Auto box fluid

[jonela]

When i set off to work this morning ,after about 5 miles the I could smell burnt rubber engine seemed hot but all gauges were fine. So came back home and checked the levels, all ok ,but the ATF was not its usual cherry red colour it seemed a bit on its way towards the brown.
So I think it needs replacing asap; Is there a best way to do this ?
If I drain it ,dose it all come out ,or is there a percentage left in it ,affecting how much i replace.
Should I remove the sump ,as I believe there is a filter inside?
What fluid is best ?

 

[macabethiel]

Due to the Torque converter not having a drain plug when you change the fluid its only about 35% that comes out so when you do the first change you will get an idea of its true colour &
if there is any debris floating about.

If its gone grey its water ingress either from the radiator / oil cooler matrix or you have been in deep water and its entered the auto box via a breather. It only needs a small amount of water to turn it grey.

Plenty of old posts on changing ATF.

Best fluid ? I always overspec and use fully synthetic Dexron 3 grade its backwards convertable for vehicles using Dexron 1 or 2.

 

[Blocky10]

I drain mine warm, measure how much and replace. I fill via the dipstick hole then repeat a week later. I had a problem finding anyone who could tell me what atf to use let alone stock any, so ended up ordering this from amazon. Have towed my twin axle a fair few miles and it's been fine.

 

[jonela]

Due to the Torque converter not having a drain plug when you change the fluid its only about 35% that comes out so when you do the first change you will get an idea of its true colour &
if there is any debris floating about.

If its gone grey its water ingress either from the radiator / oil cooler matrix or you have been in deep water and its entered the auto box via a breather. It only needs a small amount of water to turn it grey.

Plenty of old posts on changing ATF.

Best fluid ? I always overspec and use fully synthetic Dexron 3 grade its backwards convertable for vehicles using Dexron 1 or 2.

No it's not Grey or Brown it's a sort of pink colour

 

[micktheshed]

I've changed mine twice (only once on purpose, the 2nd time due to a burst cooler hose LOL). The following tips are from someone who knows a lot more on this subject than me.

If the fluid looks at all dodgy or smells even slightly burnt or has been in for more than 25-30K then I would advise you to drain it twice or even three times. Give it 10-20 miles or so to mix before the next change.The last time replacing the filter also. This will reduce the amount of original fluid significantly as well as clearing any debrise. It's impossible to get rid of it all as the system will only drain 1/3 to 1/2 of the total each time.

As already mentioned elswhere, measure the amount drained out & refill with the same amount via the dipsitck hole. This assumes you have the right amount in there in the first place! Too much is as bad as too little & I took several goes at getting it right. Best to top it up in small amounts & then run through the changes to circulate it (eg. 10 or 20 cl rather than add too much & have to suck it out the dipstick hole with a vey small tube..YUCK!!!! guess how I know this....). The level should be to the marks, not somewhere 'near enough'!

Check it after a long run as it needs to be hot & with the engine running.

Most suitable fluid seems to be cherry red, but I also have some (to the same spec) that looks just like normal oil.

 

[jonela]

Thanks for all the above, very helpful indeed. having trouble locating fluid at moment, have been round local shops and can only find one 1ltr bottle of DexronII equivalent for Torque converters.
So off to Quimper tomorrow ,see if I can get some there.
Do I need to drop the sump pan to clean the filter and if so will I need a new gasket ? and if I do this will I be able to replace all the fluid ?

 

[solarman216]

there is a magnet but no filter, not worth the risk of contamination to remove the sump, your fluid should be a nice clear cherry red, if it looking brown ish and cloudy then it has suffered overheating or is just very old, to change it all you will need to do it 2 or three times as you cannot drain the converter, drive it a couple of miles between changes, change it as many times as needed to get the oil looking the same as in a new can, Rick

 

[jonela]

Cheers Rick,:thumb2

 

[macabethiel]

Fuchs Titan 440 fully synthetic ATF

I bought the above on e-bay back in 2013 it was £29.94 for 5 Litres.
Might have been from Opie Oils cant remember for sure.

 

[AlexD333]

Out of interest, why can you not drain the whole lot? Surely a design flaw?

And how does the manual transmission setup compare? :nenau

 

[solarman216]

Out of interest, why can you not drain the whole lot? Surely a design flaw?

And how does the manual transmission setup compare? :nenau

Auto transmission employs a fluid flywheel that is full of fluid, it gets in and out via the centre shaft so when you drain the box the flywheel stays full as the shaft close dimensions do not allow air in to let the fluid out, hope this explains, Rick

 

[macabethiel]

Torque Convertor drain plugs

Out of interest, why can you not drain the whole lot? Surely a design flaw?

And how does the manual transmission setup compare? :nenau

With modern designs access to the torque convertor is not possible also a lot of it is cost.
Way back in the early seventies my Mum had a Mini Automatic it was a Borg Warner design I think. The oil capacity for the engine was 2 Gallons as engine / gearbox share the oil on the old Mini including the automatics.

On the early models there was an access point where you could remove the torque convertor drain plug and get about 7 pints of oil to drain out in addition to the 8 pints or so from the sump plug. When my Mum changed her vehicle for a similar newer model the plug was not fitted even though the access point was. Since then I have never seen a torque convertor with a drain plug of any sort.

 

[elty001]

I did mine four times in the space of a month to get as much of the old fluid out as possible.
I bought a small funnel with a flexible neck that fits into the dipstick tube.
Measure what comes out each time,providing your levels are accurate and replace with the same amount.
I used Granville dextron III ATF fluid.
Was on offer at local warehouse shop so I got 10 ltrs.

 

[jonela]

Did the first change today, couldn't believe the color difference. It just looks a bit darker on the dip stick.

Made a funnel and tube set up

 

[solarman216]

how long had it been run after change, as it will take time for the converter to discharge all its oil into the main box, Rick

 

[jonela]

how long had it been run after change, as it will take time for the converter to discharge all its oil into the main box, Rick

I have only drained and replaced exactly what came out . I plan to run it to work and back tomorrow and then do a second change Friday morning.
I was surprised how much came out. It takes 8.5 liters so was expecting 35-40% to come out, but over half 4.65 liters came out.

 

[elty001]

Sounds about right to me.
I just did mine until it was a nice cherry red colour as it was brown when I bought it.
I don't really do a vast amount of miles or towing so it's only been done twice in the few years I have owned it.