when to change trans. fluid

[chrisusvi]

I have a 92 tercel and I have no idea when the trans. fluid was changed. The car has almost 91,000 miles on it now. The transmission feels like its starting to slip or delay a little. I was to solve this problem sooner than later. When should the transmission fluid be changed and is there a filter inside the trans. that should be changed also? Do I have a potentially larger problem on my hands with the slipping of the transmission or has the trans. fluid just lost its viscosity to lubricate properly and just needs to be changed. I hope I didn't repeat myself too much.

[Donald]

If the tranny is slipping, changing the fluid won't help, it might actually make it worse.
Usually I change my tranny fluid every other time that I change my engine oil, or every six months. My tranny is slipping and shifting incorrectly and has been doing both for about two years now. I have used "Lucas" transmission addative and it has helped just a little bit. I am planning to swap mine out in a few weeks.

You might want to look into a rebuild or getting a low milage used Japan market tranny. Yours will probably go for quite a while, depending on how badly it is slipping and what kinds of roads you drive on. If you do lots of hill driving or stop and go, it might not last long.

Check your down-shift cable for adjustment - Have somebody press the accellerator pedal to the floor while you look at the cable. (It is the one that runs opposite to the throttle cable and goes to the tranny) There should be a rubber sleeve at the end of the outer cable. On the inner cable there should be a lead slug or bead that just comes out to the end of the rubber sleeve with the pedal pressed. If not, adjust the outer cable in or out until the slug is just at the end of the sleeve.

Good luck.

[jijiandfarmgang]

hey,

I second that changing the fluid might make it worse. Yes there is a filter, yes the fluid and filter should be changed, I think the manual says at 60,000 miles, though Im not sure. If most of the clutch material in the trans has deteriorated and is in the fluid, it might be the only thing keeping it going. With that said, Ive changed the fluid on a slipping trans and it solved the problem. The fluid that I changed was very bubbly.

by the way, if you do decide to change it, I beleive the filter and pan gasket is less than 15 dollars, and the trans doesnt hold that much fluid at all. Its a really cheap thing to do, and its quite easy.

[Donald]

One other thing. When you drain the tranny, depending on the vehicle, about half of the total volume of fluid stays in the torque converter, so you only get half out. Some transmission shops do a flush, or pressure change, which means they hook up a pump to your cooler lines and pump all the old fluid out and new fluid in. That is the only way to get it all out. That is why I do mine so frequently. It is never completely changed but it stays relatively fresh.