How often do you replace your ATF and filter
#21
I canīt say anything bad about Ford.
We also have a Lincoln Town Car and it is THE most reliable, easy and cheap to repair car I ever had. 150000 trouble free miles so far and I will not let this car go for a long time.
Never had been so satisfied.
Besides the Corvette and Cadillac, GM has not much to offer. As we also have a Cadillac, I can tell you compared to the Ford made Town Car it is a hell to repair. All squeezed in engine and such. But it rides nice though, more modern car than the Lincoln, with all its pros and cons....
We also have a Lincoln Town Car and it is THE most reliable, easy and cheap to repair car I ever had. 150000 trouble free miles so far and I will not let this car go for a long time.
Never had been so satisfied.
Besides the Corvette and Cadillac, GM has not much to offer. As we also have a Cadillac, I can tell you compared to the Ford made Town Car it is a hell to repair. All squeezed in engine and such. But it rides nice though, more modern car than the Lincoln, with all its pros and cons....
#22
Max Gs
In regards to GM reliability and durability, I purchased a 2007 Tahoe brand new and just sold it in Oct 2012. I sold it with 62,xxx miles. The only issue I ever had was the blower motor fior the front of the vehicle went bad. I changed it myself in 30 minutes. The only other expense was oil/filter changes and new brakes at all 4 corners at @ 55K miles. The brake pads wore a little early because I used it to tow.
#24
Le Mans Master
Sorry but a lot of talk about "modern" vehicles and fluids is not relevant to the OP's question. Yes it is interesting as we all have newer cars
but his/my Vette is 20 yrs old So I am reading this with the same interest.
Still not sure what the answer is though lol
Mine has 73k miles on it. I've owned it for 12 years and never changed it. I would figure it might be nice to have a transmission shop drop the pan, replace the filter, check/adj whatever they can see and refill. Less than 110 bucks for some peace of mind??
but his/my Vette is 20 yrs old So I am reading this with the same interest.
Still not sure what the answer is though lol
Mine has 73k miles on it. I've owned it for 12 years and never changed it. I would figure it might be nice to have a transmission shop drop the pan, replace the filter, check/adj whatever they can see and refill. Less than 110 bucks for some peace of mind??
#25
Sorry but a lot of talk about "modern" vehicles and fluids is not relevant to the OP's question. Yes it is interesting as we all have newer cars
but his/my Vette is 20 yrs old So I am reading this with the same interest.
Still not sure what the answer is though lol
Mine has 73k miles on it. I've owned it for 12 years and never changed it. I would figure it might be nice to have a transmission shop drop the pan, replace the filter, check/adj whatever they can see and refill. Less than 110 bucks for some peace of mind??
but his/my Vette is 20 yrs old So I am reading this with the same interest.
Still not sure what the answer is though lol
Mine has 73k miles on it. I've owned it for 12 years and never changed it. I would figure it might be nice to have a transmission shop drop the pan, replace the filter, check/adj whatever they can see and refill. Less than 110 bucks for some peace of mind??
Come back and let us know what they recommended and used. How's that?
#26
Instructor
When I got the car fluid was real dirty and changed it several times with a vacuum device and then did the filter. 40,000 miles later I did the oil again. Now with 60,000 miles later I was getting ready to do the oil which is not in bad shape but doing it regardless. I have always had 60,000 miles max in my head for decades as to when I changed the oil.
So now I have put the project on hold because I think I am going to do the filter at this time to again. The interesting thing is I decided to look in the owner's manual just to see what it might say. And they think oil and filter should be changed at 15,000 miles which nice to say but that’s GM car and they are being cautious.
So now I have put the project on hold because I think I am going to do the filter at this time to again. The interesting thing is I decided to look in the owner's manual just to see what it might say. And they think oil and filter should be changed at 15,000 miles which nice to say but that’s GM car and they are being cautious.
More so in consideration of the advancement of transmission oils over the years.
Dexron VI is so much better than Dexron III, I would not hesitate to do 50-60K oil/filter changes.
Truthfully, the fluid could go well beyond 100K, but as mentioned, filtration becomes an issue at some point, Trans filters of cars in this era do simply do not have the filtration capacity to do extended OCIs, and when you over-tax that capacity, you develop despots, and when you develop deposits, you kill valve bodies.
The other consideration not being mentioned is oxidation. Oil has a lifespan and a shelf-life by being subjected to atmosphere. It breaks down simply by sitting and by age.
Sealed transmissions in newer model year vehicles attempt to solve this problem, but older cars with a dip-stick invariably wil see some air inside the unit through the dipstick. Usually it's expelled when the unit pressurizes, but it's enough to cause the condition.
Regardless of mileage, you should change the trans oil every 5 years, which is the typical shelf-life of ATF.
Will your trans explode if you don't follow this strictly? That's unlikely, but it will contribute to increased wear at some level. How much is likely a topic more situite for a BITOG discussion, but what I will say is that if I pickup the C4 I'm looking at tomorrow, I'm going to change the fluid regardless of mileage or age. If you're on 12 year old fluid.. it's time to change.
Last edited by ThatVguy; 01-20-2013 at 09:27 PM.
#27
The sealed transmission isn't necessarily a bad idea as most try to point out. If the transmission is full and sealed there should be no concern until time for service unless there's a visible leak and that is the cause for concern and evaluation of the transmission at the time.
Overfill of an AT is the major cause of excessive heat and the oxidation or foaming of the fluid which can be directly related to failures. CMC/MOPAR has a specific temp that they want their transmission fluid level checked at with their specific dip stick.
AT fluid filtering, cooling and the use of the vehicle actually need to be considered when service intervals are discussed.
#28
Premium Supporting Vendor
In my opinion, one of the main differences between the two is that Dexron VI's viscosity is notably lower than that of III, probably to improve GM's CAFE - and all the other manufacturers are going the same route.
When using good aftermarket fluids, I personally use AMSOIL Dexron III fluids for my vehicles that originally required Dexron III and only use AMSOIL's Dexron VI in applications that Dexron VI was the OE original recommendation.
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AMSOIL Dealer (Forum Vendor)
AMSOIL Ordering Information (Retail sales using reference #1206638 benefit the forum.)
AMSOIL Preferred Customer Program (Members buy at Wholesale - a savings of about 25%)
AMSOIL Catalog