Hey Auto Techs!!

[Yammer Dan]

2010 Pontiac has 98k. Never had Transmission fluid changed and you can't find very little info to do it. I have seen it is a NEVER change item?? Is it just drop pan, change filter and refill?? Stealer wants 250+ bucks!! I ain't going there. My book don't even show how much fluid!! Site for Pontiacs??

[Oldseadog]

Hi Yammer,

 

Not sure which Pontiac you have, This is the form site I found:

 

http://www.g6ownersclub.com/forum/13-general-maintenance/17146-want-change-transmission-oil.html

 

Bill

[snyper316]

2010 Pontiac has 98k. Never had Transmission fluid changed and you can't find very little info to do it. I have seen it is a NEVER change item?? Is it just drop pan, change filter and refill?? Stealer wants 250+ bucks!! I ain't going there. My book don't even show how much fluid!! Site for Pontiacs??

 

Is this the 3400? I believe it is those tranis in those are a Stealer only maintenance, if you do figure it out let me know so I can tell a friend to stop taking his to the stealer but according to them it needs done 100,000 miles but mind you his is 2006.

[BlueSky]

I drop the pan and clean it and install a new filter every 20k miles for my 2002 F150. That only replaces about 4 qts out of about 14.

 

You can disconnect the return line to the transmission from the cooler and let the transmission pump a few qts out and refill and repeat until all the old oil is out plus a little extra. Might be best if you want to do it that way to drop the pan first and start with clean oil in the clean pan. I think the shops don't remove the pan and just feed and bleed until the oil has been exchanged.

 

My Dodge Magnum didn't come with a dipstick but it did have the tube for one. I bought a dipstick from B&M. But that particular transmission is a Mercedes transmission and is very temperature sensitive when checking the fluid. You are supposed to measure the fluid temp to get a correct reading. I haven't changed it yet because it was changed at the dealer at 58k miles when the trans started leaking at the electrical connection on the side of the trans and the repair was covered under the 70k drive train warranty. Every 60k miles is my guideline if I exchange all of it. And I only have 108k on the car now.

[cowpuc]

Personally I cant stand automatics. I find them boring, problematic (I am sure this is because they dont like me either), above my pay grade and hard to understand to repair compared to manual shifts, worthless when out playing on gravel roads or sand dunes and no where near as user friendly or fun in the snow or on the icey roads of Michigan.

That said though, because Tippy and one of my daughters refused to drive stick shifts = our family cars have always had to have been auto's so when we went car shopping back in 07 and came home with a 25k 05 KIA Spectra it is no surprise that one of its special features was an automatic tranny..

While thumbing thru it's little owners manual that I found in it I noticed it specked every 30k for a ATF change.. Seems how I already knew everything there was to know about taking care of cars at the time, that was the last time I read that portion of the manual until the little gutless car got to 85k miles and decided it was going to change it's shifting habits. I pictured it's reluctance to shift at it's normal intervals and it's growing tendency to shift hard with it did shift as being contributable to some hydraulic spools (I have done a fair amount of maintenance repair/upkeep on hydraulic presses that use "spools" to control fluid flow) somewhere in there snagging up because of dirty fluid or something along that line.. About this time I remembered the owners manual and was pretty sure I was late on a required ATF change = oooppss.. I figured the little car at least deserved an ATF swap before it got towed into the local steel recycling joint just to be fair to it. Besides,, I was interested to know whether or not a fluid swap would help.

Something I noticed thru the years of my experience with automatics was/is that none of the ones I have had experience with had fluid drain plugs or spin on filters (still dont understand that less than admirable design) and our little KIA appeared no different when I slipped under it (I could actually bend over back then) and checked it out.. As I was asking myself how I was gonna get the fluid out to put the new fluid in I noticed the little tranny cooler lines coming from the radiator and thought,,, I wonder?? After removing a line and sticking it into a bucket I started the car and it started squirting fluid into the bucket = pumps,, gotta love em!! I let the car run till figured the bucket had about 3 quarts in it, hooked the line back up, topped the tranny off with fresh fluid, started the car, dropped her into gear to make sure things were still cool and then redid the same process.. I kept going thru this excersize until the color of the fluid in the bucket was the same color and cleanliness as the new stuff I was topping off the tranny with = I went thru 2, 2 gallon containers of tranny fluid I believe - those may have been 1 gallon containers but it seems like they were 2 gallon jugs. At any rate - they werent that expensive compared to what I was gonna spend in finding another car.

As crazy as this may sound,, Tip and I went out for an afternoon ride in our KIA to see if it's tranny's attitude had changed and WOWZY - did it ever!! I swear I could "feel" those imaginary or non-imaginary spools freeing up and by the time we had taken three laps around my personal private race track (after season State Park camp ground) the little KIA's automatic tranny was shifting like a new one!!

The End

 

P.S. = this little episode did have an influence a deeper understanding and appreciation for the little KIA and, while I was rereading it's little owners manual I also noticed the column concerning cam belt swapping.. I found out that the little fella's motor is an "interference motor" and was sure to end up in the scrape pile if that little rubber band used to spin the cam let go so I decided to swap in a new one of those too.. It ended up with a new water pump, idler gear ect. at the time and I now have a hunch that all of that has contributed to it still being used by us at this time (KNOCK ON WOOD)..

[djh3]

Yammer Send me an email with the specifics. Year make model engine and trans type if you know. I have access to the data you need at school. If I can copy the info I'll send you info. PM would work too but I'll probably get the email quicker.

[SpencerPJ]

Is it at the correct level now? If yes, get the filter and gasket, carefully drain pan, measure amount that came out, put same amount back in, and should be good. If you find that it takes X quarts, don't assume X quarts will come out, and you really don't want to overfill it.

[Yammer Dan]

Drain measure & refill seems to be plan now. The thing lists four different transmissions and 2 engines ( 2 different 4 cylinders) but can't find ID for them. I know it is a 4 banger with Automatic!!!

[BlueSky]

There has to be a way to check the fluid level. How would the dealer check it? There has to be a fill point. The dealer probably checks the level from that opening. google knows all.

[Yammer Dan]

It has a plug in the top of the Bell housing where I guess you are supposed to fill it. But how full I'm still looking. Can't see fluid when sitting and not running.

[baylensman]

I believe there is a fill port on the top of the converter housing. at the far end from there is a plug to pull and check fluid level. Its like the old 4 cycle lawn mowers fluid should be visible after plug is pulled. No dip stick.

[Yammer Dan]

Found the Fill Port. I'll take another look in the morning.

[RDawson]

I know some of the Chevrolets are checked like a stick. You have to get them warmed up and pull a plug from the side, fill until some runs out. My daughter had a Cobalt like that. Good way to burn your hands. Yes I found that the hard way.

[mm482]

This is for a chevy, but I think the G6 will be about the same.

 

http://www.allreadable.com/40684sjz

 

The car has to be level and the engine running to check the fluid.

Earl

[mm482]

A good parts store can identify the type of transmission you have by the shape of the pan and number of bolts that hold it on.

 

Earl

[BlueSky]

The sticker in the door jam should have a code that identifies the transmission I think.

[Air Ready Auto]

Ok so 18 years of auto wrenching here. Almost all newer cars/trucks are designed so that your average Joe can't do anything with the tranny. If there is no stick to check the fluid level than it is a dealership operation only. Trust me, trying to do it yourself will cause more harm than good. The only way to get all the old fluid out on these new sealed transmissions is to crack the housing and flush from the top with a pressure system similar to a radiator flush. My shop won't even touch these new ones because there is too much that can go wrong. There is a pressure band in there that can slip/not seed properly without the proper tooling. It sucks but the dealership is the best way to go. At least it should come with some kind of workmanship warranty that way. Good luck.

[Yammer Dan]

Doc visit. Took day off! Need to get this thing done. Bugs me to let it go over which it hasn't yet. Gets treated gently and has 98k. Rough use recommended 50k. Easy use 100k. But I would have done the 50k if it wasn't so cornfusing!!!! Feeling guilty.

[N3FOL]

2010 Pontiac has 98k. Never had Transmission fluid changed and you can't find very little info to do it. I have seen it is a NEVER change item?? Is it just drop pan, change filter and refill?? Stealer wants 250+ bucks!! I ain't going there. My book don't even show how much fluid!! Site for Pontiacs??

 

Hello Yammer Dan. I find 'You Tube' a very good source of information.