asiandude

Anybody tried to use a suction pump to suck out fluid from the trans dipstick (like the motor oil dipstick) instead of draining it from the bottom?

Thanks

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Roller_Toaster

iTrader: (1)

In order to truly change all of your trans fluid, you will need to take it to a shop, or buy a very expensive trans flush machine.

You CAN change your fluid/filter yourself, but you will only be able to drain about 1/2 to 2/3 of the fluid without the machine.

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kidd

someone on here did do a diy. they bought case of fluid and unhooked one of the lines going to the radiator. with the car running drained fluid from the line then added a couple quarts. alternating that process i believe it took 10 quarts before clean fluid came out.

RichBinAZ

I'm not sure the machine will completely change the fluid. It may have 2 chambers, one full of new fluid and one to receive the "old fluid",
but that "old fluid will only start out as old, as more new fluid goes in, the old will become a mix of old and new. I would guess it would be around a 75% fluid change.

There is some value in removing the sump pan (on an auto trans). It gives you a chance to see if there is any debris being created and there are a couple of magnets inside the pan that will hold onto steel bits.
If it is a very fine coating of dust, you will be in good shape. The automatics will create a fine clutch dust also which is probably not magnetic - that will give you a clue as to how the clutches are wearing (by the amount)

I was looking at Fords recently and see that the new (Euro) Fiesta's and Focus' have a sealed transmission with an expected life of 150K (They have dual dry clutches). As an engineer I find that mind boggling.
Common wisdom says gears chew up the long chain molecules in oil. Perhaps I need to ditch that common wisdom - or is that just ford's sales people being overly optimistic???

Seeing how good the tranny was on my son's xB1 after 30K miles, I won't be taking the sump off again, just a simple drain and fill every 30K... whether it needs one or not.

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ScionFred

iTrader: (1)

I didn't post the DIY or remember who did but I used it and it works great. I was able to very clearly see when the old fluid stopped flowing and the new fluid began.

You drain the pan, *drop the pan, remove old filter, clean pan and magnets, install new filter, new gasket and pan*, re-fill ATF (3-4 qts). Disconnect the cooler-out/trans return line from the ATF cooler and place open end into empty receptacle.
Start engine and run for < 1 minute until ~2 qts are pumped out. Add 2 qts new ATF to dipstick tube and repeat until new ATF is seen entering the used ATF receptacle. I exchanged 9 qts of ATF this way and highly doubt that more than 1 qt of old ATF remained afterward.

*Italicized steps are optional and very uneccesary at 30k miles IMO, per my findings.

For reference, the top oil line on the trans is the trans-out to the cooler and the bottom line is cooler-out to trans return. IMHO this method worked very well and I plan to use it for all future ATF changes.

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TheotherBMan

Would a reservoir plumbed to the return line (like an IV) allow the transmission to suck fresh fluid in to replace what's pumped out?

buickid

I'm guessing it doesn't suck fluid, but rather pumps it through.

ScionFred

iTrader: (1)

I think Buickid is correct. The pump pickup is in the pan and the cooler return line just empties back into the pan.

TheotherBMan

I knew that the pressure went into the cooler, I was just thinking that if you plugged the filler tube the lost fluid would pull a bit of a vacuum which would pull in fluid. I know it wouldn't pull right away but I would guess less than 2 quarts.

ScionFred

iTrader: (1)

That might work but I don't think the flow rate IN would be close enough to the flow rate OUT. There's also a vent tube on the trans that might negate some or all of the suction if not plugged off.

I probably should have mentioned before that this fluid exchange method works best with 2 people. The ATF comes out very quickly and if you're not careful it can get very messy.
You'll also need several feet of suitably sized hose/tubing to route the ATF into the used ATF container. If working alone try to use a clear container and place it where you can easily see it within reach of the ign switch.

Remember that the top fitting on the trans is the pump OUT which (IIRC) goes to the bottom fitting on the radiator cooler. It's probably best to remove the short rubber hose section from the metal return line and trans
and place a clear vinyl hose onto the metal line and into the used ATF container. You could also use a barbed splice connector to mate the rubber hose to your temporary drain line.

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mnscionxb

no it dont suck you have to add it as you go i changed mine at 65k and the filter was pluged get a buddy to poor it in as the car runs . took 12 Q for me but i added a trany cooler .

etsnet

iTrader: (2)

Do it right and take care of the tranny like it should. Go to a tranny shop or like a Tire Kingdom and have them flush it with the machine. They flush it out with a cleaning solution and put new fluid in. I would bring my own from the dealership so you know the correct type goes in. Also to keep it in the best shape do it every 20K-30K miles and you should never have to worry about tranny problems. Well worth it. You will never get it totally clean without the machine.

ScionFred

iTrader: (1)

Hey Paul, that's probably good advice for many but not all ATF flush machines are the same. Some of them (cooler line type) work the same way this DIY method works except that they automatically add fresh fluid without stopping to add it manually. You still get some mixing and dilution of new and old ATF. OTOH, some machines (pump inlet type) actually replace all the old ATF with new but they require dropping the pan and cost more. There may be other types as well but I'm not sure.

Gfinish

I just did this last night. I pulled about 2.5qts

LophatXB

I know it’s not the best, but I’ve heard with modern transmissions you shouldn’t have a shop use the machine to pump or push fluid through your system. There are some small channels and ports in the tranny that can get clogged by debris, which could spell trouble. Mostly it suggested to just change the filter and 3-4 quarts of fluid and let it mix in with the old evry 60,000 miles. I’m about to do a filter and fill probably next week.