Tranny fluid reccomendation fo 01 caddy

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I'm planning on having my wife's 01 DHS trany serviced soon with a new filter and a BG flush, just wondering what the optimal fluid would be to keep this thing together. Right now it shifts great very positive downshifts and smooth upshifts. I just want it to stay that way. Car is driven mainly in very short trips of 3 miles or less, although we do use it for road trips occasionally. Lots of spirited driving when I get behind the wheel (about once a week).

Just looking for everyones
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thanks
 
They are all blended to the same spec using the same additive and the same VM. The base oils differ but the different brands give essentially the same performance so take your pick as long as you refer to the list and make sure that you are buying a genuine approved product. A real approved product should carry the DEXRON license number on the packaging. You can find a link to the list of approved products on one of the other threads.
 
While there are plenty of heated debates on this, Dexron VI or any full synthetic ATF are going to be your best choices.

Dexron VI brands: Valvoline, Pepboys, Castrol
Synthetic ATF brands: Amsoil, Mobil 1, Redline
 
Is this an approved product?

BG flush


I have an 2004 Cadillac CTS and have spoken with the dealer on trans flushing. GM does not endorse or recommend flushing. The TSB goes on to say; testing of some equipment and materials used show incompatibility with components and seals used in engines and transmissions. Damages caused by flushing is not covered by the GM warranty.
 
I would not recommend any flush chemical products.

All you need to do is have them exchange the old ATF with the new ATF. If they insist on their additives or flush chemicals, go somewhere else. You also want to make sure that the shop uses your ATF. Its important to watch them add your ATF to their machine, connect it to your car, and perform the fluid exchange.

Any Dexron-VI or any full-synthetic boutique Dexron can be used. Even the shop's 'BG' universal full synthetic would be an excellent choice.

Since the vehicle is an '01(mileage?) and you didn't mention any previous ATF maintenance, IMO, you are overdue. A reasonable ATF maintenance interval will do much for transmission longevity.

Those short trips will kill any motor oil quick. I hope that you are on a severe oil change interval.
 
I agree with unDummy regarding the flushing (no flushing products only ATF) and making sure that they use the ATF that you want them to us.
 
The caddy dealer here is actually a BG retailer/service provider
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Mileage is 73 thou, and I go by the OLM as it factors in the severe service of short duration trips.

I've heard alot of people knock trans flushes, but I think BG products and machines are really well designed so I'm not too worried.
The Machine my shop uses is the Big Dawg II since they mainly do buses and trucks.

I bought the car about 6 months ago, and the caddy dealer didn't say anything about the tranny being serviced, it probably didn't get changed since GM says this trans can go 100K per change
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I still haven't decided which brand of fluid I'm gonna put in it. I haven't priced out the BG fluid yet. 15 qts of any boutique fluid isn't going to be cheap though.
 
From a previous discussion..the opinion of one Cadillac prefessional

Quote:


Transmission Flushing - Good or bad?
Never, ever flush a transmission. There is no "safe" way to flush a transmission unless you own the flush machine and control it yourself.

Flushing a transmission has several pitfalls...

The most obvious is that the last vehicle hooked up to that flushing machine probably was on its last leg and was generating tons of debris. Most owners, when the transmission starts to act up, rush to get a "flush" in the fervent hope that it will cure the problem. So... flush machines, by definition, see the worst of the worst. If the lines aren't cleaned, hooked up improperly, oil is reused or recycled, etc....then you are screwed as your transmission gets the dose of debris from the last transmission. No matter how good the intentions of the shop, one simple mistake and your transmission gets the debris.

Flushing is supposed to negate the need for removing the pan, cleaning the debris and replacing the filter... #@$%!. There is considerable debris coating the inside of the transmission pan with miles as anyone who has done this can attest. That is part of the maintenance, removing the pan, cleaning the screens and replacing the filter and cleaning the pan.

All that debris in the pan is laying around in areas where there is little oil flow by definition... it tends to settle in the areas where the oil is quiet and just lies there not hurting anything.... until the "flush" stirs it up and circulates it thru the transmission. What a concept...

Reverse flush????? What logic makes anyone think that it is a good idea to reverse the oil flow path in a reverse flush and flush sediment and debris into areas that are normally protected by filters, etc...???? Stupid idea., No other way to describe it.

"Transmission flush" machines are money makers for the shops and dealerships because they are quick and easy and they can actually charge more money for it under the guise of it being "better" for the transmission... when it is really a detriment.... suckers are born every day...

Read the factory service manuals and point out the place where a transmission "flush" is recommended.

So what if all the oil cannot be removed. A "flush" doesn't remove it all either.

If you really want to replace as much oil as possible in the transmission, drain the pan, service it by removing/cleaning/changing the filter and reassemble. Refill the transmission with fresh fluid. Disconnect one of the cooler lines at the radiator, put it into a bucket and start the engine. Let the transmission oil pump purge the old oil into the bucket so that nothing is subjected to abnormal oil flow. Start pouring oil into the transmission to keep it full while the idling engine/transmission oil pump purges the fluid thru the system. Easy and quick and gets ALL the fluid out... and eliminates any risk of hooking up to a "flush machine".

I know this is about 4.1/4.5/4.9 engines but be aware that on the Northstar engines/4T80E transmissions there is a hidden drain plug for the transmission side cover that requires that the bottom pan be removed to drain the side cover oil storage area. The idea of flushing a 4T80E is even more ludicrous than a 4T60 transmission for this reason.

The 4T60 and 4T80 transmissions are similar in that both store oil in the side cover...but they do it differently. The 4T60 transmission with the 4.x engines stores oil in the side cover only when HOT. There is a bimetal thermostatic valve that closes causing side cover oil to be trapped behind a weir or dam. So, change the oil in a 4T60 transmission when it is cold to get the most oil out... The 4T80 transmission is a dry sump unit that ALWAYS stores its oil in the side cover. There is a scavenge pump that scavenges the oil from the bottom pan to the side cover all the time. That is why there is a hidden drain plug underneath the bottom pan to drain the side cover when the pan is off for service.

FORGET THE IDEA OF FLUSHING YOUR TRANSMISSIONS. Normal transmission maintenance is a good idea. Drop the bottom pan, change the filter and clean everything up and refill the transmission with fresh fluid. Do the cooler line/bucket purge if you are really fastidious about changing all the fluid... but... DO NOT hook your transmission up to a flush machine.

Really now, would you get a blood transfusion from an unknown source that is reusing needles... about the same thing if you think about it. A flush will do absolutely nothing more than a good drain and refill will accomplish... and potentially a lot of harm. Do not take the risk. Just because some have had good experiences (or the lack of a bad experience) with a flush does NOT mean that they will always go good.




 
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