Should I change the filter?

[nuskool]

Originally Posted By: beast3300
Ok, it's your car.


What's that supposed to mean? The whole point of me posting the thread is the fact that I AM changing the fluid.

 

[nuskool]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Yes, the filter, unless it's been changed before. 75% of the contamination generated over the life of an automatic occurs in the first 5000 miles of operation. That includes the "built-in" crud from manufacturing and the break-in materials. All that is in the filter now, if it's not flowing in the oil. The second time around is more optional in my opinion. I would also suggest an inline filter in the return cooler line.


That makes sense, filter change it is then.

What the difference between the magnefine and the performance magnafine? Besides a boatload of $. The magnefine site doesn't say anything about it.

 

[beast3300]

Originally Posted By: nuskool
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Ok, it's your car.


What's that supposed to mean? The whole point of me posting the thread is the fact that I AM changing the fluid.


My apologies, I probably shouldn't post immediately after coming home from work. However in all fairness would you change your engine oil and not the oil filter. Also the pan magnet won't clean itself off either.

 

[nuskool]

Originally Posted By: beast3300
Originally Posted By: nuskool
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Ok, it's your car.


What's that supposed to mean? The whole point of me posting the thread is the fact that I AM changing the fluid.


My apologies, I probably shouldn't post immediately after coming home from work. However in all fairness would you change your engine oil and not the oil filter. Also the pan magnet won't clean itself off either.


No I wouldn't, but then engines and transmissions are apples and oranges. I wasn't sure if it was necessary, so I asked.

 

[C5Shark]

My advice is to drop the pan and change the filter as well as the oil. I feel the 100k mile service interval for transmissions is too long for most vehicles and prefer to perform preventative maintenance according to the "severe service" schedule represented in the owner's manual.

The reference above about changing your engine oil only and not the filter is a good analogy, except in a transmission a clean filter is even more important!

An engine oil filter has a mechanical bypass mechanism built into it so that when the filter becomes full of debris the oil can bypass the clogged media and maintain pressure and flow to all the critical engine bits. A transmission filter does NOT have this feature! When the filter becomes full of debris, oil flow to the transmission becomes restricted and can have a detrimental effect on shift quality and lubrication which will have a direct effect on transmission life.

Filters are cheap and since you're already buying the oil, there's really no reason not to take the extra step and do it right.

 

[Virtuoso]

If you have to drop the pan anyawy, change the filter.

If not, I wouldn't. I've never seen a transmission filter with less than 100k miles clogged. In fact, I've never personally seen one clogged period. Or one that was bad enough to affect transmission performance at all. Even ones with three to four times your milage.