Car is 2003 Maxima with 110k miles.

I usually do AT flush at the dealer or repair shop every 30k miles.
I am not sure if this is enough for my 110k miles old AT, especially when i'm starting to feel some MINOR slips here and there.

I do not want to do a whole tranny flush myself but i was wondering if it is a good idea to do a partial AT fluid drain and refill using Mobil 1 Syn AT fluid?
I am not sure what the last shop used after the flush. I am pretty sure they did NOT use Mobil 1 AT fluid.
So, if i manage to drain 3-4 qts from my AT and i put 3-4 qts NEW, Mobil AT fluid - am i going to create more problems? Is this going to be beneficial to my AT or it is not worth the time at all???

Thanks for any input!

 

It will not hurt but the benefits of the Synthetic fluid will be minimal.

 

You can do the entire flush yourself with ease......you need an empty container.

Take the return line off and run the car till it fills up. Start pouring new fuid in via filler tube. Repaeat process until fluid is running pink from the return line

 

this is correct. i wouldnt bother with the mobil1. dealers usually dont even use OEM fluid, i've seen my local one use conventional pennzoil dexron

 

I thought about doing it myself ... but my biggest fear is overfilling it or putting less fluid than necessary. I can find out what is the total capacity of the tranny but how do i know for SURE that i got all the fluid out during the flush??
Also, to flush it.... what type of fluid do i use(before i put the good stuff that will stay)? Cheap, Pensoil dextron? Special flush liquid? Never done an AT flush.

Thanks!

 

you donated, search...

just use the same fluid, youre only using ~2qts more than capacity during the flush procedure

 

actually, anyone can search now...there should be no excuses

 

I would suggest draining your fluid and then drop the pan and clean the magnets. No need to be freaked out once you see the magnets look all fussy from stuff stuck to them, chances are they have never been cleaned. You can buy a trans pan gasket at NAPA for less than $4, I would not bother with a filter since it is only a screen so if you like you can spray some brake clean into the filter to back flush it. I would then fill the transmission to correct level and use it. If your fluid is dark then you can do a few drains and fills over the next few months, every 2,000 to 3,000 miles should be good. I would then do a drain and fill every year or every 20,000 miles. DO NOT PUT ANY CLEANER OR CONDITIONER IN THE TRANSMISSION. Regular trans fluid have enough cleaners and conditioners in them so there is no need to try and buy a miracle in a bottle. My opinion on flushing machines is that if the operator of the machine is inexperienced they will leave some of the solvents in your transmission which will break down your fluid and it do not get the crap of of the magnets and even worst it can displace some of the crap on the magnet so it goes back through the transmission and will most likely cause problems with your valve body.

 

nlmaxima is right dont use any flush chemicals. drain and fill is good, use dexron 3 tranny fluid, synthetic doesnt really have any benefits for trannies unless its runnig really hot. do not remove the filter. u can still clean it with brake clean. add two qts then start the car go through the gears, wait 5 min, then check the level with the car runnig in park add if needed. if u overfill u can just drain it.

 

I've been using Penzoil's Dextron in mine. Seems to work just fine. My ATF was nearly black but unburnt when I got my car. 3 flush and fills over 3 months and my ATF is red like it is supposed to be and the transmission shifts noticably better. Really fast now on full throttle shifts.

 

I'm scared of dextron!!! I'll suggest filling it with the factory fluid! Can't go wrong! I have alot of Mopar experience....Those Minivans transmissions would destroy itself if you use anything other than Mopar Trans fluid/Dextron 4!

 

shut up, read your owner's manual

 

that is sweet... i want my 20 bucks back

 

Has there been a few threads about this stuff lately? I have had tranny shops tell me "I wouldn't even touch it with that many miles" when I had like 90K on my 4th gen. They said to just let it go because it had so many miles on the car and if they were to put new fluid in the tranny would slip because of shavings and all that crap. So I drained and filled and serviced the tranny myself. Clean the magnets and replace the filter. It's not much harder than changing your oil. I do my tranny at least every summer and my car has 200K and shifts crisp and clean.

 

Mopar trans fluid has an additive that is required for the Mopar transmissions. Nissan transmissions are fine with Dex-tron.

 

 

Werd

Chrysler/Dodge uses Atf+3 or 4

Nissan is not Mopar therefore its OKAY to use What your OWNERS manual tells you too..

Anyone besides mopar uses dextron, mercon for there trannys I believe