission fluid and replace the transmission filter. This maintenance should be done about every 30K miles. Also, check your repair manual to see if you can adjust the transmission bands. As far as a beginner goes, the answer is yes. If you can change the oil and oil filter; then you can change your transmission fluid and transmission filter, its really simple on most cars. All you have to do is locate the transmission pan. Loosen the transmission pan bolts and collect the draining transmission fluid. Once fully drained you can change the transmission filter. Just match the filter/parts remove the 3 or four bolts and install the new filter and then install the transmission pan. Auto parts stores sell the transmission filter in a kit that includes the filter and necessary gaskets. Hope this helps.
2006-12-13 10:31:09 · answer #2 · answered by Jesse D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
New, clean ATF is a pinkish/redish color. As it gets dirty it turns a sort of dark red, then dirty purple, then brown, then black. Usually when it gets to black it starts to stink real bad too, a burnt type of smell. It can take, depending on make and model, a good 25-30k miles for it to make this transformation - it doesn't happen overnight! My own tranny fluid is still mostly pink after more than 20k miles since it was last flushed. Incidently, 30k miles is a very common point for manufacturers to recommend having the transmission fluid flushed out (may vary by make and model of course).
The procedures described above are for what is called a "drain-and-fill." It can be done at home but be warned, you'll only get about half the old dirty fluid out that way. A garage can actually flush the transmission - where they hook up a machine that forces fresh fluid through the transmission, torque converter, cooler lines and cooler until all of the old dirty fluid is gone. Often you can find deals on this service for $70-80 (again, depending on make and model).
2006-12-13 01:11:33 · answer #3 · answered by Naughtums 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can be done by an amateur...depends on car. Unless you have the equipment to suck the fluid through the filler tube; you have to jack up the car (all normal safety precautions), remove all the bolts from the pan (loosen them so 1 corner hangs down 1st so the fluid will drain into a big pan). Most filters have a screw or 2; remove the filter and replace. Clean pan of the old gasket, attach new gasket (do not use gasket compound to hold it on), and reattach to pan. Be sure to add fluid as specified by a manual....probably 3 - 4 quarts. BTW this does not change the fluid in the converter. That is a whole nother ball of worms.....Best Advice: DO NOT ATTEMPT AT HOME>
2006-12-12 23:51:24 · answer #4 · answered by gbpipe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, you can't judge how much life is left in your car's fluids by looking at the color. Every single fluid on you vehicle will darken as soon as it reaches temp. Don't fall for that in the future.
Find out what the manufacturer of your vehicle recommends for fluid changes on your transmission, and don't do a thing with it until that particular mileage comes around. Then do only what the manufacturer recommends. You'll save money that way.
You don't mention how old your car is or what make and model it is, but that type of info can be found in you owner's manual.
Also, if you research your vehicle on edmunds.com, they will have a chart that you can build that will show you what maintenance is recommended when, and how much you can expect to pay for the services needed in your area.
Also, if you have a popular car, you might be able to buy the repair manual for your car. It will give step by step instructions on what you need to do, but you still might be better off letting a quick lube shop do it for you.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
2006-12-13 00:15:16 · answer #5 · answered by Lemar J 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a repair shop,and you could probably do this but,,here's the deal,,the pans are real hard to get to seal back up,and the cost if you did this is going to be around 30 bucks or so,,,,but,,if you don't get the pan to seal off real good and it leaks down on it,,it will burn the transmission out on it,,now,,do you still want to try this,,if you do your going to need a large pan to catch the old fluid in,,and it makes a big mess,once the pan is off you clean everything,and install a new filter in it, ,and install the pan,and tighten the pan bolts up a little at a time,,not all At once on it,,and if you over tighten them,,you bust the gasket out on it,,and guess what,,its going to leak real bad on it,,do your self a favor,and have It done,,this way their responsible for the car when they do it,,its better that way,i hope i have shown you the good and bad in doing your own work,,some jobs are OK to do,but this isn't one of them,,good luck,i hope this help,s..,have a good x-mas.
2006-12-13 00:07:12 · answer #6 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all you need is transmission fluid and filter. but if you do it your self you will in up getting a lot of fluid on you some transmissions have a drain plug some of them do not if yours don't have a drain plug then you will need to take the transmissions pan off with the fluid in it you can drain some of it as you undo the bolts but it is messy. good luck.
2006-12-12 23:55:46 · answer #7 · answered by Toby K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What kind of car do you have? Auto? Manual?
2006-12-12 23:54:45 · answer #8 · answered by davidss 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋