[HKYStormFront]

i messed up my ram doing it, so i had to do it again with the machine. he said it was the only way to make sure that all the old fluid was out.

 

[Zero Six LE]

We have about 6 Dodge Rams on my job that we drain and fill periodically. We use the fluid specified by Mopar and haven't had a single problem for several years. All of the Dodge Rams are 2000 and 2001 models. What did you mess up on yours?

 

[HKYStormFront]

mine was a 99 although there isn't any difference, i'm not really sure what exactly messed up but it quit holding gears because air got trapped in it. i used the right fluid both times. doing the service helped enough to get it to a dealership without them noticing which was good but it was doomed and a pricey repair...

 

[Mylt1]

there yas something already wrong with your trans then. i have never had a machine used on any of my trans and have never had a moments problem nor do i know anyone that has ever had problems. as far as the total drain thing it is true, unless you remove the trans cooler line. you have to do a little extra to do a "FULL" drain on somehting with a trans cooler but its still nothing thats to hard. just have to know how to do it. bu i have still refilled by just pouring the new fluid down the dipstick tube.

 

[Zero Six LE]

there yas something already wrong with your trans then. i have never had a machine used on any of my trans and have never had a moments problem nor do i know anyone that has ever had problems. as far as the total drain thing it is true, unless you remove the trans cooler line. you have to do a little extra to do a "FULL" drain on somehting with a trans cooler but its still nothing thats to hard. just have to know how to do it. bu i have still refilled by just pouring the new fluid down the dipstick tube.

I can't see how any air can get trapped in the tranny. The pump draws the fluid from the pan through the filter and fills the hydraulic circuits so any air would be bled out in short order. IMO it's no different from draining and refilling your oil pan. Hydraulic pumps don't pump air very well but in most cases the vehicles stops moving when the fluid level drops too low.

 

[Mylt1]

it cant. thats why i asked for his instructor to post his source of that info.

 

[fronty2005]

i don't think it's specific to any particular trans fluid. it's just a pump more or less. instructor dude said if you just pour in the new fluid air can get caught under parts in the trans. it will move upward but as it does it can cause problems that cause alot of wear, espcially if it gets in the valve body...

have taken a valve body apart before? if not , it look like a maze that fluids past thru it, if ever there's air caught in their like you said fluid will push it out even you're doing a drain and fill.

i messed up my ram doing it, so i had to do it again with the machine. he said it was the only way to make sure that all the old fluid was out.

what u really trying to say is using a flush machine taking out all the old fluid out. dont you think that when putting the trans line back on u will have air going in there too. try to thnk about powersteering systemand study how it works and how to bled the system.

u need to show this thread to your instructor because everbody here is wondering where he get the info about air in the trans will cause damage to the system.

i guess everybody will wait for an answer.

 

[Frontier2]

If you have a tranny that has real nasty fluid or never been serviced they recommend that you DON'T flush the tranny.If you do theirs a good chance that the tranny will slip or have shifting problems.

 

[HKYStormFront]

i didn't mean to stir up a controversy. in his defense my instructor is a 30+ year ASE veteran, i usually believe him when he says something. also, i'm no longer in any automotive classes at the moment, just core classes so i hardly ever see him.

i guess in summary it would be safe to say, according to you guys, it's ok to change your fluid by simply pulling the pan, changing the filter (if nessicary), then put the pan back on and fill. i guess the "better" way would be to use the machine if accessable...

 

[braindead]

It's amazing how many professional mechanics (and apparantly instructors too) either overstate things (some experience with one specific item = the same for all others) or are just plain wrong.

My Dad has been a mechanic for..well 40+ years. He still thinks that in a mechanical ignition, the spark plug fires when the points close. I even demonstrated the eletrical principle, including manually opening points and watching the spark... That didn't convince him.

Take everything you hear from everyone with a grain of salt. Question and verify at least.

 

[badbrad358]

I think two important points were made:

1. The Dodge Ram tranny that went out was not that uncommon because most Dodge Ram's tranny's have died. They were just a poor mechanical device, period. I think it was coincidental that the fluid was changed and then the tranny died.

2. Draining a conventional automatic at the pan and then refilling is, as was already correctly stated by Chuck, about the same as draining and refilling your engine. The main difference is you fill the auto through the dipstick tube so the fluid goes directly into the pan rather than like an engine having to travel from the valve cover down through the drains. I have done many drain and refills.

I think the main point the teacher was making was it is a lot better to replace all of the fluid by using the flush machine than it is to just drain and refill to blend new fluid in with the old. However, for people like me who don't have a machine in our garage the drain and refill method is better than doing nothing at all.

The most important thing in modern cars is to USE THE RIGHT ATF!! There are now many and they really do matter.

 

[Guest]

I think two important points were made:

1. The Dodge Ram tranny that went out was not that uncommon because most Dodge Ram's tranny's have died. They were just a poor mechanical device, period. I think it was coincidental that the fluid was changed and then the tranny died.

2. Draining a conventional automatic at the pan and then refilling is, as was already correctly stated by Chuck, about the same as draining and refilling your engine. The main difference is you fill the auto through the dipstick tube so the fluid goes directly into the pan rather than like an engine having to travel from the valve cover down through the drains. I have done many drain and refills.

I think the main point the teacher was making was it is a lot better to replace all of the fluid by using the flush machine than it is to just drain and refill to blend new fluid in with the old. However, for people like me who don't have a machine in our garage the drain and refill method is better than doing nothing at all.

The most important thing in modern cars is to USE THE RIGHT ATF!! There are now many and they really do matter.

Well said...

Dodge can't make tranys. They make good motors but, they make transmisions like I would, like crap. And if your transmission has issues alot of the time it will not become clear untill you drain the fluid, once the fluid is drained so is the gunk that was holding broken parts together and thats when everything goes to hell.