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Maintenance & Repair Got a Quick, Technical Question?
4968 messages, Last post on Dec 06, 2009 at 4:49 PM
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Any body know how to take off the tail light assembly for replacement. Wife backed into a car and broke the clear caseing and of course now I have to replace the whole thing. 
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I have a 1998 2L Escort Wagon (190,000Km) and a 2000 Altima SE (136,000Km) I have reasonable mechanical aptitude and a good set of tools. I would like to do my own tranny flushes using synthetic Mobil 1 and wondered if this was a DIY job. I believe that the Escort has a filter and that I would need to drop the pan and replace the filter and the pan gasket. I have been told that the Altima does not have a filter. If I need to buy some equipment or tools (a fluid pump?) as a one off expense that would be OK. Could I ask you these questions: 1. Is this a DIY job? 2. Can you either point me at a resource where I can get some generic instructions on how to do a tranny flush or can you give me the basic steps to follow? Thank you for your help,
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Replying to: gliderrider (Apr 02, 2007 7:29 am) Flushes on high milage cars have the possibility of breaking loose some 'crud' which does not flush out, but does lodge in some place where it will cause a problem. Look at the owners manuals. There may be one out there that does call for a flush, but all I've ever seen just call for a drain of fluid, change of filter (if there is one), and refill with the same type fluid. If the original tranny fluid has gotten you to these milages, why are you considering changing to some other type (synthetic)? Removing all the fluid from auto trannys is about impossible (it will not drain out of the torque convertor, leaving about 40% of the fluid undrained). So, you are going to be mixing two different fluids if you go to synthetic. So, my advice is to just drain and refill with original fluid called for in your owner's manual. Can you do this? I don't know. Most auto trannys will NOT have a drain plug. You will have to drop the pan. Sometimes there may be 'something else' in the way that must be removed. Not much you can do (without a service manual) except crawl under there and look. When you 'drop a pan', it's a mess. Fluid will start pouring out all around the pan. Unless you have a huge catch pan, you may make a big mess. The pan and fluid that remains in it is somewhat heavy, so you have a potential for even a greater mess. Tranny fluid stains, is oily, and thin and runny. You've been warned....
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Replying to: bolivar (Apr 02, 2007 11:38 pm) In answer to your question, the reason I wish to use synthetic is that I have had it extend the life of a Mercury Villager tranny that was at 168,000km and had developed hard changes from 1st to 2nd. After adding Mobil1 the hard changes disappeared and I sold the vehicle 11 months later at 189,000km with the tranny still performing normally. A friend had slippage problems with a Subaru and followed my recommendation to use Mobil1. In his case the vehicle is still running two years later and 62,000km later with no tranny problems. Two cars do not make a scientific study but this is what I am going by. In terms of loosening crud in the tranny I was wondering what a tranny flush would do that might be different to a pan only fluid change? Also I am probably wrong but I thought that Mobil1 was compatible with regular tranny fluid?
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Replying to: gliderrider (Apr 03, 2007 3:59 am) 1) disconnect the transmission fluid line (input line) at the radiator (The transmission fluid is cooled by the radiator just so you know). 2) take a small diameter hose and put one end over the transmission line. Put the other end in a bucket to catch all the old fluid. 3) have somebody poor clean tranny fluid into the reservoir from the top while the tranny pumps fluid out of the line into your bucket. 4) when the tranny fluid runs clear you are completely flushed. Stop the engine and reconnect the tranny line at the radiator.
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Replying to: jasmith52 (Apr 03, 2007 3:01 pm) Here are a few possible points. -The metal lines into the radiator may be difficult to remove. If there is a rubber line in there (used many times as a flex joint between the solid steel lines and the radiator), I would break the lines there. Usually jointed by screw clamps. If there are no rubber lines, take care to not rip the line out of the radiator. Speaking from experience of changing a radiator, these connections can be very tight. -You will have a 'balancing' job of guaging the outgoing flow, and pouring new fluid into the fill tube. You don't want to let the fluid run low in the tranny while the motor is running. This might cause severe problems, quickly.
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Replying to: bolivar (Apr 03, 2007 9:16 pm) I was just out at the car and there are rubber pipes connecting the radiator to the tranny. Bolivar's warning about keeping a balance between the fluid going to waste and the new fluid being added is well taken. Does anyone know how much tranny fluid the sump under the tranny holds? |
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Replying to: gliderrider (Apr 04, 2007 3:26 am) With the cost of replacement transmissions, I started taking this to the dealer to get it done right. |
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Replying to: gliderrider (Apr 04, 2007 3:26 am) How about drain a quart... add a quart? Start off with an empty quart bottle.
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It sounds like the process is add fluid at the transmission dipstick fill tube while the pump takes it out to the tube at the radiator. I had thought (and changed my mind) about doing a flush by connecting to both tubes at the radiator. For the one going back to the tranny just connect it to something like a 2-liter bottle with the bottom cut off and keep fluid in it (2nd person holding it and pouring in bottles of transmission fluid) while the fluid coming out the other tube is caught in a container. When the fluid coming out through the clear plastic tube is clear, you're done, and probably have used about 15 quarts for a 12 quart transmission. I decided to do the gentler thing and drop the pan and replace 6 of the 12 and do that 2 ro 3 times in a row. Essentially get complete change without shocking the crud in the transmission. |
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