Car Repair World

  Do You Really Need to Change the Transmission Fluid? But Car Owners Ask This Question: How often should the automatic transmission fluid be changed? When exactly it is a good time to change your automatic transmission fluid Most car owner's manuals say it isn't necessary. Yeah, right. That's why transmission shops are making a fortune replacing burned out automatic transmissions.  For optimum protection, change the fluid and filter every 30,000 miles (unless you have a new vehicle that is filled with Dexron III ATF which is supposed to be good for 100,000 miles).  Fresh automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is bright red and has a distinct petroleum smell. If Your dipstick shows a low level, is the color of institutional linoleum and smells very dirty. Your transmission fluid is badly in need of changing, and the tranny may already be damaged. Proper Checking of the Automatic Transmission Fluid Level The automatic transmission level should be checked regularly. Keep the ve...

Automatic Transmission Fluid Change Safety Tip: Always wear safety glasses when working on your vehicle. Wear other personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary, for example latex gloves or closed toe shoes. 1 Drive your vehicle to warm up the transmission fluid. Park the vehicle on a solid level surface. Set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels. 2 Using a floor jack, lift up the front of your vehicle. Secure the vehicle with jack stands on both sides for safety before starting any work. The pinch welds and the frame are the two best locations. Do not rely on the jack to hold the vehicle up while working. 3 Place a large drain pan under the transmission. Loosen the transmission pan bolts but do not remove. Starting at the rear, remove half of the transmission pan bolts. If the pan is stuck to the transmission, insert a flat head screw driver between the pan and the transmission and pry them apart. 4 Remove the rest of the transmission pan bolts an...