Amsoil ATF:pan drop every 30K or full flush 100K?

[SwedishRider]

I have a 2007 Ford Ranger with the 2.3L engine and automatic transmission. I'm coming up on 90K miles, and I'm uncertain how I should approach servicing the transmission.

Would I be better off dropping the pan, changing the filter, and replacing ~4 quarts of Amsoil ATF at 90K miles and then every 30K after that? Or should I wait until about 100K miles, run the Amsoil engine and transmission flush, drop the pan, change the filter, and then flush ~10 quarts through the transmission cooler lines to get as much replaced as possible, and run it for 100K miles? This truck is run very light duty 99% of the time and has seen regular transmission maintenance.

Thanks!

 

[Doog]

Flush.

 

[Noey]

You didnt specify the "regularity" of the trans service.

But if you've been changing it about every 30k with Amsoil and you haven't been having any issues, it's best to leave well enough alone and continue what you've been doing. Amsoil ATF in your application is frankly overkill, you're probably draining perfectly good fluid. Most trans problems come from neglect, not your case.

The truly anal among us often experience this intense need to do more because, you know... that more is better, especially if we get to rip a few knuckles and add a new product or two in the process. But, that aint so...if all's well, it's a clear indication that you're already there and you dont need to guild the lily

 

[OneEyeJack]

Dropping the pan and changing the filter on some kind of schedule and replacing the lost fluid with something like Amsoil or Red Line or whatever would be my choice.

It's been my experience that flushing can be a gamble. It also depends on how the flushing is done.

Simple filter replacements including make-up fluid on some kind of schedule should allow your transmission to outlive the rest of the vehicle if you drive in a reasonable manner.

 

[dkryan]

SwedishRider -

Please tell us what your "regular transmission maintenance" has consisted of over the past 90k miles. Thanks.

 

[Tzu]

If it has seen transmission service before, I would wait until 100k, drop filter, add new fluid and repeat every 50k after that. My GM vehicles require trans. filter/fluid change every 100k but 50k is where I feel more comfortable at. I would skip the flush all together if it was me.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Pan drop and filter change. Flushes are more harmful than useful IMO.

 

[Kuato]

My vote goes in the pan drop and refill every 30k group.

Flushes on older/high mileage vehicles have been seen to cause issues.

 

[Trav]

There is no such thing as a flush! There never has been, the closest to it is if some yoke adds a flush chemical to the mix and runs it for a short time. Don't do this.
Drop the pan, replace the filter, add the same Amount of fluid that came out then drop the return line before starting the engine.

Connect a piece of vinyl tubing to the return line and put it n a gallon container. Start the engine and run it till the jug is full, add a gallon and repeat until the fluid is the same color as the fluid going in.
Fill the fluid to the lower mark, drive it till warm then check the level.

Do this every 75K with Amsoil ATF and sleep well. Drin and fill is bogus and close to useless, its like doing a half fill oil change, exchange without changing the filter is also not good.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Pan drop and filter change. Flushes are more harmful than useful IMO.


Yup. I don't believe any vehicle manufacturer recommends flushes. They are just high margin profit makers, with the risk on the consumer. But that is just me.

If by "Flush" you mean several drain and fills in succession, then......Carry on, that is not a flush.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: SwedishRider
I have a 2007 Ford Ranger with the 2.3L engine and automatic transmission. I'm coming up on 90K miles, and I'm uncertain how I should approach servicing the transmission.

Would I be better off dropping the pan, changing the filter, and replacing ~4 quarts of Amsoil ATF at 90K miles and then every 30K after that? Or should I wait until about 100K miles, run the Amsoil engine and transmission flush, drop the pan, change the filter, and then flush ~10 quarts through the transmission cooler lines to get as much replaced as possible, and run it for 100K miles? This truck is run very light duty 99% of the time and has seen regular transmission maintenance.

Thanks!

You are due for a total ATF replacement with 90K assuming nothing has been done before.

The most cost effective is to drop the pan and fill with ATF, then before starting switch to cooler line flush and do that until ATF looks cherry red new. (Or until you have done total capacity +1 or 2).

If spec'ed, Amsoil ATF is what I would use.

Add a Magnefine inline filter.

Get a quality pan gasket, some of the ones included with the filter are cheap cork and will leak.

 

[CT8]

Skip the Amsoil.

 

[SwedishRider]

By "full flush", I mean this procedure recommended by Amsoil for a full system ATF exchange.



I'm wondering if doing it the above way every 100K miles is better or worse than just a simple pan drop and refill every 30K miles.

As far as previous service, I had a dealership flush done on a flush machine at 50K miles with Mercon V, and then a pan drop, filter change and refill with ~4 quarts of Amsoil ATF at 70K miles. I'm now close to 90K miles and trying to decide what I want to do...

 

[RF Overlord]

I wish people would stop using the word "flush".

OP what you had done at the dealer was a "fluid exchange". If they used the Ford Rotunda machine, what it does is use the transmission's own pump to expel the old fluid while simultaneously drawing in fresh fluid. This is the way Ford recommends in my factory service manual. It's a mechanised version of the way Trav explained above.

Having said that, since you've had the filter changed once, there is no need to do so again, and here's why: most wear in an automatic transmission occurs in the first 10-15,000 miles from new. It is this wear the factory filter is designed to catch.

...and having said THAT, doing another fluid exchange at 90,000 should be more than adequate based on your previous service.

 

[Donald]

Here is the main reason for a flush:

drain & fill = a little money
fluid exchange = a medium amount of money
flush = a lot of money

Trav is correct, the machine does what you can do. or you can do what the machine can do. The machine allows the mechanic to do something else for 20 minutes.

If your going to use expensive ATF like Amsoil, then its best to just do a cooler line fluid exchange yourself. You will use the minimum of expensive ATF and none will be sitting in the new fluid hopper of a flush machine (they never empty the hopper 100%).

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I wish people would stop using the word "flush".

...and having said THAT, doing another fluid exchange at 90,000 should be more than adequate based on your previous service.


+1

 

[Kira]

+2

 

[Roadkingnc]

I would skip the filter and do a fluid exchange.

 

[SwedishRider]

Thanks everyone for the opinions and advice. Rereading my posts, I should have stated that I already have a Wix filter kit and a case of Amsoil Signature Series ATF in my possession. Money has already been spent on materials.

I guess I was asking how to best use it... a number of 30K pans drops (or vacuum extractions) and ~4 quart refills with the Amsoil, or a complete Amsoil fluid exchange using the cooler lines, but only do it once for the next 100K miles. Either way, I'll be using that case of Amsoil since I own it.

My thought was to use it in one full fluid exchange, and save myself the "hassle" of 30K pan drops. However, I could use my fluid extractor without dropping the pan though (so long as I don't need to keep changing the filter), and so ~4 quarts every 30K wouldn't really be all that big of a deal- maybe easier than messing with the transmission cooler lines even.

Sorry if I was a little vague.. I don't think I explained that well enough in the above posts. Should I use that case at a rate of 4 quarts every 30K miles, or all at once with the expectation it will last 100K?

 

[newtoncd8]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I wish people would stop using the word "flush".

OP what you had done at the dealer was a "fluid exchange". If they used the Ford Rotunda machine, what it does is use the transmission's own pump to expel the old fluid while simultaneously drawing in fresh fluid. This is the way Ford recommends in my factory service manual. It's a mechanised version of the way Trav explained above.

Having said that, since you've had the filter changed once, there is no need to do so again, and here's why: most wear in an automatic transmission occurs in the first 10-15,000 miles from new. It is this wear the factory filter is designed to catch.

...and having said THAT, doing another fluid exchange at 90,000 should be more than adequate based on your previous service.


+1 ... the fluid exchange is the best way to get the old fluid out. When they do this on our RX330, they use close to 14 quarts of T-IV.