Let me start off by telling you the old way of replacing Transmission Fluid and then the new…
We used to and sometimes still do (for leaking pan gasket) a transmission filter and pan drop. We take the oil pan off the unit and replace the filter and then put it back together including a new gasket for the pan. The problem is that you usually only get 3 or 4 quarts of the old fluid out and some transmissions can hold 15 or more so you were not replacing the majority of the fluid.
Today we do a full Transmission Fluid Exchange or commonly known as a Transmission Flush. 1st a chemical cleaner known as BG Quick Clean that dissolves the varnishes that get baked onto transmission parts is poured in and driven to get the heat activated cleaner working. Then a Fluid Exchange machine (pictured below) is hooked up to the transmission cooler lines. This machine is literally like a dialysis machine for humans, it removes the old fluid while cycling in the new, it also cycles through 16 quarts as an over flush to make sure all of the cleaning fluid is removed.
Why is this important? Transmission fluid, just like motor oil, breaks down; the fluid is subject to very high heat which wears it out. As worn fluid is pumped through the unit, parts wear quicker especially the clutch disc (pictured below). If you notice in the picture there is a steel disc and a friction disc stacked every other one. The friction material, which is designed to slip and not slip at certain times, relies on this transmission fluid being clean. When you allow that fluid to go too long without ever having an exchange, the debris in the fluid will literally wear the friction material off the friction disc. Then if you do the flush too late, you replace the gritty old fluid with clean new fluid and then the car will not move because all the friction material went out with the old fluid.
The solution, is to not wait too long, have the Transmission Fluid exchanged every 36 – 50,000 miles. This service includes…
BG Quick Clean (before the exchange) removes accumulated deposits (including the units filter)
Fluid exchange removing all old and worn Transmission Fluid
BG ATC Plus (after the exchange) prevents deposit formation which prolongs fluid life
Being proactive and getting this fluid flushed regularly cannot make your Transmission last forever but we can make it last much longer, which saves you money and headaches down the road! If you’re serious about getting a couple hundred thousand miles out of your vehicle, these types of services need to be done sooner and regularly in the vehicle’s life to get them to the goal mileage. Just as we visit our doctor regularly for tests when we feel fine, your vehicle needs to receive these preventative maintenance services before there is an expensive problem.