Change Transmission fluid, keeping filter

[higgens]

120k 2006 tahoe bought "gm certified used" at 60k. Daily commuter, no towing and no transmission filter or fluid change in those 60k (maybe original fluid). I'm interested in doing the transmission fluid exchange using the method with the cooler line fitting and the bucket along with changing the filter. The impression I get is removing the pan is challenging. Would it be wise to change the fluid only and not clean the pan and change the filter? Can I get 80% of the benefit with only 20% of the work?

 

[Danzigman]

Following...

 

[Sasquatch]

I wouldn`t skip changing out the filter especially if you`re unsure of the maintenance history. The only hard part of dropping the pan is removing the shift cable bracket. I couldn`t remove the torx bolts that hold it on so i just bent the bracket out of the way and slid the pan under it. When i bolted it back up i ran the shifter through the gears and it worked perfectly so i never bent it back and never had a problem. I read that a lot of people reuse the the pan gasket so i did without a drop of oil leaking. Its much easier to use it over the folded up gasket that comes with the filter.

 

[brasil]

fluidchange ...without a filter change ? Doesn´t make sense

 

[MrBalll]

It's really not that bad. Like stated the cable bracket can get in the way, otherwise it's not that bad. Plus you can undo a few bolts from the pan and most of the fluid will come out from there rather than unhooking lines and moving buckets around.

 

[shoplizard]

A question I have is, what was the visual condition of the fluid? Was it clear, Red or light brown, and no burnt smell from the fluid. If this is the case then the fluid was still usable. How did the trans shift, did it slip during shifts, if not then the trans clutches are likely in good condition. the main reason for removing the pan would be to inspect for metal and/or clutch debris. The filter should be separated to inspect for debris inside if there is debris in the pan (some very fine black particles in very amounts is normal) and filter then prepare yourself for some problems in the future, changing the fluid and filter will not fix any worn or damaged parts in the trans. If your trans is shifting good and the fluid is good and it's under 100,000 miles I wouldn't worry about.it After that mileage, it should be optional for peace of mind to change both. As a service technician, I have seen many go well over 100,000 miles under normal driving conditions with no problems.

 

[Churchill]

120k 2006 tahoe bought "gm certified used" at 60k. Daily commuter, no towing and no transmission filter or fluid change in those 60k (maybe original fluid). I'm interested in doing the transmission fluid exchange using the method with the cooler line fitting and the bucket along with changing the filter. The impression I get is removing the pan is challenging. Would it be wise to change the fluid only and not clean the pan and change the filter? Can I get 80% of the benefit with only 20% of the work?

Pan removal is not bad at all. There is a good YouTube video at www.1aauto.com that shows you everything. Of course laying on your back doing these jobs makes things more difficult !!

 

[higgens]

The shift cable bracket is the problem. I've seen videos on youtube with bending it out of the way, using a c-clamp or removing the torx.

There are no problems with the transmission. The color of the fluid is a pale pink and has no odor. I looked up my VIN for the vehicle build and I have a transmission cooler - "KNP HD AUX Trans cooling sys".

 

[MrBalll]

Yeah, that shift cable is a bit of a pain but what is an extra 10 seconds moving it out of the way to get the pan off?
It really isn't that much more effort. And no matter the color of your fluid you may as well change the filter anyway. Easier now that you are changing the fluid rather than later on.

It really is up to you, but I think most will agree you may as well change it while you are messing with the fluid anyway.

 

[ittrainer]

Following. .