today i went to get my tranny fluid changed. the guy bought me out, told me there are two kinds (i knew this from a previous post). i ended up getting nothing done. the service that changes only some fluid, is it completely USELESS? is there no point in having the service done if youre "mixing clean fluid with dirty". i wanted to just do something for the sake of it so i went to get the cheaper service done. i have 47K on my 95 max and would get everything done next summer when i get close to 60K anyway. so let me know if i should a) get nothing done and wait or b) pay the extra money and get all the fluid changed. thank you.

 

If you never have changed your fluid, probably good to do at least the drain and fill now, then at 60K do the complete flush. You should check the quality of your fluid (color, scent, smoothness). Also, is your tranny slipping?

 

There are two methods for changing the Automatic Transmission Fluid. Both are beneficial.

Method 1) An ordinary drain-and-refill may be done by the home mechanic. This method changes only about half of the fluid, but is easy and inexpensive. The cost is 4 or 5 quarts of ATF, plus your time.

Method 2) Most commercial service facilities use the Magic Sucker Pump which changes all of the fluid. The cost is about US$80.

My Maxima is a 5-speed so the issue of ATF change does not apply. I maintain a Honda Accord for a family member. On that car I do a drain-and-refill ATF change with every oil change. It is not a big deal, as the car is already up on jackstands and my hands are already dirty. This costs about US$8/year in ATF and the car is always running on almost-new ATF.

Method 1 makes sense if you will repeat the process several times over a period of months. It is less expensive in the long run. Method 2 is preferable if you are having some bad symptoms from your tranny and want fresh fluid in there right now.

 

by doing a complete a/t change you al so changing the a/t pan filter ang the gasket wich is diffently better than a drain and fill, it's also quite simple to do your self.
The a/t kit is about 10 - 12 bucks at your local auto parts.

 

Yes, and no. This depends on the type of machine used. In previous posts I used the facetious term Magic Sucker Pump to describe all varieties of transmission flushing machine. Several companies make them, and they are not all alike. Some are "line machines" which connect to the transmission cooler lines. Others are "flange machines" which attach to the transmission filter (or screen) flange. If the shop uses a line machine they will not replace the gasket. In any case, the 4Gen Maxima automatic transmission does not have a true filter. It has a screen but that does not require cleaning or replacement.

To learn more about these machines, go to http://www.motorservice.net/ms/archi...00/0600tf.asp. Be aware this article was written by Bob Freudenberger for the service professional rather than the consumer. For a picture of a flange machine, scroll down to the picture of AutoTool's Total Transmission Service machine. Flushing with a flange machine requires removing the transmission pan so it will probably cost more, but the "up side" is that the technician has access to those magnets and should clean them. It's up to you to make sure he does.