Transmission Fluid Color
 

Hey guys, good to join the forum; I've recently bought a 2002 Galant ES 45kmiles on it. A couple of days ago i checked the transmission fluid, it was pretty darkish/brown. Is that color normal? I've read somewhere in the forum that the recommended change was every 50k/60k miles or so.

I've heard that most transmission fluids are red in good conditions, I wondered if the Diamond SP III was also red, then it'd be time for a fluid/filter change. (Btw... is $180 worth it for a power flush? and plus $100 for a filter change ~$280 seemed too much for me...)

This's probably a newbie post, but thanks in advance for any help! [&:]
-B

RE: Transmission Fluid Color
 

Brand new fluid is a clear red. Does your transmission fluid smell burnt? You wont need to change the tranny filter as it is permanent (at least for the newer 8th gens). A quart of the Mitsu tranny fluid is about $4 from the dealer, and at least on the V6, you usually use around 6 quarts (not sure for the I4 but I think it is the same). I believe a power flush uses 12 quarts total.

RE: Transmission Fluid Color
 

Hey Dry, thanks for the reply, yeah, the fluid does smell kinda burnt to me. It's odd though, I've been to two mechanics, both work for the same repair company in different places in town. One told me it was burnt, the other said it just looks used, he said that unless the vehicle was subjected to some severe abuse, the fluid shouldn't be burnt at 45k miles, so i was kind of uncertain about it.

I thought of power flushing (PF) for which repair shops are charging prices in the range of $150~180, which i find pretty overpriced, but then i also read some article on the net saying that if the fluid is indeed burnt, PF isn't recommended because of the sudden change in viscosity in the gearbox. The regular fluid change w/o PF would cost on average around $50, it would only get rid of about half the old fluid, so i'm not quite sure if I want to spend so much for a PF or go for a regular change. I just hope the transmission hasn't been damaged. [>:]

RE: Transmission Fluid Color
 

Dont forget you also pay for labor, as well as disposal fees.

Check out this tutorial if you are interested in doing the fluid change yourself:
http://www.thegalantcenter.net/forum....php?article=0

RE: Transmission Fluid Color
 

Oh Damn, such a nice guide was available online? lol I've done a regular change yesterday, but now i'm tempted to try the do-it-yourself-flush. The process seems to be pretty easy, even a newb like me would do it. No filter, no taking off the pan, definitely not worth the $150+ for a fluid change. Thanks a lot for the link man, i'm sure it'll help a lot of people in the forum.

Have a good one [&:]
-B

RE: Transmission Fluid Color
 

a flush probably isnt necessary on the tranmission if you adhear to the maintenance schedule. Changing the oil may slightly vary on mileage depending on how the car was driven. The tranmission fluid was change in my car after 4.5 years and 82000 miles. It was dark so its safe to say the previous owner didnt bother with it. Changing the oil cost me about $20 in labor and a few bucks for 6 quarts of atf.

relatively low cost in maintance.