I have nearly 140K miles on my 1995 Ford Taurus, and I'll admit - I've neglected my transmission. After reading this board for a bit, I was convinced I needed to change my tranny fluid and filter, treat with the Auto-RX transmission cleaner, and then then redo the tranny fluid/filter change in another 1K miles (per the Auto-RX instructions).
So yesterday, I went to Pep Boys to have the filter changed. I was figuring on doing the simple filter change along with cleaning out the pan, and reusing the remaining tranny fluid. The service writter convinced me that this transmission filter was a wire mesh screen, and that the only way to clean it was to back-flush the filter, which they do with the transmission fluid exchange program.
Well, you guessed it - I didn't do my homework.
I go to the Autozone web site, and sure enough, they list a filter for my transmission. So I'm running around with a backflushed filter. Not very good according to the Auto-RX web site. They specifically warn about this.
Then it gets worse...
Along with 4 gallons of ATF (thier own brand, but since I'm only planning on using it for 1K miles while the Auto-RX tranny treatment does it's stuff), there's also 10 oz. of "10oz. Black HFM fluid" and "32 oz. Clear ATF Flush."
Is anyone familiar with this flush system they're using? It sounds to me (but I'm not sure) that the "Clear ATF Flush" may have been used early in the exchange process to clean out the tranny. I know the quantity is less than 4 gallons, so some/most of that must be going to clean out the transmission. Doing this with synthetic would be expensive - 4 gallons of transmission fluid at Amsoil prices for synthetic would have run me about $125!
But what's this "Black HFM Fluid?"
I am really P.O.'d that the filter didn't get changed, and that the service rep fooled me on that point. Shame on me. I'll never darken his doorstep again. And, I'm worried about what this "Black HFM fluid" is, as the Auto-RX web site says other cleaner/additives require another cleaning cycle to ensure they're out of the system. If it was put in early and flushed out, I think I should be OK, but if not, this whole cleaning was a waste of time and money.
This flush cost me $90. If I need another flush to get rid of the "Black HFM fluid," it's going to cost me that again plus an Auto-RX tranny treatment. $90 down the toilet, with another $90 flush and $25 Auto-RX treatment just to bring me back to where I was before I started.
Any transmission experts familiar with how Pep Boys does thier Transmission Fluid Exchange have any suggestions for how I should proceed?
Thanks,
- Arved
So yesterday, I went to Pep Boys to have the filter changed. I was figuring on doing the simple filter change along with cleaning out the pan, and reusing the remaining tranny fluid. The service writter convinced me that this transmission filter was a wire mesh screen, and that the only way to clean it was to back-flush the filter, which they do with the transmission fluid exchange program.
Well, you guessed it - I didn't do my homework.
I go to the Autozone web site, and sure enough, they list a filter for my transmission. So I'm running around with a backflushed filter. Not very good according to the Auto-RX web site. They specifically warn about this.
Then it gets worse...
Along with 4 gallons of ATF (thier own brand, but since I'm only planning on using it for 1K miles while the Auto-RX tranny treatment does it's stuff), there's also 10 oz. of "10oz. Black HFM fluid" and "32 oz. Clear ATF Flush."
Is anyone familiar with this flush system they're using? It sounds to me (but I'm not sure) that the "Clear ATF Flush" may have been used early in the exchange process to clean out the tranny. I know the quantity is less than 4 gallons, so some/most of that must be going to clean out the transmission. Doing this with synthetic would be expensive - 4 gallons of transmission fluid at Amsoil prices for synthetic would have run me about $125!
But what's this "Black HFM Fluid?"
I am really P.O.'d that the filter didn't get changed, and that the service rep fooled me on that point. Shame on me. I'll never darken his doorstep again. And, I'm worried about what this "Black HFM fluid" is, as the Auto-RX web site says other cleaner/additives require another cleaning cycle to ensure they're out of the system. If it was put in early and flushed out, I think I should be OK, but if not, this whole cleaning was a waste of time and money.
This flush cost me $90. If I need another flush to get rid of the "Black HFM fluid," it's going to cost me that again plus an Auto-RX tranny treatment. $90 down the toilet, with another $90 flush and $25 Auto-RX treatment just to bring me back to where I was before I started.
Any transmission experts familiar with how Pep Boys does thier Transmission Fluid Exchange have any suggestions for how I should proceed?
Thanks,
- Arved