What a difference changing transmission fluid makes!!

[smurf91]

I got my 00 se auto trans ztec equipped focus a few months back. It only has 114,000 on it. It has had issues shifting from the days I got it. very lethargic taking off like it wasn't shifting to first gear when I stopped and wash taking off in second. Just all around sloppy shifting accompanied by terrible mpg! I went and got fresh fluid and filter today, changed it all out, WOW!!!!! What a difference, its like driving a new car. My old fluid looked and smelled good but I had a feeling it was original fluid. Anyway sorry this is so sloppy and all . I worked a double and messed with my truck and car all day. Lol. just wanted to put this out there. If you're having slightly sloppy shifting, try changing the fluid first. especially if you're not sure when it was last changed. It was cheap and easy.

[Sponsor]

[Deftmetal]

It does make a huge difference on 80 000 mile old or so fluid. Even in a manual trans

[Eduktion]

but i heard that changing it the trans fluid after high mileage isnt worth doing??? my car is doing this so any ones advice on wit would be a mega help!

[scott7278]

Originally Posted by Eduktion

but i heard that changing it the trans fluid after high mileage isnt worth doing??? my car is doing this so any ones advice on wit would be a mega help!

That used to be true on old, old cars - the theory was the detergents in the newer fluid would cause the break-in process all over again, causing more wear, and the varnish would break off and get stuck in the shift valves. This was when automotive technology was primitive (by today's standards), and vehicles headed to the junk yard much sooner.

If you want your transmission to last, leaving dirty, broken-down fluid in there will not help you one bit. Flush and fill it, all of it, and your car will love you for it.

[Eduktion]

thats good to hear, even on my 13 year old car???? and something funny happened to me today if u can help me out scott, i place my auto on reverse and the damn thing didnt want to go!, i had to put my foot down rev it up and then it took off! first time this happened to me it was very lightly this is the second time it happened getting worried, since trans isnt all that cheap of a fix!

[amc49]

Here we go again, I smell a 'I changed new fluid for very old and the new fluid tore up my transmission!' post coming shortly.

Some people will never get it............and the car could care less about whether they have the funds to fix it.

The guy STILL hesitant about doing it, even though now he's quaking over damage he's already done. Well you've gone and done it now, the trans is on it's way out, no thanks to the maintenance you did there...........

Wanting a transmission to last and then not lifting a finger to help that is quite frankly defective thinking. I really mean no offense but it's gotta be called what it is. There are others who think same thing and they need to see this, it may save them some big money.

If one changes fluid and experiences that type of performance change then he went WAY too far, and does not know what proper fluid looks or smells like. Normal fluid changes on any car I've ever done are transparent and the only way you can pretty much tell is that the gears bump in a bit faster and firmer when you put it in gear. The shifts should be about the same and there should be no night to day difference. I have never experienced that fantastic result in all the automatic transmissions I've ever worked on. You don't want to know how many that is.................

[DarwinSays]

ahh, amc is showing his age, hehe.

It is true though, that even some newer-ish vehicles are still susceptible to that kind of problem. A buddy of mine had a late 90's Blazer that went about 60k on original tans fluid, and when he finally changed it, the trans had to warm up before it would lock into overdrive.

I've always kept fresh royal purple trans fluid in my getrag 6spd, and I can always tell when the fluid is starting to break down by how it shifts. I usually end up changing it every 1-2 years, depending on how much it gets driven. Well worth the cost imo!

[Mile30]

You should be doing it once a year if you drive a lot. Fluid changes are hella-cheaper than component replacement. AMC has a good point... coming from a member of the automotive industry: you can't ignore that facet of ownership. Everything will break down eventually, so you gotta read the maintenance schedule and actually follow it!

It happens regularly enough: car comes in with shifting-woes, gets a loooong overdue flush and DOES start acting different. It was too late (like differential whine; if you're starting to hear it, it's already funked-up) beforehand, but the customers act/say the dealer/shop/mfg is out to get their money!

The car cost thousands upon thousands to buy; what makes people think any one part of it is going to be cheap?!?! The techs and mechanics don't put those miles on it...


Pick up a case of fluid with your tax money, swap it out every year or so in the driveway... save your trans!

[Eduktion]

Originally Posted by amc49

Here we go again, I smell a 'I changed new fluid for very old and the new fluid tore up my transmission!' post coming shortly.

Some people will never get it............and the car could care less about whether they have the funds to fix it.

The guy STILL hesitant about doing it, even though now he's quaking over damage he's already done. Well you've gone and done it now, the trans is on it's way out, no thanks to the maintenance you did there...........

Wanting a transmission to last and then not lifting a finger to help that is quite frankly defective thinking. I really mean no offense but it's gotta be called what it is. There are others who think same thing and they need to see this, it may save them some big money.

If one changes fluid and experiences that type of performance change then he went WAY too far, and does not know what proper fluid looks or smells like. Normal fluid changes on any car I've ever done are transparent and the only way you can pretty much tell is that the gears bump in a bit faster and firmer when you put it in gear. The shifts should be about the same and there should be no night to day difference. I have never experienced that fantastic result in all the automatic transmissions I've ever worked on. You don't want to know how many that is.................

Keep them knickers on! I bought the car a few months back, This is my first car im still learning...

[rawrfish]

Originally Posted by Eduktion

thats good to hear, even on my 13 year old car???? and something funny happened to me today if u can help me out scott, i place my auto on reverse and the damn thing didnt want to go!, i had to put my foot down rev it up and then it took off! first time this happened to me it was very lightly this is the second time it happened getting worried, since trans isnt all that cheap of a fix!

i had that problem too, about 3 days before i had to replace my entire trans :(

about an hour after it did it CEL light popped up on my dash. took it to autozone and they said it was a transmission range sensor. 2 days later and i needed a new tranny. mine was hesitating to go out of second and into third as well too though.

hopefully yours isnt as bad as mine though