Tranny Fluid

[toady77]

Ok, I know I am gonna sound really stupid asking this, but how do you change your tranny fluid? I have always taken it to the shop to get changed but this time I wanna do it myself. Please feel free to give out as much as help as possible. Thanks.

[toady77]

anyone???

[98Camaro3.8]

A4 or M5?

M5 you just use the drain plug to drain it, and fill plug to fill it back up.

A4 you have to drop the pan.

[toady77]

yeah its an a4, so all i have to do is drop the pan? How do I fill it back up?

[Bliggida]

Hey Toady. You drop the pan (if you don't have your book) start by loosening every other bolt - just a few turns. Then go back to the ones you skipped and turn those a few times.

Loosen the front or rear of the pan more than the other side, and fluid will begin to drain from that side you loosened most. Let the pan drain out quite a bit. Once it stops and is nearly empty it will still have fluid in it but be much much easier to handle and control without spilling.

Take the pan and go rinse it out completely and prep the flange for the new gasket.

Clean up the valve body with a careful cloth.

I like to prep the pan at this time.
I use rubber gaskets with no sealant. Or if unavailable, Cork gaskets with just enough sealant to hold it in place - go very light on the sealant.

Put the gasket on the pan and put the bolts through the holes to help hold the gasket in place and let that cure.

While it's curing I then go back and install the new filter. It just pops into place, there might be a small bolt in the center to hold it there depending on the application. Don't forget the little o-ring that comes with the filter.

Then clean the surface of the transmission for the new gasket.

With the new gasket, hold the pan into position, and support it with one hand as you tighten the for corners. Just get them threaded enough to hold the pan for you. Then go around and insert bolts into every other bolt-hole. Just getting them threaded - don't worry about tightening them down yet - it will make things harder.

Once all the bolts are in place, and make sure that the gasket didn't get pushed in and missing a bolt hole.

Begin tightening them as you did taking them off - just a few times every other bolt.
OR, do the reverse bolts - like a clock.
If you do 12, your next is 6,
if you do 3 your next is 9,
10 and 2,
11 and 5
so forth and so on...

I like to use a nut driver instead of a ratchet. A ratchet, even a small 1/4" drive can put too much torque on those pan bolts and crush the new gasket - cause an indefinit leak.

Use a nut driver (screwdriver with a 1/4" socket connection - or unless you have a complete set of nut drivers use the corresponding size. I believe its 3/8's off the top of my head.

Keep working all the bolts, spreading the torque evenly across all of them. And finish with medium tight with your hand. If you look closely you'll see the gasket just begin to squeeze and compress, that's all you want. Just a even pinch all the way around.

I believe the actual rating is around 10 ft-lbs max.

And you finish by refilling through your transmission dipstick. You'll need a funnel. And they usually take about 6 quarts or so. Start with 5. That'll be enough to check. Start the car and check the dipstick. You can leave the car running if you wish, Keep adding until it reachs the proper level. Then go get in the car, go from park to drive, to neutral, reverse, and make sure its shifting smoothly, and in general make the transmission work by putting it through those different gear selections. And finish by re-checking your fluid level.

If you have the money. You can get a transmission pan with a drain plug built into it so that the transmission is just as easy as engine oil.

A cheaper alternative would be to purchase a drain plug kit, and modify yours or a second stock pan for the drain plug.

Tranny fluid needs serviced about every 50,000 miles.