auto tran fluid "wears at 100,000 miles?

[edwardh1]

any scientific studies? test the fluid, run it 100,000 miles test it again to see foe chemical and physical properties have or have not changed?
someone must have done this.
I searched and mainly got shops selling xmission fluid changes at 100k

 

[Greasymechtech]

ATF wears as soon as it leaves the bottle.

Not too many can go 100k without excessive shearing, TAN increase, oxidation, or excessive particles.

 

[19jacobob93]

I serviced (changed 5 of the 13 quarts of transmission fluid plus filter) for the first time at 115k miles and 14 years. It looked very ugly, almost completely black but the trans still opperated fine, just chirped/slipped 3rd gear very slightly on occasion.
I now do this service every year and the transmission improves a lot every time!
I still have some of the old 115k fluid in there but it is slowly getting diluted. I ise Castrol TQ95

 

[CT8]

Auto trans oils oxidises from the heat and aeration. Collect all metal and clutch wear etc. I change my fluids when new then on a regular basis. Clean oil makes the parts and seals last longer. The low quality, under engineered parts will still break no matter what you do. The fluids should be changed before they need to be changed.If you turn over the vehicles often there is no reason to maintain the vehicle.

 

[Ram01]

Only amsoil SS transmission fluid can last 100k

 

[stchman]

Originally Posted By: Ram01
Only amsoil SS transmission fluid can last 100k


And you're basing this on what?

 

[bruno]

That's funny .... my car has 185,000 on the original fluid and it ain't Amsoil !

 

[Ram01]

It's on there website amsoil SS transmission fluid is good for 100k even with severe service check it out

 

[CKN]

The Dexron 6 is very good stuff as well.

 

[AdRock]

Originally Posted By: bruno
That's funny .... my car has 185,000 on the original fluid and it ain't Amsoil !


At that mileage you might as well leave it in there until the trans gives out. The dirt in the fluid is probably what's keeping the trans working.

 

[Whitewolf]

Originally Posted By: Ram01
Only amsoil SS transmission fluid can last 100k


Not true.

 

[mikethecarguy]

 

[Mrsandman]

I'd recommend doing pan drain and fills every 15k or full flushes every 30k. Also a remote mount and filter or an inline filter if no room for a remote mount will greatly influence the condition of your fluid. An atf cooler is also a great assist if you don't have a factory one installed.

 

[DWC28]

A check you can research is to look at what types of ATF (not brands) are recommended by the OEN to go 100,000 miles. These oils will all have performance testing requirements. The assumption being the OEM will expect the fluid to go 100,000 miles. The tests will reflect acceptable limits. For MERCON SP fluid the TAN change allowable is 1.5 max, viscosity increase is 10% max. There are also many performance tests which if passed should last the warranty period.

 

[KrisZ]

I think transmission design plays a big role too.
I just flushed the ATF in my Mazda 3 and the ATF had about 65k miles. The transmission shifted perfectly fine and the ATF looked very good for the mileage and given that it was there for about 5 years and the car spends lots of time in heavy traffic and city driving.
I'm sure it would go to 100k miles, but given the usage type there is no incentive for me to try the limits of my transmission and the ATF.

 

[Bgallagher]

I usually do a drain and fill ever 30k. Might be premature but it is easy to do on my cars and is cheap insurance.

 

[AdRock]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
I usually do a drain and fill ever 30k. Might be premature but it is easy to do on my cars and is cheap insurance.


Same here. Pull the pan, replace the filter and refill every 30k.

 

[hattaresguy]

On my ZF that "cheap insurance" would cost me $740.

No thanks I'll put my trust in with the engineers and go by what they recommend.

 

[Ram01]

ZF transmissions are fill for life . And does not need regular servicing trust the engineers that design them

 

[CBR.worm]

I changed the ATF in our '08 BMW at about 70k miles. The stuff drained was pretty nasty, but I know you can't judge much on color. I replaced the mechatronic sleeve and pan/filter. Reset the adaptations and called it a day. About 20k miles later, it is still shifting better than it was before the change.

For our 6HP series, BMW says filled for life, ZF says:

ZF automatic transmissions are filled with specially developed semi-synthetic oils.
At very high operating temperatures, the oil ages faster than under normal conditions. Examples:
 Many trips at high speeds.
 Many trips with a trailer in tow.
 Sporty driving.
Depending on the driving style, ZF therefore recommends a transmission oil change every 80 000 to 120 000 km, or after 8 years at the latest.