Automatic Transmission fluid flush

[Geno]

I have a 2004 Dodge 2500 with diesel. I had my tranny flushed at the Dodge dealer as part of my 90,000 mile service. It cannot hurt your trans to run clean fluid through it. There is no chemical additive to "break" loose sludge, it merely uses trans fluid to force the residual fluid (which may have particulates in it) through the entire system including the converter. How can this possibly be harmful unless the pressures used exceed the normal? I am anal about service intervals, my brother who has the same truck is horrible about getting his service work done and has had lots of issues. At 90,000 he had to replace his trans(he had his trans serviced once at 60,000). If you use your truck like a truck, towing, hauling heavy loads, then you need to service it more often. Your trans will heat up under those conditions and "burn" the fluid which reduces it's ability to perform. If you use your truck as a "grocery getter" then maybe you can get away with a service every 100,000.

[TheHunt]

I would never flush a transmission.  I always drop the pan clean reinstall with a new gasket.

THink if this... 
A flush is a violent push of the fluid through your transmission.  If there is any debris in your pan, which there is a magnet that picks up the metal shavings and anything else that has happens to be there.  In an automatic transmission there is too much crap to go wrong.  You will not get all the old fluid out if you drop the pan but you will NOT throw any thing that has dropped into the pan this sitting on the bottom of the pan  back up into the transmission.

Just my opinion... 

[jackelope]

THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 26-003-07, DATED
MARCH 30, 2007, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. THIS IS A
COMPLETE REVISION AND NO ASTERISKS HAVE BEEN USED TO HIGHLIGHT
REVISIONS.
SUBJECT:
Fluid Flushing Requirements
MODELS:
2005 - 2008 (CS) Pacifica
2006 - 2009 (D1) Ram Truck (3500 Pick Up)
2010 (D2) Ram Truck (3500 Pick Up)
2007 - 2010 (DC) Ram Truck (3500 Chassis Cab)
2005 - 2009 (DH) Ram Truck (1500/2500 Pick Up)
2010 (DJ) Ram Truck (2500 Pick Up)
2005 - 2008 (DR) Ram Truck (1500 / 2500 Pick Up)
2009 - 2010 (DS) Ram Truck (1500)
2005 - 2009 (HB) Durango
2007 - 2009 (HG) Aspen
2009 - 2010 (JC) Journey
2007 - 2010 (JK) Wrangler
2005- 2006 (JR) Sebring Sedan & Convertible/Stratus Sedan
2007 - 2010 (JS) Avenger/Sebring
2008 - 2010 (KK) Liberty
2007 - 2010 (KA) Nitro
2005 - 2007 (KJ) Liberty
2009 - 2010 (LC) Challenger
2005 - 2010 (LE) 300C/300C Touring (International Markets)
2005 - 2010 (LX) 300/Magnum/Charger
2007 - 2010 (MK) Compass/Patriot
2005 - 2010 (ND) Dakota
NUMBER: 26-001-09
GROUP: Miscellaneous
DATE: September 24, 2009
2005 - 2006 (PL) Neon
2007 - 2010 (PM) Caliber
2005 - 2010 (PT) Chrysler PT Cruiser
2005 - 2007 (RG) Chrysler Voyager (International Markets)
2005 - 2007 (RS) Town & Country/Caravan/Voyager
2009 - 2010 (RT) Town & Country/Grand Caravan
2005 - 2006 (TJ) Wrangler
2005 - 2006 (VA) Sprinter
2007 - 2010 (VB) Sprinter
2005 - 2010 (WH) Grand Cherokee (International Markets)
2005 - 2010 (WK) Grand Cherokee
2006 - 2010 (XH) Commander (International Markets)
2006 - 2010 (XK) Commander
2005 - 2010 (ZB) Viper
2005 - 2007 (ZH) Crossfire
DISCUSSION:
Chrysler Group vehicle fluid systems do NOT require regular flushing. These systems
include: engine oil, transmission oil, axle lube, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and
refrigerant. The only exception to this requirement are published in the vehicle
maintenance schedules, e.g. engine coolant.
Exceptions to this recommendation include only those instances where a failure has
occurred and/or the system has become compromised, contaminated or overheated
beyond the normal operating range.
Chrysler Group does NOT recommend aftermarket chemicals to flush the engine,
transmission, brake or steering systems. Chemicals contained in these products can
damage the system elastomeric components, and contaminate the component fluid,
leading to loss of system/component durability and service life. When necessary, only the
original approved system fluid should be used to flush these components using teamPSE®
approved equipment.
If the engine coolant contains a considerable amount of sediment, clean and flush with
Mopar Cooling System Flush, p/n 04856977, or equivalent. Follow with a thorough rinsing
to remove all deposits and chemicals. Refill with a minimum of a 50% mixture of the
specified coolant and distilled water.
POLICY:
Information Only

[Geno]

I would never flush a transmission.  I always drop the pan clean reinstall with a new gasket.

THink if this... 
A flush is a violent push of the fluid through your transmission.  If there is any debris in your pan, which there is a magnet that picks up the metal shavings and anything else that has happens to be there.  In an automatic transmission there is too much crap to go wrong.  You will not get all the old fluid out if you drop the pan but you will NOT throw any thing that has dropped into the pan this sitting on the bottom of the pan  back up into the transmission.

Just my opinion... 

A flush doesn't involve a violent push of fluid, it is done at a lower pressure than the trans  operates at. When the flush is complete, the pan is dropped and the filter is changed. Thanks for the service bulletin Jackalope, it does say that flushing is not a requirement. It doesn't say that it cannot be performed though and does recommend it if you have overheated the fluid. My flush was done at a Dodge dealer, they recommended that I do it if I hauled heavy loads over the passes. I work my truck hard and know that my fluid has probably gotten hot a few times.

[timberghost72]

  A transmission flush WILL NOT hurt your transmission.  There are no "flush chemicals"   added. This is how a flush machine works.  You pull off the cooler hose on the outlet of the trans cooler.  Then you connect cooler outlet  to the catch tank hose on the flush machine.  Then you connect the flush machine fresh fluid side to the cooler hose that you disconnected.  So the fluid from your car/truck gets pumped into the machine and then the machine pumps fluid back into the vehicle. A trans flush machine does not pump or flush fluid throughout your transmission.  All it does is refill your transmission pan when the fluid is pumped out.  Your own transmission pump is pumping the fluid throughout the trans because the vehicle is running. So there is no more or less pressure in the system.  

You should change the filter before you flush the trans that way your new filter won't get any debris in it.

You can do this job yourself in your driveway and it works the same way.  Pull the trans cooler hose off of the outlet side of your trans cooler. (outlet side because you want to flush the cooler out too).  Connect a hose to the outlet and run the hose into a pan.  Have someone start the vehicle and as the fluid is pumped out of the cooler into the pan, refill with fresh fluid with a funnel through the fill port or dipstick tube.  This is basically how the flush machine works.  

Hope this helps.  Tony

[jackelope]

Geno-
some transmission flushers use a chemical. all of the aftermarket flush machine companys push a chemical additive that i have dealt with. whether the shop chooses to use them is up to the shop.
the schedule A maintenance schedule for a transmission service on a 2500 ram truck is 100k miles. you'll never see me recommend that schedule, but it is acceptable by chrysler standards if they are not towing and heavy load, etc.

[timberghost72]

Rephrase from my previous post. Yes there are chemicals that are pushed by companies like jackelope stated but they are unnecessary and should not be used. The manufacturers recomended fluid is all you should use.

[Geno]

I have to agree that the recommended service intervals are flawed. People buy trucks for towing and hauling and need service more often. That's why trannies fail around 100,000 miles, because people wait until then to service them. Also you should never stay in overdrive when going up a pass, especially hauling a load. That will burn up a trans in a hurry.

[jackelope]

Geno-
Rairdon's recommended a transmission flush because they make money off of you. the service advisor got $2 cash for it and the tech got a spiff too.
Timberghost...no need to explain to a few of us how a flush works...a few of us in this thread are surrounded by this stuff every day. there are chemicals added...trust me...if the shop uses chemicals. Rairdons, for example,  uses chemicals when they flush transmissions...just ask me, i know.

[timberghost72]

Yeah I realize that some on here don't need the explanation. I know a few on here are mechanics or are in the industry.  I was just trying to explain it for the folks who do not know much about automotive repairs.  Hence the whole start of this topic. 

[Geno]

Jackalope, no need to explain how the automotive sevice industry makes money off of you...you obviously work or have worked there. I also have worked as a dealership mechanic and part of what I did involved trans service/ repair. I've rebuilt a few in my day and have seen the damage that occurs to your clutch packs when you don't change your fluid. I personally don't recommend flushing as a normal part of service, but I feel at around 90,000 miles it can't hurt either. I think trucks should come equipped with trans temp gauges, just like your engine has.

[Hilltophustler]

I work at a dealership and we do both drain and fills and use a flush machine and never had a problem with either....its all on how much money you want to spend...every 30k its sugg to replace to replace all fluids on most jap cars...

[jackelope]

most of the newer trucks in the last 3-4 years have transmission temp warnings on them...not a gauge but an idiot light.
judging by where you live only, i am assuming you took your truck to rairdons. i used to work for him and the service writers would make an extra couple hundred bucks a month just off of keeping the chemical bottle caps from the flush companies. if you were a tech you probably know how this works. i had a fellow service writer at a different dealership that made a grand one month just on spiffs for selling flushes.