Transmission flush - Do I need to change my transmission fluid?

Transmissions have specialized fluid, often bright red in color that lubricated all of the gears and moving parts inside of a transmission to keep it from shearing off as little metal as possible during the rotation and contact they make as the transmission delivers the power from the engine to the wheels.

The Hydraulic System sends the fluid under pressure by the oil pump through the valve body to control the clutches and the bands which controls the planetary gear sets and as you can see below, this entire lubrication system is quite complex and it is imperative that your fluid is able to do its job. As your vehicle racks up the miles this fluid becomes darker and loses its ability to properly lubricate the gears and components inside of the transmission and crank case. Sometimes we have see failures in the cooling system where the radiator fluid has leaked into the transmission fluid which causes malfunctions in the transmission and in this case the transmission fluid needs to be flushed and replaced.

The transmission needs a "transmission flush" and new fluid added according to your owner's manual specifications and maintenance schedule. The older your vehicle gets the more frequent the flushes are needed as filters can become clogged quicker causing the transmission to run hot and break down components and older parts.

Some people say that forcing the transmission's fluid will damage weak parts and lodge debris inside the transmission. This process is not a flush, but rather a drain and change job. It is not as thorough and leaves some of old debris, metal shavings and fluid in the transmission system which may cause damage.

Reliable technicians at a reputable transmission repair shop such as ours in Lake Worth will perform this procedure the right way. One way is by applying the use of a specialized machine that pumps a transmission cleaning fluid through the entire system which cleans out all elements that should not be there such as metal shavings, gunk and other debris until your system is running clean. This specialized system is connected to the cooling line and the solution enters the transmission from the exchange flush cleaning machine. The vehicle's pump uses it's pressure to circulate the solution and force the old fluid out and the new transmission fluid back in.

The premium method which costs a little more is a pump inlet flush which removes everything including the old oil and debris in the pan that the previous flush method .has a little more difficult time achieving. The lines are hooked up directly to the pump intake valve which transfers fluid throughout the system and through the drainage pan.