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So, I changed my fluid in my Buick Lacrosse with a 4t65E transmission. This its 3rd change, so I have done it before.
A little spring fell out after I changed the filter and I didn’t notice it on the floor until I backed the car out of the garage and was cleaning up. So needless to say, I need to drop the pan again, no huge deal, just a pain.
Now here is the question, I got new fluid in that tranny, and I use a stainless steel pan to collect my fluid. I am going to clean it up really good and drain the fluid into it again. Should I be able to re-use that fluid or should I just go out and buy 6 quarts of new fluid?
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I personally would not reuse the fluid because of the unseen contaminates that will fall into the drain pan when you remove the transmission pan.
What spring fell out? No spring is involved on a filter change.
[quote=”Vlad2″ post=104326]So, I changed my fluid in my Buick Lacrosse with a 4t65E transmission. This its 3rd change, so I have done it before.
A little spring fell out after I changed the filter and I didn’t notice it on the floor until I backed the car out of the garage and was cleaning up. So needless to say, I need to drop the pan again, no huge deal, just a pain.
Now here is the question, I got new fluid in that tranny, and I use a stainless steel pan to collect my fluid. I am going to clean it up really good and drain the fluid into it again. Should I be able to re-use that fluid or should I just go out and buy 6 quarts of new fluid?[/quote]
=================================================================================================When you dropped the pan, emptied the fluid out and refilled the first time you will probably not have removed all the old fluid in any event. Some will still have remained in the transmission.
So running the transmission for a while to circulate the new fluid will see the new mixed with some of the old. When you do the change of fluid a second time you will have a much cleaner result. Definitely not wasted effort or money.
So do NOT re-use the fluid you drain from the transmission. This is not something you do every year anyhow so the cost of the 2 fluid changes is minimal spread over time.
Cameron
yea, but there is a little spring that is held in with hope right under the filter. this isn’t the first time I have heard of this spring falling out on its own..
exactly what I am talking about, there is a little piece of metal that holds that up. If you bump it, it calls out and that valve is always open.
I went out and bought 6 more quarts for Dex VI and dropped the pan again and put it back in and its all good now.
Glad you got that sorted. It sucks to find things like that after you get it all back together. Thanks for the updates and for using the ETCG forum.
That’s a thermostatic element. It’s designed to control the fluid level in the case side cover pan. The thermostatic element contains a temperature sensitive strip of metal that reacts to fluid temperature changes and opens or closes a fluid passage. At low temperatures, the thermostatic element exerts little pressure on the thermostatic element plate allowing fluid to drain into the sump. As the temperature of the fluid increases, the thermostatic element begins to apply pressure to the thermostatic element plate, thereby trapping fluid in the case side cover pan. This level of transaxle fluid is required in order to maintain the operation of the hydraulic system in the transmission…
A damaged or loose thermostatic element could cause fluid foaming or incorrect fluid level.
[quote=”JTF” post=104601]That’s a thermostatic element. It’s designed to control the fluid level in the case side cover pan. The thermostatic element contains a temperature sensitive strip of metal that reacts to fluid temperature changes and opens or closes a fluid passage. At low temperatures, the thermostatic element exerts little pressure on the thermostatic element plate allowing fluid to drain into the sump. As the temperature of the fluid increases, the thermostatic element begins to apply pressure to the thermostatic element plate, thereby trapping fluid in the case side cover pan. This level of transaxle fluid is required in order to maintain the operation of the hydraulic system in the transmission…
A damaged or loose thermostatic element could cause fluid foaming or incorrect fluid level.[/quote]
Great info man! Thanks.
Sorry I tried and failed to post picture of the mystery plug that I found in o.e. a/t fluid pan in 1980 Mercury Zephyr.
[quote=”jackolope56″ post=104690]Sorry I tried and failed to post picture of the mystery plug that I found in o.e. a/t fluid pan in 1980 Mercury Zephyr.[/quote]
Perhaps this can help with the issue of posting pics.
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