it is definatly NOT B.S to say mitsu trans fluid should be the ONLY fluid you use in a mitsu trans.


the older asian-warner trannies actually specified dexron 2, but the mitsu fluid would work fine.


also, the whole "dont flush or you'll wreck your trans" is a total load of crap. that may have been an issue 30 years ago, but today you will definaly do your trans well to flush it. Actually, you'll do it well to maintain it the way its recommended, which is mearly a drain and fill every so often.

just to break down the north american transmissions, they would be asian warner trannies from 89 to 99 in the full sized montero.
they would be asian warner trannies in the 97-98 sport.
everything after that is a mitsu built unit.
regardless of manufacturer, the rear drive units are all bulletproof.

 

Offroader, what part of my statement is BS?

 

Winshawn, I'm agreeing with you , not disagreeing. Specifically I'm agreeing that the first sentence is accurate. It is "hogwash" or in my terms BS.

Not that it matters any, but I've always touted that owners HAVE TO use mitsu compatible tranny fluids. I make it a special point to ensure with 100% certainty that they are compatible or YOU WILL be rebuilding your tranny.

Sorry about any confussion.

 

I am confused.
What is meant by mitsubishi fluid,
"the older asian-warner trannies actually specified dexron 2, but the mitsu fluid would work fine."
Does it mean you have to go to a dealer and get it? I hope not....no dealers for many a mile 'round here.

what would you guys do?

here's the application:
1989 montero LS 3.0
190,000 miles on the odometer
almost unknown history, but appears to be original (not modified) and well taken care of, maybe a little neglected mechanically. The fluid on the stick looked a dull brown not bright red

You want to change all the fluids?
what do you recommendusing?
I want to do the best thing, but I am on a budget as always.
Thanks

 

I just changed my trans and filter (there are two filters to choose from dep on your xsm), and I did have to buy a fluid that ran about $8 a quart. It wasn't Mitsu brand but compatible. I have 178,000 on my 01 Monte and when I bought it almost 2 years ago, first thing I always do is flush and change ALL THE FLUIDS and I also run slick 50.... I know, I know, but every vehicle I have run it in has had NO engine/ trans problems so, I stick with it. I also use fuel system/ valve treatment every fill up (don't know if that stuff really works but...), and mid grade gas.. also in the gearbox/ transfer and rear diff I use additives as well as the one needed. No probs thus far (knock on wood).
01 Monte Sport
Custom cold air, K&N filter, Magnaflow exhaust, coil-over shocks f/r, r/ air lift, p225 75r 16's, 3 batteries / inverter, 2000lb winch (still contemplating where to mount), towing package w/am rear led b/u lights, custom paint front bumper w/am and a little better than a 2" lift. Plans for forced cold air in the works.

 

Let me add my 2 cents to this discussion.
I have a '01 Montero with over 200k miles on it. I have done couple of transmission fluid change at the dealer (my guess it would be a flush, since they use a machine to exchange the fluid) and couple on my own. I'm ready to do another one and I decided to do it myself and do just a fluid change with the Mitsubishi fluid. It is true - there are many cases out there where using non-Mitsu fluid (even "compatible") does cause odd transmission behavior - slips, lagging, etc. For that reason, I'm not going to take any chances on my vehicle.

Now lets think about the fluids we use. It is possible that when the Sportronic transmission (new for 2001 year) came to the market, ONLY Mitsubishi fluid was compatible with it? Of course its possible and that may well be the reason for so many stories of people changing transmission fluid with some other fluids and having all sorts of issues. It is also likely that these days many more fluids are going to work with these transmissions (new formulations). As far as the cost goes, the non-Mitsu fluid cost $8 per quart (per Tdub1966), the Mitsu fluid I just purchased cost also $8 per quart. New transmission or a rebuild would cost $3,000-5,000, or in the best case scenario - re-flushing it with proper fluid would cost $200-300... Is it worth risk? In my opinion no. But this is up to each of us individually to decide.

Another thing to consider is where you are going to do your transmission flush. If you are going to one of those JiffyLube/QuickLube places - you are asking for problems. How can you possibly trust these people, when they can't tell the difference between engine oil filler, transmission filler and sometimes even radiator cap. If you expect them to put the right fluid into the right system and on top of it to make sure it is "compatible" - you are kidding yourself. If you want to do a flush, do it at the dealer or at the very very reputable mechanic with whom you have good relationship and understanding.

One more thing - as far as doing the fluid change. Did you guys read the manual on how to properly do it? You need to disconnect a trans fluid cooling hose, run the engine in neutral until fluid stops coming out (my guess to empty out the torque converter), after that drain the fluid from the pan, refill the pan, run engine again (to flush converter again), and after that top off the fluid to proper level. I don't see why you need to do any more forcefull "flushing" in addition to this if your transmission is working fine and you just need to refresh your fluid.

Sorry for the long rant, but this is one of those subjects with lots of variables.

 

hey everyone...

So here's the real deal :

All "hyper-patheticals" , assumptions, and theories aside :

Do not....i say again... Do not...let me emphasize....

Do not ever :

1) use any other fluid in ur trans other than what is recommended for your specific make and model

2) mix fluid types -

( even on a miniscule ratio )

because :

I literally just drove home ( abt 30 min ) from an o'reilly in lakewood colorado where the clerk told me "u should be able to..." when i asked if i could use a different cheaper type in my 2001 mitsubishi montero sport...

Thank god i only put in a half a quart because holy sheep!!

Within a few minutes it began having major difficulty when trying to accelerate ( up-shift ) ... Besides lacking power (get up and go) ...it was shifting hard on reverse and not shifting up at all from 2nd to 3rd.

By the time i had made it 1/2 of the way home, the rpm's were steadily climbing just trying to maintain speed.

By the time i was 3/4 of the way...

The a/t temp dash light came on and stayed on...even with trying to draw heat away from components by having the heat on full blast.

So ... U can do what u want... We're all grown ups... But....they built the dang machine...might wanna go w their recommendations...

Jus' sayin...

 

Ouch. That's a nasty situation. We're you able to get the right type of AT fluid for your Montero, do a fluid change and get back on the road?

Also, with all due respect, you can't rely on the "recommendations" from O'Reilley or other parts store clerks. Those folks don't know much about cars. Their job is to plug your vehicle model in the computer and see if their database shows part availability. I've lost count of how many times just by looking atvtheir part I told them - this is the wrong part. Their answer - computer says it fits... In the end - NO it doesn't. None of them are actual certified mechanics and very few have much experience in car repair. You can't expect from them to know about weird querks of a relatively rare foreign vehicle.

 

Preface:
It is always the most sure fired way to ensure the life of your transmission by "ONLY" using the OEM recommended fluid for your vehicle and "NOT" aftermarket fluids. I only did it what I mention below originally because I couldn't source the OEM fluid at the time and it eventually became a lazy/cheap/experiment.

I can say that I have put over 120K on the tranny(30-43LE) in my 98 since I acquired it at 153K, using nothing but O'reilly brand "Global Multi Vehicle" with no issues noted so far. I did a drain and fill when I got it, and a drain, filter, and fill about 60k miles after. This is, however, only anecdotal experience and I still have yet to hit the 300K mark on this transmission. I also must note that the transmissions used in "ANY" other model may have issues with this fluid, I have a RWD 98 LS with the 30-43LE transmission. On the note of auto parts guys, I used to be one of them, although I had more experience than most of them when dealing with vehicles, maybe 70% of the guys/gals don't have any experience other than "I did an oil change once" and like HunterD said, they are at the mercy of what the computer tells them, and to add to that, are really only there to make sales, and to top it off, they only get paid minimum wage so that's not very much motivation to do better/attract people with more advanced knowledge/skills.

Edit:
A few wrong recommendations that the O'reilly computers gave me over my many years with them included "water pumps, wiper blades(all positions were wrong length), belts, lug nuts, timing components, wheel bearings, brake pads and hardware, calipers, heater core, AC condenser, carrier bearings, U-Joints, and you guessed it, transmission fluid. Not a very reliable source for our sports lol.

 

Naeos_Valkarian, those are interesting notes on the inner workings of the retail parts store. I did not even consider the lack of motivation factor due to low pay and probably high turnover at those places. It is sad that we've lost the local gas station guys who really did know their cars. I bet there is a social science PhD in there somewhere trying to parse out the causes of that - too many new cars, cars are too complicated, consolidation, market pressure, etc. Sounds like a topic to discuss while sitting around a campfire looking at the stars