Can you change the transmission of a car

November 04, 2019

There's a lot of urban legend around changing the transmission fluid in your vehicle. The biggest legend is if the fluid hasn't been changed in a long time, it shouldn't be because it's old.

That's not really true, but here's what IS true. If the valve body gets all gunked up with transmission fluid that's damaged, the driver could lose the ability to shift between gears.

And that's why so many people believe that changing old transmission fluid can cause it to slip. Want to avoid that whole dilemma altogether? Simply change your transmission fluid regularly and you won't have to worry about it!

So, When Should You Change Your Transmission Fluid?

Every vehicle has its own requirements. That's why following the recommendation in your owner's manual is a must. It will tell you how often the transmission fluid should be changed, and what kind to use.

To check it, for most cars, the transmission dipstick is located behind the oil dipstick. You'll see markings on it that indicate whether the fluid is adequate, or that more needs to be added.

How Do You Know When the Transmission Fluid Needs to Be Changed?

Wipe the dipstick with a clean rag or paper towel. Then look at the color of the transmission fluid.

• If it's bright pink-the fluid is new. No need to change it.
• If it's light brown with a hint of pink-It needs to be replaced.
• If it hasn't been changed in a long time-it will be very dark brown. And, it may have metal particles floating about. This indicates transmission damage.

If your vehicle has lifetime transmission fluid, still check it around 100,000 miles. You want to make sure the vent tubes that allow pressure in your transmission to equalize isn't allowing in dust and moisture, too.

Should You Flush or Simply Change the Transmission Fluid?

Again, let your owner's manual be your guide! It will tell you which is recommended for your car, truck, or SUV.

For changing the fluid-Open the transmission drain (it's on the underside of the car). About 50% of the fluid will drain into the pan. The other half stays in the torque converter as well as other parts of the transmission.

Flushing your transmission-This method allows you to completely change all of the fluid. Attach a transmission hose to the input of the line running through the transmission. Attach another to the output.

By pumping new transmission fluid into the transmission pushes out the old fluid. We caution that this method is only recommended if the current transmission fluid is in relatively good condition, showing no signs of damage.

Want to Avoid the Possibility of Transmission Damage?

As we stated at the beginning of this article, simply change the fluid frequently or as your owner's manual recommends. This will ensure a healthy transmission for the life of your vehicle.

Remember, dirty fluid is not an effective lubricant, so it won't disperse well. Once the clutch packs lose their grip, old fluid may be all that's creating the friction needed to keep your transmission from slipping.

If you want some help keeping your vehicle healthy, consider the Joe Bowman GM certified service experts. Our technicians are highly trained and work on all types of vehicles. Schedule an appointment today!

The very idea of changing the transmission on your car is going to be something that kind of strikes fear into a number of people because it does sound as if it is going to be a difficult task and, at times, that can very well be the case.

However, that is not to say that it is impossible as you will now discover.

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Changing the transmission fluid

First, we shall begin by looking at how you can change the transmission fluid as this is perhaps the easiest part of all.

To start things off you either need to put your car in ramps or jack up the front and remember to put blocks behind the back wheels to stop the car from rolling backwards.

Each car has a transmission pan and if you do not know where to locate it, then check the manual as that will tell you.

As a safety precaution, you should look at disconnecting the negative part of the battery and then look at removing the starter motor if this is required on your particular model.

This will involve removing some bolts and disconnecting the wires, so it does not require any specific mechanical knowledge to get this done.

After this, you should then be left with the transmission pan and at this point it is advisable to have something to catch the oil that is about to come out and also put down old rags on the ground to stop it from staining your driveway if this is where you are doing this repair.

Some vehicles will actually have a plug that allow you to drain this without too much hassle, but if that is not the case, then you will have to remove the bolts for the pan to allow it to drop down and this will then make it easier for you to drain the fluid straight into the pan itself.

At this point, and after everything has drained, it is simply a case of doing the reverse. Finally, you need to top up the fluid when everything has been reattached.

Changing the complete transmission on an automatic

It is important that we point out that you can also completely change the transmission on an automatic car at home even though this is quite a big job to undertake. In order to do this, you must take the following steps:

• Jack up the car as above.
• Remove the wiring connectors from the starter, solenoid, switches and sensors.
• Disconnect the starter and then remove it by taking out the bolts.
• Drain the fluid as directed above.
• Disconnect the exhaust pipe at the manifold if it is in the way of the transmission.
• Disconnect the shift linkage at the transmission.
• Remove the drive shaft by removing the joints then lower it.
• Remove the mount from the cross member specifically for the transmission.
• Lift the transmission up using a jack to remove some of the pressure.
• Remove the bolts on the transmission member.
• Remove the actual cross member, but only when the transmission is being supported.
• Remove the engine plate to gain access to the actual transmission.
• Remove the torque connector fasteners and replace them with new ones.
• Remove the engine bolts that connect the transmission.
• Pull the transmission until it becomes free from the actual engine.
• After it is removed, you must also take out the torque converter.
• Line up the new transition correctly by using the guide pins.
• Reinstall the torque converter.
• Tighten the mounting bolts for the transmission to the engine.
• Lift up the transmission and reinstall the cross member.
• Tighten the cross member whilst checking the recommended torque.
• Tighten the transmission mount, and check it is now supported.
• Reconnect the exhaust and the various wires that were disconnected.

As you can see, it is quite a complicated job and that is just for an automatic. A manual car does follow a number of the same steps, but it involves gears and can be more complex and involves more work on your part.

However, it will still be possible to do no matter your make or model as you simply need to consult the relevant manual to make sure that you are doing everything correctly.

Finally, it is worth just reminding you that the specifics may alter slightly depending on your model and if you are unsure about what to do, then do not attempt it as the last thing that you want is to be stuck at the vital moment.

Changing the transmission is something that should only be attempted if you understand the basics of carrying out repairs or things could easily go wrong.

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All about Gear/Transmission

• Make Your Transmission Last Longer
• What are Automatic Gears?
• Best Prictice when Driving with Automatic Gear
• What is a Transmission?
• How to Change the Transmission

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