Automatic transmission longevity: fluids & OCI

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The service life of automatic transmissions can vary due to several factors. The factors that seem the most significant include operating conditions, factory defects, and maintenance histories.

Some vehicles can run over 200,000 miles with the original transmission and zero maintenance, while others can be serviced regularly using factory spec ATF and still have transmission failure by 150,000 miles or sooner.

There has been debate for years over "multi-vehicle" aftermarket fluids being better/worse/equal compared to factory spec fluids available at dealers. This argument will most certainly continue for many years to come.

Please share your personal experience with automatic transmission longevity in your current and past vehicles.

How were they used: Easy freeway commutes? City driving? Heavy loads?

How did you maintain your automatic transmission: OCI, drain/fill or flush, serviceable filter, factory fluid or multi-vehicle fluid, DIY or dealer/shop, etc?

Did the transmission have any factory defects (either non-typical defects, or well known defects that were common to that vehicle model)?

Any other details that might be relevant?
 
I have two vehicles that I've maintained the tranny fluid in.

98 Toyota Sienna Spec'd for Dexron III (Started with Mobil 1 ATF and then switche to Valvoline max life). Did drain and fills on this Van as well as a pan drop and strainer (aka filter) changes. Also had a magnefine installed for the last 30,000 km before I sold it. Tranny shifted like brand new (had 283,xxx KM or 175,xxx MI on it).

97 Honda civic. Also used Vavoline Max life ATF. Did only drain and fills on the tranny. Again the tranny shifts like new. Car has 175,xxx km (108,xxx mi) on it.

For both vehicles I would at least do a drain and fill every 20,000KM. By every third changge on the Sienna I would drop the pan and clean it.

I now own a 2015 Caravan and I'm concerned with Tranny maintenance on this. I know Chrysler spec's ATF+4 only.

I would never leave a tranny alone and not change the fluid. But you need to know which fluid will work with your make/model of Vehicle.
 
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Drive like there is an egg between your shoe and gas pedal, decent maint with synthetic ATF and don't overheat it towing. Maybe a Magnefine inline filter. That's about all one can do. Obviously there were some problem transmissions like the Honda several years back.
 
It took me several early cars to realize I should be changing the transmission fluid every 25K-50K miles...rather than never changing it. All I can say is during those early years I lunched at least 3 automatic transmissions...all in the 65K-125K range. I just figured that was mainly due to lack of fluid changes.

In the following years I was a lot better in doing routine fluid changes. Out of a dozen or so more cars, only 1 transmission failed. That was a commuting highway car that I drove pretty hard at times...but no towing or overloading when I owned it. It went 212K miles on the transmission. I will say I bought it with a tow package attached and the first owner did tow a trailer for those initial 55K miles. I have no idea what maintenance they did though I was happy enough with their answers to buy the car. 2 of my early trans failures at >100K miles were Ford Crown Vics. I had a suspicion those were very susceptible to lack of fluid changes.

In summary I can't think of a properly maintained transmission that I ever lost. Change the fluid and the transmission probably outlasts the car. I would hope that those transmissions and their fluids from the 1970's to early 1990's were nowhere near as stout as what we have today. Probably harder to kill a trans today. But, I could be wrong.
 
I have to wonder if an automatic transmission is greatly affected by a lot of cycling between 3rd and 4th gears if you do a lot of driving right near the shift point. I've always paid attention to that and try to stay 5-10 mph clear either way. My wife doesn't do that. Would just leaving the transmission in one gear lower (left in 3rd rather than overdrive) for speeds in the 35-45 mph range help out? I don't know.

Ever since question of transmission and engine cold warm up wear and tear came up here a month or two back I've been driving those first 2-3 miles in 3rd (40-45) rather than Overdrive. That's a 500 rpm difference...and quicker warm-up while still staying under 2300 rpm. Doubt it makes a real big difference...though it probably can't hurt any.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
In summary I can't think of a properly maintained transmission that I ever lost. Change the fluid and the transmission probably outlasts the car. I would hope that those transmissions and their fluids from the 1970's to early 1990's were nowhere near as stout as what we have today. Probably harder to kill a trans today. But, I could be wrong.


Very true, fluids today are much better than those from decades ago, e.g. ATF+4 vs. the older Chrysler specs, Dex VI vs. the older GM specs, Honda DW1 vs Z1, and so on. These improved fluids clearly have played a role in improving reliability in some vehicles.

I've seen Ford transmissions from the early 90's fail by 70,000 miles. Of course, there were also the bad Honda transmissions from a few years ago. I had a Hyundai transmission fail recently, with only 145,000 miles (2006 Sonata). Very well maintained (d&f every 20K with Maxlife), but with lots of stop and go driving and a lead foot. Although, I suspect an uncommon factory defect with that one, since that transmission had behaved strangely throughout its whole life.
 
I'm not much help as I've never had any AT or any other drivetrain component fail in a car-since 1968. I generally personally overmaintain and underflog my stuff and usually donate the daily drivers at around 150-175k miles.
 
98 Chrysler Town & Country- Tranny failed a few thousand miles after the bumper-to-bumper expired. Don't know if changing the fluid so early in the van's life would've saved it or not because those vans were known to have junk transmissions. Dealer and Chrysler said I was SOL. Dealer put in a new tranny and that also failed after the 1 yr warranty. An indy shop put in another one. Lasted fine for the additional 2 yrs we had the van.

02 Accord- Manual specs 120,000 mile fluid changes (LOL) but I had it changed early at the dealer 90K service. Suffered infamous Honda tranny failure at 130K. We nursed it along for another year until replacing it. Did a 3X D&F when new tranny was at 30K miles with Honda fluid. Plan on doing 2 yr/20K miles single D&F w/LG Red so this one doesn't grenade, too.

On the rest of my cars, I stick with a D&F every 20-30K miles. Fluid is cheap but transmissions aren't.
 
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1985 Ford Escort GT, automatic transmission lasted 80,000 miles. Regularly changed the fluid and filter every 30,000 miles. Drove it like a teenager.

1995 Ford Escort LX, automatic transmission currently in use with over 231,000 miles on it. Fluid and filter wasn't changed until around 165K miles. Only maintenance has been a TSB that increases transmission oil pressure at idle:
http://www.feoa.net/threads/atratb039-02-01-1991-a-t-g4a-el-4eat-low-pump-pressure.61690/
And I replaced one of the solenoids:
http://www.feoa.net/threads/atratb039-02-01-1991-a-t-g4a-el-4eat-low-pump-pressure.61690/
The car is gently driven, but I did commute in heavy DC traffic for a long time with the car.
 
My family has had a number of transmission issues in the past, but I'd say they were due to known weak transmissions than anything else. We lost a TH-200-C in an Oldsmobile Cutlass and a Ford AOD in a Crown Vic, both before 100k miles. I'm not sure fluid changes or anything else would have made a difference, there.

Since those two vehicles, I haven't had any transmission issues with anything. I'm sort of like Lapham3, though, and I like this terminology: "I overmaintain and underflog my stuff." Our two current vehicles have 100k and 130k miles on them. Transmission fluid was not changed for the first time until well after 60k miles on both of them, and both get 25k mile drain/fills. The Ridgeline has a factory transmission cooler, and the transmissions in those have a terrific track record. The MDX now also has a transmission cooler, though its transmission is supposed to be pretty good anyway.

Most of what I've read says that fluid temperature is the biggest predictor of transmission life -- or at least the life of the fluid. To a point, cooler fluid generally doesn't hurt anything but parasitic drag.
 
Toyota says not to change the fluid in my 2010 Rav 4.

Not necessary.

I dumped the fluid at 80k and it was black, and there was sludge in the bottom of the pan.

Takes 4 quarts of fluid, I will be doing it once every couple years.
 
I've never had a transmission fail on me. I did replace my trucks original transmission at 320k miles tho. It was jerking some mornings harder then others. At 320k miles tho (and a lot of towing) I wouldn't consider it a failure as it outlasted its projected life.

I dont think transmissions are extremely picky and I do feel multi vehicle ATF is better then 200k mile ATF.
 
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Originally Posted By: JustinH
Toyota says not to change the fluid in my 2010 Rav 4.

Not necessary.

I dumped the fluid at 80k and it was black, and there was sludge in the bottom of the pan.

Takes 4 quarts of fluid, I will be doing it once every couple years.
too bad you didn't do it sooner.
 
Dunno, on my first automatic, have my fingers crossed. I suspect the fluid change I did at 80k was the only time it was touched, but it wasn't bad--and it seems many Toyota transmissions run decently well with black oil.

Reminds me, I should think about another drain and fill. Won't hurt.

I still have yet to figure out how ro drive this thing, it always wants to unlock the convertor. So I force a downstift. Other times I like to manually click up the gears. I've gotten to the point where over half the time the ahift is smooth--but so often its still a jolt. Not sure yet if I am taking life out of it by how I drive or not--I just hate the rubber band effect of an unlocked convertor.
 
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Toyota says not to change the fluid in my 2010 Rav 4.

Not necessary.

I dumped the fluid at 80k and it was black, and there was sludge in the bottom of the pan.

Takes 4 quarts of fluid, I will be doing it once every couple years.


I say smart man.

The same thing happened to me when I changed the oil in my 2012 Nissan Frontier at 39k. The ATF looked more like a 10,000 mile engine oil run on one of the PQIA "reject" oils.

I did another analysis after the third change and it is now looking less like a disaster.

The 100,000 mile ATF FF statement in the owner's manual is a wet dream unless you drive under 5,000 miles per year and drive like this 90 year old gray-hair in front of me.
smile.gif
 
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On my 96 Plymouth Voyager i changed the trans fluid every 20,000 miles now at over 200,000 miles it still is ok , It leaks and shifts very hard the first few shifts in the morning but it was always a little odd.
 
177K on my Tacomas transmission. Amsoil Universal Atf and a external cooler.Fluid changes every 30K...this last time I went 60K. Monitor temps and don't drive like you stole it keeps it happy.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Every 30K I will do a drain/refill.



I also follow this and recommend it to my customers as well.

30k is a good average for a drain/fill.
 
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