TRANSMISSION / DIFF MAINTENANCE

[Larz]

It's time for me to have the diff and transmission fluids changed and I read an article that suggested on higher mileage cars (I'm near 80k), it's best to just drain and refil and NOT do an actual flush with the machine on the trans as it could leave loose particles that will fly about and possibly jam or clog parts of the transmisson.
I thought the whole point of using the machine was that it WILL remove loose particles and gunk, not leave them to remain inside and cause trouble?
Also, should I have them remove the pan, clean it, and replace the filter (I assume it has one similar to the oil pan filter) or is this done anyway as part of the service?

Any guidance from you lot would be appreciated. I value advise from people who have actually DONE the work, rather than a piece of paper from someone who for all I know has NO experience.

[cruzad3r]

for transmission fluid - i did drain and refill using the Nissan ATF spec fluid. i can't recall the exact name but it's in the manual. it's about 10 bucks per bottle and i bought a case.

you can take the pan off but it's a lot of bolts and work so i didn't do that. Tips: jack the car up on all four, level it out and take out the bolt. the washer is the same as the engine oil nut. once all the fluid drained out, lower one side so the remaining fluid can escape. this should take out about 5-6 bottle and when you do refill, check the level to make sure you don't over fill. the worst that could happen is the fluid spilling out down the exhaust.

for the diff, i use MTX fluid. make sure the car is level, take out the refill bolt before the drain. you can refill using one of those hand pump to transfer the fluid. i think it's a hex driver and you can buy a set (3-4 hex drivers) total from autozone for about 15 bucks. this is a great tool to have as well.

for the transfer case, this is right next to the oil pan area, you can do this using the same process as the diff. the hex drivers that you bought will come handy here.

As for flushing the trans fluid, i never done it on any of my car so i can't say bad or good. however with a flush, you will guarantee 100% new fluid versus the drain and refill. To get 100% new fluid on the drain and refill, I think you need to do that every week for about 3-4 weeks.

hope that help

[finikM35]

I followed this DIY used a case of Matic-S = 12 bottles had just enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAadc9fY

[Larz]

Thanks Mates ! Good advise there !

[lovemycarM35]

I had mine flushed at the dealer no issues runs smooth

[svard75]

I too flush mine at Mr Lube (You have to be careful, not all Mr Lubes do a proper job). Have done it twice already and the most recent I was at 150K KMS. They used the machine and Nissan S-matic. No issues to date.

[Larz]

Thanks again for the advise !

[pedsemdoc]

Larz,

I did a drain and fill at 80k miles. I think my car drives smoother since the drain and fill.

I talked to several friends of mine who are "car" guys and they stated if your car is relatively new and you seem to be having some rough shifts/transmission issues you CAN certainly do a (power)flush because there hasn't been enough time for all the particles and metal bits to settle unless you do some serious stop and go driving and put big miles per year on your car.

However, if you've never had any issues with your transmission and you haven't flushed it, once you get in the higher mileage, ie
>50k miles, then there is a greater chance that there are more particles/metal bits that could "f" things up if you were to flush the system rather than drain and fill. (However, you aren't getting ALL the old fluid out with a drain and fill.) I will prolly do another drain and fill in about 20k.

wonder what the real mechanics out there think/know and if there is any science behind this or is this just another example of "magical thinking"--hah

Craig

[EniGmA1987]

Old power flush machines can cause issues. Modern trans flushing with proper machines that circulate the oil around properly during the procedure will not cause issues. I flushed mine at 105k miles and I will probably be doing it again soon once I hit 140k

[Larz]

Thanks, everyone for taking the time to reply ! I've decided to pay what I expect will be an inflated price for the dealership to do this job -mainly because I still have about 57 months / 60k miles left under my extended warranty and I reckon the warranty peeps will give me less grief in the event I run into trouble later on, knowing the job was done at the dealership.