ATF fluid change and interval question

[Mark Babunovic]

Hi everyone –

I’m doing the first ATF filter/fluid change on my wife’s 2008 Chrysler Town and Country 3.8L with 97k miles. While the FSM calls for the first change at 120k, she uses this for mostly short trips, so I’m jumping the gun a bit. (Existing fluid is reasonably pink, and no problems with the transmission, although it’s never been a particularly smooth shifter.) It’ a mess to drop the pan, etc. and I’m thinking of putting in synthetic in (Amsoil, if it’s as good as any), and doing 2 drain/refills, to lengthen the interval. The FSM says to put in 4 qt after filter/fluid change, and that the total fluid capacity if 9.7 qt. So by doing it twice I’m replacing closer to 60% of the original fluid vs. 40% with just one change.

So my questions are…
– any reason not to go synthetic?
– is doing the drain/refill twice worth the trouble?
– whichever is the best way to go, what interval do you recommend going forward?

Another question just out of curiosity: what is it about the way transmissions work that makes the correct fluid level sensitive to temperature (unlike e.g. motor oil)? I don’t think the fluid itself expands significantly in a transmission’s temp range, although I may be wrong.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Topic

[Richard Kirshy]

ATF IV is a group III synthetic transmission fluid that Chrysler has developed and licensed.

[Nicholas Clark]

I wouldn’t change it more than once.
Use exactly what the owner’s manual calls for. Transmissions are picky about their fluid.
Make sure to clean the pan and magnets (if there are any). Brake cleaner is a good cleaner. Just clean, let it dry, and you’re ready to go.

[Mark Babunovic]

Thanks for the replies — I’ll keep to one drain/fill with the Chrysler fluid.

Nightflyr, the video you posted of a DIY ATF flush on an Accord (his owner’s manual looks like mine for my ’02) is something Honda stays away from in its FSM — instead it says to drain/refill 3 times. That and Eric discouraging fluid flushes generally would make me hesitate. I do just a single drain/refill on my Accord, but every 30k miles as Eric recommends vs. the 90k/5 years in the Honda manual.

Anyway, time for a big drain pan and lots of newspaper for when I knock the Town & Country ATF pan loose…

[Richard Kirshy]

The vehicle was not for consideration…
The procedure was.
I’ve employed the same method, having a wire mesh transmission filter I saw no reason to drop the transmission pan.

As the owner, your free to choose what you feel best suits you.

[Michael Bennett]

I have an 08 Caravan. It calls for ATF+4 that costs about $6-7 a quart unless you buy it at Wal-Mart it’s $4.50 there. My van has 210K on it. The transmission died at 167K. I replaced it with a junkyard 86K transmission and filled it and it has ran flawless. Even though as you noted they aren’t the smoothest shifting transmission. But as everyone knows Chrysler transmissions have always had issues.

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[Greg]

The best thing you can do for that transmission is to add an external transmission cooler to it if it doesn’t already have one.

[Mark Babunovic]

Thanks for the tip parkwoodtech. Glad you lucked out with that replacement — you must have saved a bundle over a reman.

[Mark Babunovic]

Thanks gmule – I’ll look into that. Do they tend to run hot even without towing? While the van gets fully loaded from time to time, it doesn’t see heavy duty use.

[Michael Bennett]

[quote=”gmule” post=159447]The best thing you can do for that transmission is to add an external transmission cooler to it if it doesn’t already have one.[/quote]
I believe that generation has a factory installed transmission cooler.

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[Michael Bennett]

[quote=”babunovm” post=159448]Thanks for the tip parkwoodtech. Glad you lucked out with that replacement — you must have saved a bundle over a reman.[/quote]
The used one was $500 plus fluids and filter. They quoted $1800 to pull the old one and rebuild that one and reinstall it. That of course included all the fluids, etc.

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