Risk in draining transmission fluid
 

Hi there,

I have a 2000 hyundai accent (automatic) with 110k miles purchased second-hand. I have never changed the transmission fluid (I know, I know) and every time I get the oil changed I am told the transmission fluid is dark.

I haven't noticed any problems with the car; except that a few times when I go up an incline it takes a while to get into gear.

I read on the internet that if one has not changed their transmission fluid after so long that there is a risk in that it could crack something. (?)

Should I change the transmission fluid? Any thought? Thank you so much.

Vera

I would. How many miles have you driven it? Do you know if the previous owner ever changed the trans fluid?

do not changed tranny fluid on a high mileage automatic tranny.you risk a high possibility of seizing the tranny. this is not uncommmon. automatics should only be filled up if missing fluid not drained and replaced.

hi there, thanks for replying.

I bought it at 30k miles. I got it from the bank's auto-selling program where they promise to have a 20 point inspection done; certify the car, etc.

THANK YOU!! :)

alright if you're going to give advice, bloody well make sure theres a least a shred of truth to it.

seizing: no. when the fluid gets really nasty it gets thick. some of that crud takes part in the seals such as o-rings, etc. it takes a hell of a long time to do this. so yes its VERY uncommon for a trans flush to cause major problems - and the milage isnt anywhere near that point. sezing? that would mean blowing a bearing. replacing the oil just can't do that.

"automatics should only be filled up if missing fluid not drained and replaced"
i dont even know where to begin with this its so outright wrong. owners manuals clearly state to change the fluid at specified intervals. the end.

the only exception here is some GM transmissions are sealed and oiled for life.

So then do I need to get the transmission flushed or drained? These are 2 different processes, right?

veragrazia, please ignore the above post. It is full of incorrect and bad information.

Flushing the trans replaces 100% of the fluid inside. A drain and refill only replaces about half at most.

thank you so much for your assistance.

It sounds like I need my transmission flushed then.

to clarify (in case you have a more technical interest;):

1. yes i'm an asshole:p

2. if a transmission has been let go REALLY bad....and at your milage its well overdue but chances of this are pretty much nil...all the crap that gets built up inside the trans from the bad fluid can be released by the new fluid. yes you can cause clogging. main issue is the valve body which is responsible for knowing when to shift. so there is a slight potential but its pretty much non existent even for one in much much worse shape than yours is in.

myself i would have no fear of doing a flush and it will prolong the life of your transmission for sure. if you want to be really paranoid, get the flush, get the pan cleaned and the filter replaced. that should be done anyhow.

the paranoid part is to do it all over again a short time later after any gunk has had a chance to come loose. total overkill, but to each their own;) i figure the filter is there for a reason, let it do its job.

Just flush the tranny and if it fails get a new one. :).. On a serious note ...nova resource is right and so is zero gravity now as for stakeoutloud92 he is an idiot and nothing he says should ever be listened to by anyone he just makes us all stupider.