12 EASY STEPS - HOW TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION
FLUID AND FILTER
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1. |
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Make sure the fluid is warm.
Warm up the car so the transmission is at normal operating
temperature. Pull the transmission dipstick (located near
the firewall in most cars). Fresh fluid is translucent and
cherry red. Some darkening is normal, but if it is reddish
brown or mustard color and smells like burnt varnish, it
is worn out. |
2. |
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Drain the fluid by loosening
the pan. Select the correct Hastings filter replacement
based on pan shape and prepare a large pan to catch the
fluid. Then loosen each pan bolt a turn or two and loosen
one corner more than rest. Drain mostly from this corner. |
3. |
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Finish removing the pan and any
gasket material from the pan or case. Avoid scratching the
metal and make sure the pan's gasket surface isn't bent
or distorted. |
4. |
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Remove the old filter. Most transmission
filters are held in place with a bolt or two, but some are
held by a clip. Be careful to include O-Rings or other seals. |
5. |
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Install a new filter. Use the
clips or bolts from the old filter. Be sure O-Rings, etc.
are in place. If the filter has a long intake neck, gently
push the neck into place without unseating the O-Ring. |
6. |
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Clean the pan thoroughly. Inspect
the pan before cleaning. A small amount of fine grey clutch
dust is normal. However, if you find metal shavings, there
has been transmission damage. Clean the pan with solvent
and wipe dry so there is no harmful residue. |
7. |
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Position gasket on pan. Some
gaskets have four holes slightly smaller than the rest to
allow four bolts through the pan and through these smaller
holes to hold the gasket in place. |
8. |
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Hand tighten pan bolts in a criss-cross
pattern. After that, use a torque wrench to tighten bolts
to proper ft-lbs as per manufacturer. |
9. |
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Refill the transmission using
only the amount shown as "refill capacity" in the owners
manual or "AMSOIL Product Selection Guide," using the
type of fluid specified for the vehicle. |
10. |
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If doing only a partial fluid
replacement, skip to instruction 12 below. If doing a complete
fluid replacement, follow the steps in instruction 11. |
11. |
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You now have replaced the fluid
in the pan. To replace the fluid in the torque converter
and oil cooler also, follow these steps.
Step 1. Obtain the total system capacity of the
vehicle from the manufacturer or AMSOIL. Have this amount
readily available.
Step 2. Disconnect the oil cooler line from the
oil cooler. As you may not know which is the pressure
side and which is the return side, have both directed
so the stream of fluid will be directed toward a receptacle.
Step 3. With another person, be prepared to add
ATF to the fill area as it is being pumped out of the
oil cooler line.
Step 4. Start the engine, and as the old fluid
is pumped out, add fresh fluid to the pan.
Step 5. When either the fluid color brightens
or the total capacity has been replaced, shut the engine
off and re-attach the oil cooler line. All fluids has
now been changed.
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12. |
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Recheck the fluid level. With
the car on level ground, set the parking brake and the transmission
in "Park" or "Neutral." Let the engine idle for a few minutes.
Shift the transmission into different positions before returning
the lever to "Park" or "Neutral." Check the fluid level
again and check for leaks. |