When to change ATF/filter in 5.3

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Change filter after doing a drain and refill two times.

I.e., change filter on the third drain-refill.
 
I should change the transmission filter on my 2005 avalanche. As far as I know its the original filter. Just rolled over 190,000 miles. I have siphoned and filled it several times . No transmission drain on my 2005. Does anyone have any experience with the Dorman pan? I might get around to it this winter.
 
The Dorman pans got middle of the road reviews on Amazon. Probably weld a drain plug in my pan when I do this job.
 
B&M aftermarket plug in my 4L60e pan - $10 or so - toss the nylon seal and use copper washers - on my ramps it drains 4 quarts clean and easy - once you put a new pan filter in - just do that a couple times and then once a year during oil change ...

 
I generally do fluid every 50k and fluid/filter at every 100k. I tow quite a bit and the fluid always looks good. I could probably go closer to 75-100k but it makes me feel better. Cheapest Dex VI I can find (usually Supertech). Never had a trans problem ever.
 
That truck has the six speed in it, correct? Not only should he change the fluid and filter, he should add an auxiliary trans cooler if it doesn't already have one.
My 2009 Suburban has had the fluid and filter changed at 9,000 miles (when I bought it), 50,000 miles and 100,000 miles. At around 125,000 miles, I found the fluid was brown and burned. I had the trans shop flush and service. Last month, at 139,000 miles, it wasw slightly burnt again. Shop flushed, serviced and added a factory cooler. Inside of the trans looked ok.
With the cooler, as small as it is, the trans temps are nice and low, like 174 degrees at 70 mph on a 78 degree day. Fluid seems to be lasting fine. We'll see as I rack up some miles.
I'd like to hold off on a rebuild if I can as it costs about 3500 dollars.
Also, tell him to drive that truck around in M5 and not D. It keeps the engine in V8 mode and not that stupid four cylinder thing that fails and destroys the cam. I drive mine in M5 all the time and it runs great.
My brother's 2007 Tahoe had one of those controlled intake lifters fail. It destroyed the cam. You have to remove the heads to change lifters in that engine so we swapped the entire engine. We replaced the four DOD lifters with regular intake lifters and he had the system programmed out of the computer. Truck has been stellar ever since. He drives it every day as it's his work/ family vehicle.
 
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The only other helpful thing I can think of is change the plugs and wires if it hasn't been done. The rear passenger side one is a beast but it really makes them run sweet.
Also, keeping a fresh air filter in it makes a small but noticeable difference.
 
Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Change filter after doing a drain and refill two times.

I.e., change filter on the third drain-refill.



Sorry for resurrecting an old thread,but can anyone explain the merits of doing this please.I had heard of it before when changing the ATF in very old transmissions,but i don't recall the reasons as to why,or why not.(I am genuinely interested)
 
I, myself , have changed my policy after seeing too many good transmissions that were just disgusting with the metal sludge in the pan. Nothing was wrong with the transmissions. All went on to live long and healthy lives. It's just that over 80k+ miles, these things shed a lot of metal, and I'd rather clean all of that out than leave it running around in there.

Magnets need to be cleaned as well in order to stay effective. When you do a drain and fill, none of this is being taken care of.
 
The “sludge” is metal? I thought that was clutch material?

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
I, myself , have changed my policy after seeing too many good transmissions that were just disgusting with the metal sludge in the pan. Nothing was wrong with the transmissions. All went on to live long and healthy lives. It's just that over 80k+ miles, these things shed a lot of metal, and I'd rather clean all of that out than leave it running around in there.

Magnets need to be cleaned as well in order to stay effective. When you do a drain and fill, none of this is being taken care of.
 
Agree ~ added this above the remote and two years later the pan magnets were clean
The P1 filter was just a short clean up after finding out the 50% issue on XP’s ...
Fram XG16 in use now = so I might go four years of drains/XG and no pan removal

 
The hydraulic filter I use has such a huge center tube, I just tossed a bunch of magnets down into it, but I absolutely love that trick piece you have.

The sludge I have found appeared to be mostly metallic/oil, especially given that it was mostly stuck to the magnets. Could just be metal mixed with oil.
 
IMHO, a fluid extractor is just about as good and is so much easier. I dropped the pan and changed the filter on my daughter 2002 Trailblazer when she got it a few years ago with ~ 150K miles on it. I then used the fluid extractor a couple of additional times after that. All is well 4 years later.

I used to use the drain plugs on my Toyota Tacoma and Hyundai Santa Fe. Now I just just use the extractor. I get just as much out and it is sooo easy. I do them every 30K miles.
 
Depends on the vehicle. On Chrysler RFE transmissions, the dip stick tube ends on a "shelf" in the pan, preventing the tube from reaching the bottom of the pan. Leaves a lot of fluid behind.

If the tube can reach the bottom, you will get more fluid out with an extractor, because the bung for these plugs are above the bottom of the pan, leaving a pool of fluid behind.
 
You drive it between the drains because you never get all the fluid out of the torque converter and lines with just a drain. On the last drain change the filter then fill.
 
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