Automatic transmission flush
Asked by KW400 Jan 02, 2015 at 12:16 PM about the 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Hello. I have a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria (not a PI) with 133,255 miles. It has never given me any serious trouble. Every time I take it to the oil-change place (a National Chain) they want to do a transmission flush. The transmission shifts fine, no leaks, the fluid is nice and red..looks good to me. I drive a Dump Truck for a living so I am not a complete moron about cars and trucks, but not a real mechanic either. But they insist if I don't flush it ($99) I am -Quote- "Asking for trouble, it needs it now, filter is probably getting clogged up" end quote. I have had the car since 2006 and had it changed (the transmission fluid that is), a drain and fill in 2011 when it hit the 100k mark. Thanks for any advice.
9 Answers
A flush isn't going to take care of your filter. Only way to do that is to drop the pan and replace the filter.
Thank You, but I have no reason to even think it's clogged... only what Jiffy-Lube tells me. Should I do it anyway? I have been looking for what Ford says and have not come up with much about how often that should be done
When I say do it anyway I mean filter..not flush
You can check videos on YouTube about Jiffy Lube and their bad reputation.... like charging for trans flushes and not doing them. You can also search online and they'll say that a lot of car manufacturers recommend against transmission flushes. I have a '93 Crown Victoria LX and I've been doing transmisson filter changes for years. It's messy but not that hard. In fact a lot of Ford transmission gaskets are rubber and reusable.
Way cool..Thank you very much. That answers a couple things...like a flush not cleaning filter. They don't like it but I watch them closely when they do an oil-change, I pay for Mobil1 and I want to see it come from a sealed bottle..not a drum. I remember they got busted for that with the hidden cameras, but figured they wouldn't have the juevos to do it again. Matter of fact I only go there because it's close....but heck with it, I will go the extra 15 miles to another chain. Thanks again
I forgot..how often does it need filter?
I see one source online that recommends 30k. It's hard to say. I really don't know. I see a lot of different opinions online. I don't use my cars much so I change about every 36k miles or three years. I also have an oversized trans pan, 42 pass B&M trans cooler and a remote trans filter installed
ytlas makes very good points..I am just going to get more severe..I have been preaching the evils of transmission flushes for years. A flush will pick up small particles on bottom of pan..and-- I think-- there is a magnet on the bottom of the pan, or the drain plug is a rare-earth magnet. to collect any steel 'dust' ..where it does no harm..and circulate it through your transmission doing far more harm than good..ESPECIALLY if as you state the fluid is a nice red color and has no burnt odor. My Corolla has a screen-type filter, and the flush picks that up too. I looked at filters for your 2002 CV and they are not screens, I understand what ytlas means now about the flush not effecting the filter. There are occasions, when your transmission is at the 'beginning of the end', when the fluid is brown and contaminated, a flush might bring it back to life..for a while. But in your case KW400..no way no how allow a flush. They are expensive machines that must be paid for..guess how...pushing them on folks that don't know and get in their wallet.
look, the trany dip stick does not indicate the real color of the fluid. It is simple - change out the fluid every 30K miles and you shall prolong the life of the trany (almost any automobile). If you would rather chance a transmission rebuild for $900 to $2000 by avoiding the fluid change, then be ready to pay. It does not matter, age of fluid combined with miles simply makes the ATF efficiency drop like a rock. You may develop a "shudder", particles from the disk clutches may not be filtered or magnetized out of the stream in an old and neglected trany. Google "John Gislason (99NDP71)" and read his expert methodology for the fluid change and flush. But guess what, one day you'll put the trany in "drive" and then nothing will happen unless you do keep on the ball with ATF changes. that is it my friend.