Transmission?

[austinado16]

IMO, you never want to do flushes on engine or automatic transmission. All the flush does is dislodge and stir up all the shavings, grit, crud, and other foreign matter that is a fairly normal byproduct of engines and transmissions. This stuff is normally packed into corners and other areas, where it does no harm. A flush breaks it all loose and sends it free to roam around. Typically there is a failure of some sort later on, and the shop doing the flush will say, "Well, that's not due to the flush...look at how many miles are on it."

Note that the place doing the flush did not remove the trans pan, clean it, and replace the trans filter. Why? Because this is schlock work that they bang the customer hard for. They've paid umpteen grand for that flush machine on the promise that it's a money maker......Bang the customer for $150 and all your "tech" has to do is plug the machine in to the transmission, turn this button on, and come back when it's done. Meanwhile the tech is double dipping, working on another vehicle. Huge money maker. I love the NBC Los Angeles investigation into Jiffy Lube's BS, where they were selling flushes and not doing them, and there was no way for the customer to know.......until NBC planted some lipstick cams in some cars and caught them.

I'd suggest dropping and cleaning the pan, and replacing the filter. Refill with Dexron VI, which is synthetic and backwards compatible. Then have a professional adjust the TV cable. This requires a pressure gauge be hooked up to the transmission. Read more about the process at www.bowtieoverdrives.com The TV cable needs to be perfectly adjusted so that the instant it moves even a few thousands, the trans pressure also immediately rises.

I've made the gauge and do my own adjustment. It's easily done once you see how the transmission pressure responds.

If you wind up needing a transmission, consider it a blessing. There are a ton of upgraded parts available for them, so you either build, have built, or purchase, (bowtie overdrives) a transmission that's 10 times better than the original.

 

[HotRodPC]

I'm on your side in theory and totally agree, BUT.... This is why you do it to KEEP YOUR Engine/Trans Clean, NOT TO clean it. Example, I tell people, have your trans flushed every 50,000 miles, and maybe 35-40,000 depending on how much you tow. Then you hear of the guys that at 110,000 the trans is slipping and they've never done a flush. I tell them, if it's never been done, then don't do it now. You'll only make the slipping worse and kill it for good. 90% of the time, I turn out to be right.

I don't do motor flushes, and do oil changes every 9,000-10,000 miles. About every 3rd oil change, I'll do 1/2 can of Sea Foam in the crankcase for the last 500 miles or so, and the other 1/2 of the can in a full 20 gallon tank and run it down to at least 1/4 tank before I add more gas. I then change the oil while the motor is still pretty hot. I might let it cool for 30 minutes or so, or if I didn't go very far and get it fully hot, I'll do it immediately. Reason being, with the oil hot, you hope any gunk is melted down and will come out with the oil instead of cool and be allowed to stick on the walls of the pan or in the valley. My oil is still gold when I change it. Dark Gold, but still, even at 10,000 miles it's still gold and not black. I do also use full synthetic oil and a Mobil 1 filter.

 

[austinado16]

I'm still not a lover of the flush, even on something that was purchased new. Reason is because on the typical flush job, the pan is not removed and the filter not replaced. And even if it was done with a pan/filter job, I'm still not a fan of stirring up all that "debris" and betting that "things will be fine." There's never a guarantee that something won't get into the valve body or some other component, and cause a problem down the road......and when that does happen, there's always a string of story telling, about how there's no way that the flush caused it. Dropping the pan and doing a partial fluid change never causes any harm.

But hey, I'm old school.

Re; the oil filter. Have you seen the big tall industrial version that's available? I get mine from NAPA.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

Wife was talked into a $150 trans flush at Jiffy Lube...6 months later the trans went out. Was fine up until the flush.

 

[austinado16]

^^That's exactly what I'm talking about^^

Regarding Jiffy Lube, it's amazing to me that the chain is still in business with the stories heard everywhere, investigations like the one by KTLA Channel 4 in Los Angeles, and all the money they pay out in damaged vehicles.

I was working for a local dealer, and in 2 or 3 months, the local Jiffy Lube chain was into us for $21,000 in blown transmissions following their services. One one, they drained and never refilled the automatic (Nissan Murano) and on 2 others, drained and then put back standard Dexron fluid, when the bolted down dipstick stated to use only Nismatic fluid. I couldn't help but laugh at the guy when he asked for a bro deal on the bill. I told him no, and that he might want to consider not working on stuff that he's shop has no knowledge of.

 

[HotRodPC]

No doubt. I'd avoid Jiffy Lube like the plague or HIV/AIDS. They've been ripping off the public for years. But so many lube shops do.

My SIL calls me up a several months ago. Hey can you come over to my moms and help me get this oil filter off. I've tried 4 different filter wrenchs, broke 2 and the other 2 just slip. So I grab my Jaws of Life, biggo Arc Joint pliers, aka Channelocks. Go over, have the filter off in 10 seconds of being there. I said, HEY, that looks to be an OE Mazda filter. He said yes it does. I asked, where have you got the oil changed before he said at Express Lube Blah Blah. I told him, so you've had the vehicle long enough for 2 oil changes and they HAVE NOT changed your filter either time, cuz I'll assure you, they DO NOT use an OEM Mazda filter. He says Oh yeah !!! I put the filter back on. So we go up there and I told him, just ask if they have the Filter in stock and ask how long will an oil change take. The guys says, yeah we have the filter in stock. I asked if I could see it that I wanted to look at the internals and see what kind it is. He brings it out and it's some off brand junk all white with Red Lettering. The OEM one was all Black with a Green Stripe and the Mazda logo on it. So I tell the guy, I'd like you to come see this filter and make sure you have the wrench for it. So the manager comes out. He kneels down, we look at the filter, he says Oh yeah, we can get that. I then pointed out, that's an OEM dealership filter isn't it. He says, sure looks like it. I asked, so if you guys were out of filters for this model, where would you get one. He says we'd call Auto Zone or O Reilly's and have then bring us a FRAM filter sicne that's who makes ours. I then asked my SIL for his reciepts on the last 2 oil changes at $39.95 each. Needless to say, the manager tried being diplomatic and offered 2 FREE Oil changes. My SIL said, I'd rather just have refunds and do my own since you can't be trusted. Nothing happened after after the manager got mouthy and started his **** You, and F this and that, and it about went physical. Of course this is a Saturday midmorning. Customers hanging out in the lobby. They started walking up to the counter asking for their keys that they were going elsewhere. After his waiting room emptied out, that's when the cussing started. So we left with no refund, no oil change or nothing. My SIL wrote a letter to their corporate. He did get a check in the mail for 2 refunds, and coupons for 3 Premium Oil Changes FREE and an apology letter. The letter said, this was a franchise location, not a corporate location that he'd have to use the coupons at a corporate store if the franchisee didn't want to honor them. It was about 2 months later, they had a big banner up, Under new Ownership, Corporate Coupons Honored here. Apparently this asshat ***** was the owner and after Corporate came down on his ass, he gave up the franchise, sold it back or it was taken back, not sure, but nonetheless this Quick Lube or Express Lube whatever it was, didn't like what the owner was doing. I'd imagine my SIL wasn't the only complaint for such a drastic measure. But hell yes, the crooks are out there.
As I had told my SIL, how many miles are taken off this engine with a 1/2 quart of dirty oil left in the motor for the last 2 oil changes along with, is the the filter collapsed and even filtering now? Is it clogged? We did go back home and change the oil and filter that day. Not sure if he's used those coupons or not.

 

[austinado16]

Hahaaa.....another great "quick lube" story. There are a billion of them.

One of my personal favorites is all the stripped out drain plugs we used to see. It got to be comical. I once needed an expandable drain plug for an emergency case, went to buy one at the big local NAPA and they tell me, "We're all out. Jiffy Lube and Econo Lube have purchased them all."

 

[HotRodPC]

Hahaaa.....another great "quick lube" story. There are a billion of them.

One of my personal favorites is all the stripped out drain plugs we used to see. It got to be comical. I once needed an expandable drain plug for an emergency case, went to buy one at the big local NAPA and they tell me, "We're all out. Jiffy Lube and Econo Lube have purchased them all."

I guess Walmart had issue with their employees stripping them out too. Not sure if it's a Walmart policy, I know the wheels are, but at the local Walmart here, they use an inch lb torque wrench to tighen the drain plug and have a 2nd person re check it.

 

[ScottyB]

I worked at an oil change place right out of the Navy. This was a small, local chain and I can honestly say that I am proud to have worked there. Yes, we did the up sell on filters and such but we always showed the customer THEIR original filter as part of the up sell. We didn't do any flushes. Fluid changes were drain and fill. I heard horror stories but never witnessed one there.

Oh, and I HATE the Toyota MR2. (Oil filter over the muffler.)

 

[JDawley]

Yes it is now shifting like a dream and starting was just a one time thing.

 

[austinado16]

I would still have the TV cable set by a pro, using a pressure gauge in the transmission. Read about why at bowtieoverdrives.com A poorly adjusted TV cable IS the death of the 700R4, whether it's shifting "good" right now or not.