Tranny filter

[WannaBButch]

I bought my car approx 5 years ago and the tx filter hasn't been changed in that time and I'm pretty sure it hadn't been changed before that. My step dad says not to change it because if it's never been changed it could cause the tranny to fail. So to change or not to change?

[aych]

my 1988 camry hasn't had any filters changed except for air and oil. it runs fine

[Kep]

You have opened a touchy subject WannaBButch. There are similar numbers of us that prefer nothing, flushing, just refilling. To do justice to this you really need to search the forum.

Personally, I tend to be on the refilling side. I let my 90 go for about 100,000 miles before changing fluid once. I compromised and got a pump that could suck out the trany fluid from the dip stick tube. Once a week for a month I emptied out a quart and refilled a quart. Then I opened the pan drain once a week for a month and refilled (about 2 quarts). Then I dropped the pan and changed the filter (there was no contamination so I really didn't need to do it but who knew?). Thereafter I drained the pan an refilled at about every other oil change (I got over 350,000 miles before I was T-boned.)

How many miles on your car? If your fluid is clean and red I would go ahead and drain the pan. Changing the filter is not the thing which will affect your trany's function, it is the new fluid. Go ahead and change the filter if you want whenever you drain the pan. You can also clean the filter out (diesel or trany fluid would work) and reuse it. It is just a glorified screen.

The theory is something like: as the transmission ages particles pollute the fluid. These are abrasive and cause wear at the clearances between moving parts (of which there are a lot in a trany). Then the particles tend to pack into these spaces and actually help to seal them. When you flush out the trany two things can happen: 1) the particles are successfully flushed out and the trany now has unsealed clearances which results in poorer shifting. and 2) Chunks of particles can be dislodged and may plug up a small passageway that again will mess up the functioning of the trany. Refilling can do the same but it isn't as aggressive. I believe that there are 12 quarts of fluid in a 1990 trany. Refilling does 2 quarts at a time, flushing does all 12. Plus, some flushes use pressure as well.

Kind of depends on your nature. Sorry about the long-winded reply.

Kep