Extending Automatic Transmission Life



Here are some suggestions that will help to extend the life and increase the durability of your automatic transmission.



These things are especially important for severe duty applications, but are also applicable to almost all vehicles.



1) Check your fluid level regularly- although fairly obvious, many people neglect to do this- or do this wrong.



Consult the vehicle's owner's manual if you are unsure as to how to do this correctly, as it can vary between different vehicles.



If you need to add fluid, it is always indicative of a leak. Unlike motor oil, your transmission fluid level can only go down if you are losing it somehow.



2) Service your transmission regularly- transmission fluid breaks down in the same way that motor oil does, but this is a step in preventive maintenance that is often ignored.



I've rebuilt countless transmissions over the years that clearly were never properly maintained- many of them had never had a single fluid and filter change.



Many manufacturers have different recommendations on the service intervals, but I recommend that this be done once a year or every 15- 20,000 miles.



3) Install an external transmission cooler- you've all heard the cliché that heat is the number one cause of transmission failure, well it's true.



A reduction of 40 degrees in your transmission fluid temperature can double the life of the unit.



When shopping for a cooler, a stacked plate design is far superior to a "tube and fin" type. If you're going to go through the trouble of installing one, you may as well put on the best kind.



On this same subject, it is also always a good idea to insure that your vehicle's cooling system is in optimum condition- most automatics utilize a fluid to antifreeze heat exchanger that is built into the radiator.



4) Install a transmission temperature gauge- with a gauge you will be able to tell when your trans is getting hot before it's too late.



5) Add a friction modifier- there are a few excellent products that can be added to your automatic trans that will significantly increase the life of the transmission. I recommend the products that are made by LubeGard.



On the same subject, avoid at all costs the auto parts store "mechanic in a can" and "stop leak" type products- they are mostly seal swelling agents and will usually harm the trans rather than help it.



6) Install an in line cooler filter- most automatics have some type of filter, however, there is always room for improvement.



Factory filters vary in effectiveness; many transmissions use something that isn't much better than pouring the fluid through a screen door.



The idea is to eliminate contaminants such as small metal particles and loose debris as effectively as possible.



In line filters are inexpensive, easy to install, and are highly effective in removing damaging contaminants from the transmission fluid.



I recommend the ones made by Magnafine and Filtran- in addition to their filter element, both of these products have a bypass valve in case they become clogged and also an internal magnet to further aid in trapping ferrous debris.



7) Use a synthetic based fluid- automatic transmission fluid serves many functions. It provides cooling and lubrication, it is the hydraulic fluid that applies the clutches and bands, and it even "drives" the car through the fluidic coupling that occurs in the torque converter.



It stands to reason that a synthetic fluid is much less susceptible to breakdown, a better lubricant, reduces friction and also has the capability of reducing operating temperatures.



More importantly, in cases of extreme cold and extreme heat, fluid made with a synthetic base stock is much more stable from a viscosity standpoint. If you don't believe me, try to pour "dinosaur" oil out of a container at -10 Fahrenheit- it's not exactly going to serve very well as a lubricant when it's the consistency of Jell-O.



8) Check transmission problems promptly- most transmission problems start out small and will get worse over time. Often times, major repairs can be avoided by taking care of a problem early on.



If you see a warning light on the dash, see a few drops of fluid in the driveway or even just have a feeling that something isn't quite right, there is no better time than the present to get it checked out.



9) Install a shift kit or modified valve body- while normally thought of as a "high performance" modification, almost any vehicle will benefit from shortening the shift time, reducing overlap and "cleaning up" the shift quality. This in turn reduces heat and also reduces wear on the clutches and bands.



Many of these modifications also address certain factory design shortcomings and eliminate common drivability complaints.



Most of the better engineered products have shift quality settings that are adjustable to achieve a result that is appropriate for the intended usage. The person with an 11 second rocket will have different needs than the person who occasionally tows a trailer with his SUV.

GREAT POST,,,,,THANKS!!!!!

Transdude wrote:5) Add a friction modifier- there are a few excellent products that can be added to your automatic trans that will significantly increase the life of the transmission. I recommend the products that are made by LubeGard.

Wasn't that a lab test done that pertained to this. I can't remember if it was using oil or transmission fluid. ANyway, they found that additives can cause the oil to trap more air and thus not "climb" the gears as easily. Have you heard of eanything like this?

Transdude wrote:I recommend the ones made by Magnafine and Filtran- in addition to their filter element, both of these products have a bypass valve in case they become clogged and also an internal magnet to further aid in trapping ferrous debris.

The Q45 trans came with a magnet ring already installed in the pan.

Transdude wrote:On the same subject, avoid at all costs the auto parts store "mechanic in a can" and "stop leak" type products- they are mostly seal swelling agents and will usually harm the trans rather than help it.

This stuff stops leaks by clogging every single passage way

Transdude wrote: Most of the better engineered products have shift quality settings that are adjustable to achieve a result that is appropriate for the intended usage. The person with an 11 second rocket will have different needs than the person who occasionally tows a trailer with his SUV.

Does your valve body for the Q45 come with an adjustable shift quality setting?

Thank you for the great info

Very interesting and complete post! So much of this amplifies what Q45Tech (and others) have said here for years, but this is a great format.

The one difference in these recommendations that I see, as compared to what's been said so many times before, is the external transmission filter. Is there a downside to this? Q45Tech - any Q-specific reason you can think of that this would be a bad idea?

Heath

Hmm. If you utilize the stock lines for an aftermarket cooler, there should be any additional problems.

Are you maybe thinking that it might take longer for the tranny to heat up to operating temperature?

PoorManQ45 wrote:Wasn't that a lab test done that pertained to this. I can't remember if it was using oil or transmission fluid. ANyway, they found that additives can cause the oil to trap more air and thus not "climb" the gears as easily. Have you heard of eanything like this?

The Q45 trans came with a magnet ring already installed in the pan.

This stuff stops leaks by clogging every single passage way

Does your valve body for the Q45 come with an adjustable shift quality setting?

Thank you for the great info

There is adjustability when the valve body is first modified, in other words, it is configured to the application and to driver preference.

I have never heard of a test that pertained to the LubeGard line of additives the we carry not having superior lubricating properties to straight trans fluid.

While your transmission does have a magnet in the pan, the filter is only a screen, the in line filter has a pleated element (like an engine oil filter) that will trap much finer particles.

-John

PMQ:Your thinking of an additive for motor oil oveercoming the antifoaming additive and causing aeration.

Not the same thing as here

Excellent post John

Ill ask a few questions

I know its been pretty well recommended by Dennis to use the lubeguard.... What mixture of the red/black do you like for us to use, and also, what does each "color" do specifically, so that maybe we can fine tune exactly what we want...

i have a level 10 transmission in my Q, and its got maybe 35-40k on it right now, and the shifts are sloppy... its not slipping, but particularly the 2-3 shift is slower than it should be. Its like it gets stuck in the middle.. Can you tell me the cause of this, and how i might remedy it??? I want my shifts to be as firm as they were from the begininng.... I would hope that its not wearing out this much after only 40k (albeit it did have some high power use to it)...

TIA

elwesso wrote:Excellent post John

Ill ask a few questions

I know its been pretty well recommended by Dennis to use the lubeguard.... What mixture of the red/black do you like for us to use, and also, what does each "color" do specifically, so that maybe we can fine tune exactly what we want...

i have a level 10 transmission in my Q, and its got maybe 35-40k on it right now, and the shifts are sloppy... its not slipping, but particularly the 2-3 shift is slower than it should be. Its like it gets stuck in the middle.. Can you tell me the cause of this, and how i might remedy it??? I want my shifts to be as firm as they were from the begininng.... I would hope that its not wearing out this much after only 40k (albeit it did have some high power use to it)...

TIA

Black LubeGard is really only appropriate for Mitsubishi, Honda, Chrysler and Toyota transmissions.

For Nissans, Red LubeGard is the correct product to use.

As far as your shift quality degrading- it's a tough call for me to make. It can be caused by anything from the pressure control solenoid getting worn out to a spring weakening to the clutches beginning to go south.

-John______________

Maybe if I could take a video of my shifts and let you see it that would help.... I really dont think that this tranny could be going south after only 40k, but then again, maybe it could...

Transdude wrote:Black LubeGard is really only appropriate for Mitsubishi, Honda, Chrysler and Toyota transmissions.

For Nissans, Red LubeGard is the correct product to use.

Sorry for all the questions, but..

What is the difference between the Red and Black LubeGuard?

PalmerWMD wrote:PMQ:Your thinking of an additive for motor oil oveercoming the antifoaming additive and causing aeration.

Not the same thing as here

That's it.. Thanks for clearing that up fred

I think dennis said that one makes the tranny shift firmer, and the other one makes it shift smoother...

He usually does a half n half mix....

Transdude wrote:For Nissans, Red LubeGard is the correct product to use.

Would this be applicable for the new Nissan/Infiniti transmissions (like on the Q45 and M45) that use the J fluid? This is quite a different formulation from the older ones ... costs more too, as I discovered when I did my overkill change at 7500 miles.

Z

I

szhosain wrote:
Would this be applicable for the new Nissan/Infiniti transmissions (like on the Q45 and M45) that use the J fluid? This is quite a different formulation from the older ones ... costs more too, as I discovered when I did my overkill change at 7500 miles.

Z

I would use Dexron III with Red LubeGard over the "J" fluid.

Even better is Amsoil universal synthetic atf, in conjunction with a bottle of red.

-John

I recently drained the tranny from the drain plug, and put 4 quarts of Redline Syn ATF in there. It's full, as it should be, and shifts the same as before - perfectly. I was suprised that only 4 quarts came out. Should I drop the pan and re-do it? I still have 8 quarts left (I got a case from Redline). So it's a mix of the old (Jeff, my mechanic, said it looked great as it was pouring out) and the Redline. I was really hoping to fill it w/ Redline, but it only took 4 to come back to full.

BTW, I would always use Amsoil as I'm a firm believer in the stuff from experience, but we can get Redline for a "steal" here so I figured for the "price" I'd use it as I still think it's better than anything else (besides Amsoil).

What negative effects are there to over filling the transmission fluid?

Falkdesigns wrote:BTW, I would always use Amsoil as I'm a firm believer in the stuff from experience, but we can get Redline for a "steal" here so I figured for the "price" I'd use it as I still think it's better than anything else (besides Amsoil).

When I bought my 2 cases of Amsoil motor oil, I bought a dealership, to get a better deal. Lola has Amsoil tranny fluid, as well. I guess I need to get some more for Layla.

I also need to get some rearend lube while I am at it. I have been very impressed with the Amsoil performance, so far.

PoorManQ45 wrote:What negative effects are there to over filling the transmission fluid?

You cant really overfill it that much, theres a "blow off valve" on the top of the tranny and if gets overfilled it will spew it out.....

If you overfill by a quart or so it wont do any harm...

foaming will occur with overfill...counteracting lubrication which is why the fluid is there to begin with..