Hey everyone-

I've been periodically checking this board ever since I got my Outback Wagon in 2002. You guys run a great site. I've tried searching the archives to find the answer to my question, but haven't found one that answers it, so here goes...

 

The dealer told me that I should have my transmission fluid flushed and changed at 25,000 miles. I asked a mechanic that used to work on my old Accord, and he said that as long as the fluid is clean and the transmission is running well (it's an automatic), that I shouldn't mess with it, and that flushing it might cause more trouble than it would help. I'm at 36,000 miles without a flush, and thought I would come here for a second opinion.

 

Anyone have any opinions about this?

 

 

Cheers,

 

HC

I'm someplace in the middle. About every 30K, I drained what was in the pan and topped it off with fresh fluid. My last time, at about 130K, I pulled off one of the tranny cooler lines to the radiator and did a self flush, at least I think I did.

 

At any rate, don't panic. Check your owners manual. I think the dealer has a boat payment due. People claim to leave it alone on an old car that's never had the fluid changed. You have a young car and can, probably should change at least half of it relatively soon.

 

Consider changing the external filter too.

The piece of crap Saturn dealership (Saturn of Denver) where I bought my garbage-can '04 Saturn tried to tell my wife that we should have the spark plugs changed every 7000 miles, and have the radiator flushed at the same interval. She told him he was full of shhh.

 

Dealerships will tell you anything to get you in there spending money. I like it when they issue you horror stories, like the time the Chevy dealer told my mom that if she didn't have the EGR valve replaced every 10,000 miles it could sieze up her engine.

Incidentally, I've driven an automatic 100,000 miles without a tranny fluid change. I should have had the flush done, but the fluid was still sorta clean when I sold it, and I never had a problem with it. I'm driving a Camry right now, and I've put about 60,000 miles on it without a tranny flush, and it shifts fine too. That's not to say that you should forego the flush, just that if you have normal driving habits and live somewhere flat it's not the most pressing issue in the world, in my opinion, especially if you dont have super high miles on the car.

Chuck