QA

Question: How To Flush Your Transmission Fluid At Home

Is it better to flush or drain transmission fluid?

A transmission fluid change doesn’t remove all of the fluid, but is still effective in replacing most of the dirty fluid. A transmission flush is very effective because all of the old fluid is removed using a flush machine and then new fluid is added.

How do you flush automatic transmission fluid?

Jack up the vehicle and place jack stands under the frame. Lower the vehicle onto the stands and use a socket wrench to remove the transmission service pan. Allow the transmission to drain as much of the milky fluid that is contaminated with water as possible. Remove the transmission filter, if accessible, as well.

Are transmission flushes really necessary?

Many manufacturers recommend a transmission flush every 30,000 miles or 2 years. However, not all recommend this frequently – some suggest a flush only every 100,000 miles, and others don’t recommend a transmission flush at all. A transmission flush can extend the life of your transmission.

Will a transmission flush hurt my car?

Almost every car manufacturer recommends against using transmission flushing chemicals, and most will void your transmission warranty if they can prove these chemicals are being used. These chemicals can damage your transmission, which is why most automakers recommend against them.

How long does it take to flush a transmission?

How Long Does it Take to Flush a Transmission? It can take between 3 to 4 hours to flush out the old transmission fluid by vacuuming or using a simple siphoning system. Siphoning or vacuuming is repeated to remove all sticky dirt from the synchronizing gear and until the inside of the transmission is clean.

What should a transmission flush cost?

A typical transmission flush will cost around $150. A transmission flush on smaller cars may cost in the low $100s while it may cost more than $200 on larger vehicles. A good rule of thumb is that a transmission flush costs about twice as much as a fluid change.

How do you completely drain transmission fluid?

The trick on how to drain transmission fluid is to work from the top, sucking out the old fluid up through the filler tube. Then refill with fresh fluid. A hand-operated vacuum transmission fluid pump makes the job simple and clean. You can remove one-third to one-half of the fluid from the transmission at a time.

Can you flush a transmission with water?

If your transmission fluid looks like a strawberry milkshake, you’ve got water in the transmission. Once water gets into the transmission enough to affect operation, a rebuild is required. This is why the unit cannot be flushed to remove all of the water.

Is there a transmission filter?

The transmission filter is located above the transmission pan, which is the component that catches the excess fluid. As the transmission grows older, general wear and tear may cause metal shavings to get into the transmission fluid as well. The transmission filter helps to remove these shavings as well.

What are the symptoms of dirty transmission fluid?

6 Signs Your Transmission Fluid is Bad and Needs Changing Dirty transmission fluid. Transmission whining noise. Gears slipping. Can’t go into reverse gear. Slipping out of gear. Engine running hot. Grinding noise.

How much is a transmission flush at Walmart?

Walmart Auto Care Centers can check and refill Transmission Fluid during an Oil and Lube Service for $19.88. You cannot have your car flushed and changed at Walmart. You can purchase 1 Quart bottles of Transmission Fluid for $4-83, including multi-pack deals.

How much is a transmission flush at Jiffy Lube?

On average, transmission flush at Jiffy Lube costs about $150 with average prices ranging from $100 to $200 in the US for 2022.

Should I change transmission fluid after 100k miles?

Do You Need to Have the Transmission Fluid Changed? The simple answer is yes. But service intervals for new vehicles can exceed 100,000 miles before this needs to be done. Those who don’t hold on to a new vehicle for very long may never have to have the transmission fluid changed.

Is it OK to change transmission fluid at 150000 miles?

Transmission change intervals in cars vary from 30,000 to 50,000 miles, 100,000 to 150,000 miles, and so on. Many modern vehicles run-up to over 100,000 miles before requiring a change of their transmission fluid. They recommend that you change the transmission fluid after about 50k miles.

What happens if you put too much transmission fluid in your car?

When you overfill an automatic transmission, the fluid would foam, resulting in problems with transmission damage, gear shifting or oil starvation. While an overloaded manual transmission would lead to fluid-leak in the vent and gear shifting becomes an issue once the clutch is pressed.

What will water in a transmission do?

Water in the transmission fluid is highly destructive. Your vehicle’s transmission is made up of sensitive parts that quickly deteriorate when exposed to water. Contamination of the friction plates in the transmission will result in the transmission no longer being able to shift into any gears.

What happens if you put antifreeze in your transmission?

It would ruin the transmission fluid, and possibly damage the transmission in the process. Get that fluid out immediately and flush the transmission and replace the fluid with clean, fresh fluid, and hope that you didn’t drive the car far enough to damage anything…..

Why does my transmission fluid look milky?

The milky substance you are seeing on the transmission dipstick is a result of cross-contaminated coolant and transmission fluid. More than likely, your radiator has failed which has allowed coolant to enter the transmission system. When coolant enters the transmission, it will cause failure very quickly.