When buying a used car is it better to flush the tranny fluid and motor oil. As far as motor oil i will change from regular to fully synthetic and am not sure if i should flush it out first. And my last question is it better to just go to a mechanic and have him flush it out using pressure or can i just buy some stuff and do it myself and if so how?
Thanks.

 

Don't ever flush your motor oil. That will just make all the crap go to the oil pan where it might clog the oil pick up.

 

I recently got a tranny flush and the car is driving like the day I bought it. I would suggest a shop do it for you.

 

Just change your oil to synthetic and change filter, it will flush itself.

Transmission, I can only speak for auto, but flushing it yourself is very easy, takes approx 10 qts fluid (synthetic, not cheap). Can be done in minutes and will do a complete flush not just a drain and fill, mixing the old and new.

Very easy process, either do a search for the method or email me.

 

Flushing oil = bad idea. The small amount of "Bad" used oil left in the engine once you drain the pan is not of any real concern.

Flushing ATF. Much more recommended. Use a machine like the BG ATF Auto Trans Flush with ATF+4 or whatever nissan wants, or your favourite type of ATF. Add some BG Trans Conditioner to the new fluid (renews seals, improves shifts.) Please note that you cannot flush a transmission properly without pressurizing it! Just draining the fluid and pouring in new fluid still leaves a quart or so in the torque converter.

 

Not to start a war but you can flush you own transmission completely, not leaving any old fluid in the trans. I do this on a regular basis (ie twice a year because I race my car and it runs 12.1 and does a 1.7 60' so I want the best I can get)

Doing a drain and fill does a lot more than leaving a quart in your convertor. you can only drain approx 4 qts on a drain and fill, the trans holds 9 qts.

Flushing at home requires draining, refilling (approx 4 qts), running the engine approx 2-3 times to flush out the remaining 5 qts left in the system, convertor etc, while continuing to refill.

You CAN flush a transmission properly without pressurising it. This has been discussed and flushed many times. Spending $100 to flush you trans is wasting your money when you CAN do it yourself.

I will give you a blow by blow if you are really interested in doing it yourself, if your want to spend the money then go to your favorite trans place and pay them for what you can do in 20 mins.

 

I sit corrected.

Never tried to flush it myself, only drain and fills. (why would I, when I can do mine for free at work!)

 

i would so do it myself if i had the HOW 2. i just paid 90 bucks to get it flushed. and they told me after it was done that they did not change the filter. as per jiffy lube, the filter change and seal would have cost another 65 bucks..ya i was not happy with the bi@tch. the tranny feels much more smooth though.

so do you have the write-up? do you change the seal and the filter each time you flush??

 

I do not change the filter and seal when I flush. I would but depending on the mileage/usage you may or may not need it.

Actually its not a filter but a strainer and all they do is clean it. From what I have seen its probably a lot easier/cheaper and really not necessary to clean the strainer (magnets as well) unless the trans has been really abused. What you will gain or save from cleaning the strainer and magnets is very, very minimal and not worth the effort/money.

I don't have a write up readily available but if you email me I will fix you or anyone else up with the correct procedure. I am working on a home page with these and other procedures, it just that I am more of a mechanic/engineer than a geek so that end of me is slow.

Its pretty simple and anyone can do it, quickly, simply and easily without any mess or spending a bunch of bucks.

 

I got a question which is probably really stupid, but i was at nissan getting an oil change, and they told me that a deal was going on to change the tranmission fluid, is this the same as flushing it? i know with oil its not. I was charged 44.95, because of the special promo that was going on with the oil change.


brandon

 

e-mail sent. she has 96k. perhaps it is time to change the filter and the seals???

 

Okay thanks for all the help guys. I am definately not going to flush the motor oil and will just buy some fully synthetic oil and filter and give it an oil change. I was thinking of Mobil 1 fully synthetic for the oil and oil filter i was thinking of puralator. If anyone else has some suggestions on what oil or filter i should use all comments are welcomed. As far as the tranny should i just buy 8 to 10quarts of synthetic tranny fluid. Unscrew and let all the old tranny fluid out, tighten and put in the new one? Or am i alittle or completely off on this one.

 

Automatic Transmission Flush

Read this first for info on how to do the flush, install cooler and some pictures. If you are contemplating a trans cooler, now would be a good time to install it. Some recommend dropping the pan, cleaning the strainer and magnets which is a good idea but even the dealer doesn't do this. Its not a job for the average enthusiast.

https://maxima.org/shoptalk/sub_modi...er/index.shtml

https://maxima.org/forums/audio-electronics/149056-question-people-have-installed-lcd-bose-hu-locatinon.html

Ok here is the Readers Digest version. Before you start, go and buy 10 qts of your favorite auto trans fluid. (I recommend Mobil 1 Synthetic)

The whole procedure can be done in 30 mins or less but take your time and do it right.

1. Jack up either the front or drivers side of the car and put in jackstand.

2. Remove the drivers side engine undercover.

3. Remove drain plug from transmission and drain fluid into suitable container, this will be approximately 4 qts. Insert drain plug and pour the same amount of new fluid into the transmission. (Transmission should now be back to stock level)

4. Disconnect the fluid supply line at the bottom of radiator. Its the bottom line connected to the transmission. (Be very careful removing this line, its very easy to break the hose nipple on the radiator) Put the end of the hose into a clean, clear or white plastic 1 gal container.

5. While you are holding the hose get someone to start the car until the transmission pumps out approximately 2 qts (half the container). This should take 15-20 seconds, its not really fast so don't panic, I do it all myself but its easier if you have someone to start and stop the engine for you.

Note: If the trans fluid comes out of the bottom of the radiator vs the hose you are holding you have the wrong line. Put it back on and remove the other one.

6. Pour the same amount of new fluid back into the transmission that you pumped out.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until fluid changes color. Since you already put 4 qts in initially and the trans holds 9 qts we are talking about approx 5 qts. I buy 10 qts and remove that much just to be sure I got it all. (The trans flushing places use much more and synthetic fluid is expensive).

8. If your fluid is in fairly good condition the color change will be very small and may not be noticable so stop at 10 qts.

9. Reinstall hose to radiator, replace engine cover, lower car and recheck trans fluid level to make sure you have the correct level. Maybe even go for a small drive and recheck to make sure, its difficult to read at times.

10. There you have it. What you have basically done is removed all the fluid from the pan and replaced it. The internal pump takes its suction from the pan and pumps to convertor and all internal trans part then to radiator for cooling. So you have completely replaced all fluid internal to the transmission without shocking your transmission into submission like the force flush machines do.

btw When the dealer does a transmission fluid change all they do is drain the pan and refill, which is right from the FSM.

Also some people do a few drain and refills to change their fluid but all you are really doing is mixing 4 qts of new fluid with 5 qts of old fluid and pumping it around, eventually you would get a complete change but I really don't like the idea of mixing old and new, a complete change is very easy and does it all the first time with very little waste.

 

thanks for the write-up. please post this in the how-2

 

why not stick with the oem filter? they are like 4 bucks..

 

The Nissan filter has been tested iirc along with a bunch of others and it came out on top so I have always used the oem.

Mobil 1 may not be the #1 oil but its right up there with the best and its the easiest to get for me.

 

Where do i find nissan oem filter?

 

I would try a Nissan Dealer, thats where I get mine.