How to Change Transmission Fluid
If you know how to changeautomatic transmission fluid, you can service your transmission at your car manufacturer's recommended intervals usually between the 15,000 and the 20,000 mile mark. After miles of service, metal, water, dust and friction material particles accumulate in the oil. This type of contamination breaks down the protective characteristics of the oil and promotes internal components wear. Gather all the necessary tools and materials you will need for the job and perform this maintenance task at home now.Preparing to change the transmission fluidFirst, park your car on a level spot. Start and idle the engine for about 20 minutes to bring the transmission oil to operating temperature. This will make it easier to remove as much foreign particles from inside the unit as possible. Then, turn off the engine, raise the front of the vehicle and set it safely on jack stands. Block the rear wheels with a couple of wooden blocks and apply the emergency brakes to prevent your car from rolling as you work underneath.Now, put on your safety glasses, crawl under the car and place a large draining pan under the transmission pan. Begin to loosen the rear and side mounting bolts from the transmission pan using a ratchet, large ratchet extension and socket. Be careful! As you do this, hot oil will begin to drain. Finish removing the loosened bolts and place them in a plastic container so that you don't lose them.Hold the pan with one hand and loosen the front bolts-if necessary, use a rag to protect your hand from the hot pan. Slowly tip the rear of the pan allowing more oil to drain. Then remove the front bolts, lower the pan and finish draining the remaining oil. You can now remove thetransmission filterfrom under the unit. In most cases, you can just pull off the filter by hand or remove a mounting screw. Clean under the transmission around the filter area with a lint-free towel. Take out the pan, filter and the draining pan from under the car.Preparing the transmission panPut on a pair of chemical resistant gloves and thoroughly clean the transmission pan with carburetor cleaner. Also, remove any traces of gasket or sealer material from the pan and around the transmission-mating surface. You can use a gasket scraper to prevent damage to the surface. Check what type of gasket and sealer, if any, your car manufacturer recommends for your particular car make and model. You can look up this information in the service manual for your particular vehicle. If you don't have one, you can consult a copy in the reference section of your local public library. Then buy the new gasket and filter for your transmission.Installing the transmission panPosition the new gasket on the clean transmission pan and apply sealer if necessary. Install the new filter. Now carefully position the transmission pan in place under the transmission. Hold the pan in place and replace the mounting bolts by hand. You can now begin to tighten the pan bolts gradually in a crisscross pattern. Finally tighten the bolts to thetorquelisted in your vehicle service manual using a torque wrench. Tightening the bolts to the correct torque is a critical step. It not only assures that you do not damage the gasket and pan, but also prevent the pan from developing oil leaks in the future. You can look up the correct torque for your transmission pan in your vehicle service manual as well.When ready lower your vehicle. Fill your transmission with the correct amount of transmission oil recommended by your car manufacturer. Using a large funnel, pour the oil through the transmission oil dipstick tube. When finished and during the next few days check for oil leaks and make sure the oil remains at the correct level.How to change automatic transmission fluid can be a simple procedure depending on your particular vehicle model. It can take you a couple of hours or more on a weekend morning. Still this is an excellent DIY project and adding this new task to your car maintenance schedule will help you save a lot of money on car related expenses throughout the year. Furthermore, the time you invest now will help prevent excessive component wear and extend the life of your transmission for years to come.
