someone was telling me that a shop said they need to have their trans flushed. so question, when should i do it? i know im not going to need to do this for a while butid be doing it myself i have getting ripped off from a shop. whats the best way to prolong flushing a trans?

 

Auto or Manuel?

 

I haven't checked the Owner's Manual and I'm at work but I have my auto tranny SUV power flushed every 60,000 miles only because I tow with it. IF I had an auto Stang I doubt I'deven thinkabout it before 60k-100K miles. If you're going to the track, however, that's probably a different story. I'm curious to see your responses to this.

 

its a auto. im preaty easy on her most of the time so i dont think ill do it untill about 100k. but im just curious to see what you guys say. i just had to replace the tranny in my dads ranger and dont wana do that again. he got 165k out if the factory one but i plan on keeping the stang way past that mark.

 

They claim to do it around 50 or 60 k....Thats one of those things that fall into the "if it aint broke, dont fix it" category.... if you arent abusing it then I wouldn worry about it until upwards of 100k

 

thats what i thought. im just not looking to swap a tranny again anytime soon.

 

As a shop owner, and what was previously posted above, I gotta answer this thread.
When a car comes in here with 100k+ miles on it, depending on the condition of the fluid, I usually will refuse to do a flush. Reason being is: The deposits that can build up over that long of time period can get cleaned up by the new fluid. And this leads to the high probability of transmission failure within 1000 miles. If you leave it in there, it will last longer, but failure will be a question of WHEN not IF. I dont want to end up buying someone a new transmission, just because I was the last place to touch it.

Heres a tidbit of advice from the Better Business Bureau. Coming from someone not associated with auto repair, it should mean something being completely unbiased. Service the transmission every 2 years for everyday vehicles. And EVERY year for commercial use trucks and vans, AND vehicles that tow frequently.

My recommendation to those who come to my shop and ask about it, is to flush it every 3 yrs or no more than 60k miles, IF you truly want to keep the vehicle in its best operating condition. Most people seem to get rid of them by 100k anyway, so youcan get by without doing it at all.

Car maintenance is something most people absolutely HATE doing. I see it too often. Once a car gets over 60k or so, the "mentality" to maintain it starts to go out the window. Everyone loves new cars. But very few realize how easy it is to keep them that way. I have a few people that will fix ANYTHING that goes wrong with their cars. They dont let the little things build up. Thats where the majorityof the public starts to let there cars go downhill. They wont clean and wax them so the paint starts looking bad. They wont keep it vaccumed, they let oil changes go further and further apart. Pretty soon all those little things start to make the car one big overwhelming piece of crap. Then I hear, "The car isnot worth a set of new tires. Do you have any used ones I can use until I sell it/trade it in?" I have seen some cars in here with 50-60k and look like they have been to hell and back several times. I'm absolutely amazed when those come in. A 3year old car already knocking on the crushers door.

My stang is at about 9000mi. I will be flushing it out and putting in Amsoil this winter. I know what that stuff can do and want it in there. After that, It probably will get done again at 50-60k. We plan on taking this Mustang to our grave.

 

 

"I will be flushing it out and putting in Amsoil this winter. I know what that stuff can do and want it in there."

please elaborate. sorry im 19 and preaty dumb when it comes to trannys

 

Synthetics will be required for all transmissions in the not so distant future. Some cars already require its use. Transmissions biggest enemy is heat. Synthetics have been proven time and time again to be better at holding up to heat than regular oils. I have not yet done a before and after check when switching to Amsoil trans fluid by using a laser thermometer. I have done it on my differential and the temp dropped by 30 degrees. Less heat means less friction. I will do it on the transmission in this car when I change it, just to have my own eyes verify it instead of taking the companies word. So far, I have been able to verify everything Amsoil advertises about their products.

Some companies advertise their oils to be synthetic, when in fact, they are not. Amsoil makes only one line of Class III (non-synthetic) oil, its labeled as the XL series. Real synthetic oils are Class IV-VI. I had replied in another thread my Caravan experience of towing about 10,000lbs with it. A short distance, twice, but nonetheless, about 10,000lbs plus the van itself. Didnt slip a bit, didnt overheat (got warmer, yes), and the same fluid has still been in the van for 20,000 miles since then. Its still bright red and still has the strong new smell to it. Caravan transmissions are NOT known for their durabilty either.

The subject of oils/fluids on this site and any other is always a touchy issue. You will hear "I've used 'brand X' for years, never had a problem". My opinion of Amsoil has been formed over the last 12 years from my own experience and hearing about other Amsoil experiences. You are free to use whatever you would like. But understand, Amsoil has been around for over 35 years, and has ALWAYS strived to be AHEAD of the competition. It took about 20 years before the major oil companies took notice of Amsoil, then set out to follow their example with profit as their goal (hence the class III oils marketed as Class IV), and yes all companies have to make a profit, but how they go about it is what can separate them. Amsoil has turned away base stock that didnt measure up, which other companies bought and used. They do not cut corners, and so naturally, their pricing reflects that. One case of Amsoil ATFis $110.40 + tax and shipping to your door. You will need one case to do a flush. And unless you have a different transmission pan on your S197 Mustang, you wont be able to do it yourself.

Everyone has their opinions. Mine is nothing but Amsoil. If you want totry Amsoil or have questions, email and I will also give you my shop ph#.