Larry62

After multiple fluid changes to get good pink tranny fliud consistently, I decided to go ahead and drop the pan for a visual inspection. I found a thick build up of "goop" almost level with the top of the magnets. Bear in mind that it has 158K and it did have the recommended dealer tranny service done by the prior owner.at 80k . The filter mesh was clean and I found no metal shavings,
This easy procedure has given me more peace of mind now that I know everything is now clean and the magnets are more likely to catch metal bits now. Well worth the time !!!

Larry

code58

I would NEVER do a tranny fluid change without dropping the pan and cleaning it. But then I would NEVER do a simple drain and fill either. I'm too used to the day convertors had drain plugs and I want ALL the old fluid out at one time.

hypervish

I'm guilty of doing 3 drain and fills (15k miles apart) so far without dropping the pan. I plan to drop the pan, clean the magnets and replace/clean the filter (depending on type of filter), I'm hoping to do this as soon as warm weather rolls around in 2012, hopefully early March.

NyCrAzY

Sorry for the noob question but what does dropping the pan mean? Is it like a flush instead of a drain &this fill? And any benifets to it?

Thanks

hypervish

Dropping the pan, is the same procedure for the drain and fill. Except after you undo the drain bolt, you remove the bolts around the pan and physically remove it. You clean the contents of the pan, and you clean the magnets. This gets a little bit more fluid out than doing a regular drain and fill. You then plop a new gasket on the pan, and tighten it up. Add 4.5 quarts (start with only 4) of ATF and your good to go.

Iluvlexus

I now have put on 5000 miles since I purchased my 2001 Rx300 with 135k. The transmission had not seen service under the previous owner who had purchased it as a CPO with 60K. The fluid was brown and the shifting was a bit questionable. I dropped the pan, cleaned the magnets, and replaced the filter. I then disconnected the return line from the tranny cooler and directed it via an extension into a gallon milk jug. I put 5 quarts of transmission fluid in via the dipstick, had my wife start the engine, and poured fresh fluid in as the old fluid was pumped out. I kept close track of the in/out balance and called it a complete fluid exchange after 11 quarts. The transmission now shifts very smoothly and I feel comfortable that the pan and filter are clean and fluid fresh. I can understand the thinking on a pan drain and fill but it is no substitute for a good cleaning and complete fluid exchange. I plan to do a simple pan drain and fill at 15k and a pan drop, filter change, and fluid exchange at 30K. It is a 2 hour investment which really has my transmission shifting like new

Lexmex

One of the reasons I like the drain and fill (in certain cases a flush is okay for me), is that ATF cleans. By leaving the fresh fluid in there for about a week's worth of commuting or 100 miles, it can get in there and clean. A flush one could do with the fluid relatively fresh (nothing really to be gained there), but the other time would be when you have silvery pinkish fluid in there. That's very metallic fluid and you want that stuff out of the system over getting any sludge or deposits cleaned up via a drain and fill. That happened to me almost 8 years ago.

However, in the end, changing the fluid out is positive over not changing it out.