The trick is to get the fluid changed in the torque converter and thats the way. Synthetic shield has bone it before and should chime in at soem point.
I think that's the way you do it. It results in only a partial change though. I do most things myself, but if it were me I'd have that particular operation done at a shop. They have the needed equipment to do a full change. Just my $.02.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
Well you can certainly take it to a shop and they can hook up a machine and charge you a ton of money, but they do essentially the same thing that you described.
Now, here's why I dont do this.
1. Most quick lubes are in the business of getting you in and getting you and securing maximum payment. This negates the possibility of a thourough inspection.
2. They dont drop the pan in most case, unless you ask and they then will charge a premium for the time. As a result of this, no filter change.
3. You CANNOT backflush most modern transmission filters. Even if you could, ask yourself, do you want what the filter has trapped dislodged? Admittedly most will probably be trapped the filter again, but that leads to your filter being dirty again and what if some slips through this time and gets into some close tolorence places.
By FAR the best thing to do, provided you have the time, is to flush it manually and drop the pan and change the filter. This way you can thouroughly clean the pan and magnet but also replace the filter.
Now, make a note, that you have two fluid lines going to the transmission from the cooler. One is a return line and one is a pump line. The pump line is the one you want to disconnect. Be SURE you can secure it to an empty container because when you start the motor that line is going to see about 40 psi if not more and will have a tendency to flop everywhere much like a water hose would that is under high pressure.
Next, dont remove the return line. Some thing, initially myself as well, that if the pump line pumps, the return line should suck. Well, it doesnt. So you cant put the return line in new fluid and have it suck it in as you pump out the old. I wish it worked that way, but it just doesnt.
Furthermore, some manufactures, Dodge particularly, doesnt start pumping fluid until you put them in drive. Ford and GM as far as I know are not like this. Start the motor and the tranny starts pumping.
You'll want to know what the total fill is for the transmission as well, that is, what it takes to fill the transmission properly if it had no fluid to start with, referred to sometimes as a 'dry fill'. A pan drop usually only removes about 40% of the fluid, the rest remains in the torque converter.
What I typically do is drop the pan, change the filter, clean the pan and magnet and re-install then pour in whatever amount is required to fill the pan. On my Pontiac its 7qts. On the Focus I belive it was 4qts.
Then I take one of the empty quart containers and put the pump line in that and start the vehicle and pump out fluid until that quart container is full, turn off the car, pour in a new quart of fluid. I repeat this until I have used all but the last quart of fluid. Now it is VERY important you have a quart or two extra for a couple of reasons.
1. Its VERY easy to pump out more than you wanted and that leaves you short on fluid and you may not be able to fill the tranny back up to the proper level.
2. If you have a one or two quarts extra, you can pump out extra and ensure nearly 100% fluid exchange which is a really good thing, its worth the extra cost even if you are using synthetic transmission fluid such as Amsoil.
For instance, the Focus automatic transmission holds about 7qts of fluid, you can drop about 3.5 - 4.0qts from the pan. So what I would do is just buy two gallons worth and use it all. I ran Amsoil synthetic transmission fluid in my Focus the whole time I had it. I ended up putting some 70,000 miles on the Focus, with the automatic and I wasnt entirely easy on it. I didnt beat on it constantly, but I had fun. When I sold it, it was still running strong and no transmission problems.
I switched my Grand Prix over to Amsoil and while I hear countless stories of transmission failures, Im still running strong and I will continue to do so. It does have the advantage of being a heavy duty tranny from the manufacturer, but I still read of way too many failures.
One thing that helped both the Focus and the Grand Prix is that I had shift kits in both and transmission fluid coolers. I was never ever able to measure the transmission fluid temp in the Focus, but my Grand Prix transmission fluid temps hardly ever go over 180* now unless I am just pounding on it and even then they come down quickly. Ideally you want your transmission fluid temps around 160 - 170*. You get over 200* and you start to break down the fluid abnormally fast and can easily cause transmission problems in the near future if not corrected. In my experience in monitoring transmission temps on cars I service, it is not uncommon to see fluid temps 210*+ and then people wonder why they have troubles with them.
Anyway, I know this was probably way more than you wanted, but I like being thourough. If you have any questions you are more than welcome to email me and I'll help all I am able. Good luck, and be sure that you get those transmission line clamps tight again, you dont want fluid leaking there or worse a line coming off and blowing your fluid all over the place and you not know it until its too late.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Syn.shield, thanks for the info. I change my Chev Trailblazer using the cooler disconnect method, I agree that changing it yourself and pumping extra fluid though is the way to go. It is pretty much a home T-Tec flush. I clean the pan and magnet as you stated with brake cleaner.
I have not used Amsoil yet. I would, at some point, would like to install a filter by-pass kit and start using it. Where would you mount the by-pass kit in a Focus? There doesn't seem to be much extra space anywhere. Do you have any photos showing an install?
I did a complete write up somewhere on installing a dual remote bypass for the Focus complete with pictures. Its still listed in the how to section. The only thing I would do different now, is that I would have gotten some really long bolts and drilled all the way through the frame and mounted it that way. I never had a lick of problems with it getting loose or anything, but I would have felt more warm and fuzzy about it being mounted that way.
I also ran an external filter for my transmission before it went to the tranny cooler, aftermarket one. I have seen a few people even use a bypass filter on their transmission fluid. If I were going to go that route I would have to make darn sure the fluid pressure would supoort it and if not, have a way to adjust the pump pressure so it would. Though, if it did work out well I wouldnt see the need to ever change the transmission fluid again, most likely for the life of the car. Transmission fluid stays infinately cleaner than oil to begin with since its not exposed to the combustion by products motor oil is so as long as the filters were changed once a year or ever other year a bypass on the transmission would pretty much ensure a healthy and long life for the tranny barring any abuse, neutral drops and the like.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
