I just bought a case of Valvoline Max Life ATF. I was thinking about just draining 5 qts and filling...then waiting a week and drain and refill 5 qts again...would this be a sufficient flush or should i take the pan down? Is this hard to do? Is there a write up on how to do it?

 

Taking the pan down would be more beneficial. You can clean the bottom of the pan and the screen.

Check the FAQ for procedures.

 

Don't mix the old with the new. Procedures for flushing are here. https://maxima.org/forums/4th-generation-maxima-1995-1999/33563-car-died-4.html

 

is it harmful for the tranny if i mix with old and new? i also might do drain refill with cleaning the pan

 

There is no harm in mixing the old with the new...it just won't get all the old out. I do a drain and refill every 30k mixing M1 with my regular fluid.

 

No its not harmful, but its like draining 2 qts of dirty oil out of your engine and then replacing with 2 new qts vs changing the oil.

Doing a complete change is very simple and can be done in minutes, why would you want to mix the dirty old stuff with new?

 

If you're going to go through the work of dropping the pan, etc, then you should go one step farther and do a flush. Otherwise a drain and refill (the only method specified in the factory service manual) will work fine.

 

hey ed when is a good time 2 give u a call?want 2 order a case of amsoil atf.

kev

 

How much fluid comes out when you drop the pan? Is there fluid in the pan? Do you have to be extra careful when dropping the pan so that fluid doesn't go everywhere?

 

I'll be home this evening and tomorrow (Wed), so anytime would be fine. I'm going to be tied up on Thursday and possibly Friday. Ed

 

Drain the pan (through the drain hole) before unbolting it. It will hold 5 - 6 qts. If you're uncomfortable doing this, recommend you find someone who has some previous experience.

 

This is all over the FAQ

1)Drain pan through drain bolt then drop it.

 

Approx 4 qts in the pan which is drained before removal by taking out the drain plug.

 

Okay, so after I unbolt the pan, when i pull it off I shouldn't expect a mound of fluid to roll off it and fly everywhere?

 

I know I drain through drain plug, but I meant when I unbolt pan and pull it off how much fluid if any should I expect to come off the pan?

 

If you have a bucket of water...and you shoot a hole in the bottom of it. After the water drains out...how much is left?

 

The pan bottom is not flat and the drain hole is not at the lowest point, either. Recommend to reinstall the drain plug before removing the pan. There may be about 1/2 qt. of fluid left in there.

 

overall does how long does it take to flush out the entire tranny and drop the pan as well...is it really messy or can i do it at home just like a regular engine oil change without much of a hassle..i read teh faq's but just want an answer or difficulty leevel... from those ppl who have done it

 

i've done it yesterday. the only difficulty was taking the filter/screen out. i couldn't get that single nut out. when i turn the nut, the bolt turns with it. i gave up and cleaned the pan and magnets. the two magnets were covered in tiny shavings. then i put everything back and started the flushing. at first i disconnected the radiator return line on the radiator side. ATF spew everywhere. then i disconnected the side on the transmission instead and aimed it inside a gallon jug and everything was good.

 

it's not that hard. drain from the plug. bolt it up again. start to upbolt the pan and but don't take it all the way down. more fluid is going into the pan, then drain the plug again because more will come out. take down the pan carefully and pour into whatever you are draining into. then spray it down with some degreaser or brake cleaner. rinse off(don't splash otherwise it'll be all over you). take the magnets off and wipe it down first. then clean as best as you can. put it back together. thread the bolts by hand because the aluminum is very soft and strips easily. then torque it to 100 in-lbs(not ft-lbs).

btw. I recommend you wear some disposable gloves. and I recommend you get another gasket. Dealer has em for about $15 and NAPA for $3.