Auto Transmission Fluid - What Should I Do?

• 

  aoeueoa on 29/09/2019 - 18:14

  +2

  Can you do it yourself by any chance? 4-5L changeover with filter. SHoud cost about $100.

• 

  Snake 4 on 29/09/2019 - 18:28

  Do it for $100? Not a chance.

  Depending on the transmission the filter kit is around $50 to $80.

  Auto transmission oil is not cheap and you should always use the type that conforms with Hyundai's recommendation whether it be genuine or after market. As for a half oil change. Would you wash half your body and leave the rest dirty?

  • 

    Gelf54 on 29/09/2019 - 18:34

    I think the theory is that you leave enough metal in the fluid that your worn clutch plates can still grip. I've seen reports that full clean fluid replacements cause clutch slippage after, or that the clean fluid can loosen chunks of gunk to stuff up the valve body. (according to Dr. Internet anyway.) I just don't know how worn my clutch plates are atm.
    The fluid seems to be about $76 for 4L. Not sure how much I'd need.

  • 

    aoeueoa on 29/09/2019 - 22:55

    Filter is $45 sparesbox. 4L oil is $50 supercheap

• 

  abear on 29/09/2019 - 19:38

  +1

  I have been in that situation.What I did was get the mechanic to do an oil and filter change.
  An oil change only removes about 1/2 the fluid as the rest remains in the torque converter and mixes with the fresh oil and looks clean but is really still 1/2 contaminated with dirty fluid
  After about a week I drain the fluid again myself into a measuring container and top up with the same amount .
  In you are still concerned ,repeat in another week or so.
  After that, get an oil and filter done every 40k.
  Done this with 2 cars and never had a problem

  • 

    Gelf54 on 30/09/2019 - 06:52

    This is what I'm leaning towards atm.

• 

  Gelf54 on 30/09/2019 - 06:51

  I'd appreciate knowing if those that are voting for a full flush have ever done so after the fluid had already been brown for a while.
  I wouldn't expect problems if it was still clean when replaced, but in my case….?

• 

  brad1-8tsi on 30/09/2019 - 07:55

  I'd do a full flush AND change the filter

  or part flush and filter and repeat the process in 12 months (that's how I did our Accord).

  • 

    Gelf54 on 30/09/2019 - 17:28

    OK, thanks.
    Seems like nobody here's had the slipping clutches or bad gear changes issues after doing a full flush.

    • 

      brad1-8tsi on 01/10/2019 - 07:25

      My view is that they are either buggered or not.

      The reason I did 2 partial changes on the Honda was because I was DIYing and a full flush would have been messy and wasted a lot of Honda specific Auto Trans fluid.

• 

  the Unforgiven on 30/09/2019 - 21:11

  Have a smell of the oil, does it smell burnt?
  That is clutches burning, time for an overhaul
  Check out the wreckers, get it cheap there and they can fit it for you

  • 

    Gelf54 on 01/10/2019 - 16:50

    Certainly doesn't smell sweet, more like used engine oil.
    I'll visit some local AutoTrans shops to get some quotes on a rebuild, just in-case, but I'll probably try the full flush first to see if it stuffs it up or not.
    131K km seems rather low to me to require a rebuild. Must be all the short trips the wife gives it.
    Thanks all.

    • 

      the Unforgiven on 01/10/2019 - 19:36

      We used to every 40,000Km take off the pan & adjust the clutches
      I don't think flushing it will help
      I'll tell you a cheats way to drain most of the oil in the auto
      The oil pump is at the front of the auto (motor side)
      You can take off that pipe & put a hose over it so can catch the oil
      I would use a clear pipe
      It helps if you have two people
      Start the car and leave it in park
      Don't rev the motor, just let it idle
      As soon as the other person sees constant oil is not coming out
      Yell to shut the motor down; it is not a good idea to run a car with no oil in the auto
      So it has to shut down the motor quickly
      Put 8 litres of auto oil in the auto; it takes a lot of oil
      Start the car & check the oil and leave it in park
      Put more oil in then start the car & check again
      Once the oil is at full level
      Jump in the car and put your foot on the brake & run it through the gears slowly
      Check oil level. BTW - you check auto oil level when the motor is running
      Put more oil in & repeat until the oil is at the proper level
      I would check to see how much oil you auto does take (use google)
      It might be between 11 - 15 litres
      That is why you put 8 litres in before you start the motor to check the oil
      The dip stick & auto oil are usually in tight places
      Feed the oil in slowly, or it will run over the outside of the auto
      I hope this helps, but if the oil is brown & smells burnt it is from slipping clutch packs
      I hope you find the above useful

• 

  Herp on 01/10/2019 - 19:10

  +1

  Holy what, change the fluid and filter through whatever method and keep on trucking. The idea/trope/rumor that changing the fluid in a higher milage transmission will lead to failure is crap, if you change the fluid in your transmission and suddenly it dies it means it was already on the brink.

  130,000KM on a modern auto box is nothing, and as you said there are no issues. Find a reputable mechanic, specify a genuine filter and fluids, get it done and rest easy.

• 

  chav on 01/10/2019 - 20:39

  I wrestled with the same question on a BMW sealed for life transmission a while back. The transmission was working fine at about 160K. I did a lot of forum searching and asked a few friends in the trade.

  In the end I bought about 1.75 times the amount of oil needed for a complete fill, drained the transmission when warm, changed the filter and refilled.

  Drove it for about 30 mins all gears and reverse. Let it cool down to manageable, drained it again, you'll never really drain it because of the residual oil in the torque converter. Hence you don't really need 2 times your oil capacity.

  Then fill it back up and it's done, check it properly after a few days. I sold the car after another 4years 160K and it was shifting without any problems.

  Any kind of "flushing" introducing anything other than the correct ATF into the box isn't a good idea on a perfectly well transmission. The mileage on yours isn't really high enough to warrant a rebuild or disturbance.

  This is said assuming your gearbox is a conventional auto with a torque converter and wet clutches etc. The are a few autos around which are more sophisticated.

  Check Hyundai forums…

• 

  chav on 01/10/2019 - 20:43

  Just reread your original post -

  About 4yrs/50K km ago, Hyundai replaced the valve body and fluid and filter under wty.

  Do you have any history on the reason for this?

  • 

    Gelf54 on 02/10/2019 - 08:15

    It was a factory recall to replace the valve body. Some problem with the original that could cause rough shifting, though I never experienced it.
    I visited them and asked why they replaced the SP3 ATF with SP4, and after the customer rep went back and forth to the foreman twice (I hate dealing with the dealers, no face-to-face with the mechanic) she claimed that SP4 supercedes the SP3.
    I wonder why you can still buy SP3 then? And, does SP4-M supercede SP4 now???