Confused on Transmission Service

[ShadowsPapa]

This road I’ve been down and my whole hearted suggestion is don’t do a flush. Just do a pan drop but have this done at the dealership.

Yeah. Can't argue against that.

I just plain can't see anything under 50,000, and would likely go out to 70,000 - DEPENDING on service/use.
If you get it hot, cut that down. If you constantly tow - cut that down. If you live where it's constantly "hunting", cut that down.
But I've been into automatics (pre-ZF) for decades and seriously, the fluid technology/chemistry and the tight controls inside these things, just plain can't see any reason at all for doing it with lower miles. I've gone 70K on old school THM 350s and never a problem as long as, again, it's not been hot, etc.

It's my daily driver and I don't tow. No issues, just came up as a regular service that they wanted to prepare me for within the next 2 oil changes. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting scammed by the dealer.

Then there's zero reasons to subscribe to the fear mongering, etc.

If you just drain and fill you only get about 60% of the fluid or something like that.

More than fine since people are scared and not even going 60 or 70K.
So what if half the fluid (which is still fine) is still in there. It's not shot or toast unless you've really over-heated it.

I've never before seen so many people really almost freaking out over the thought of driving a pickup over 50,000 miles without a transmission service.

You see a lot of "I change mine ever xx miles (35K for example) and have never had a problem - proof of nothing since you could have gone twice that long and never had a problem (again, assuming how it's used)
Most of us just don't need to worry.
If old-school Dexron, Type A and so on could go 60-70K then certainly this fluid can.
Lifetime - no, I don't buy into that.

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[JW Jeep]

Be careful with flushing. I have seen problems with that. I would just drop the pan and refill ? You are still alittle light on mileage though ?

 

[MrJeep]

More than fine since people are scared and not even going 60 or 70K.
So what if half the fluid (which is still fine) is still in there. It's not shot or toast unless you've really over-heated it.

Data point of 1 but the 100k mi LR4 fluid was absolutely SHOT at that mileage with no abnormal use, now the LR4 is a little heavier than the JT but no way I would go near 100k again.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

No need to flush if the fluid is not contaminated. Drain and refill is fine.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Data point of 1 but the 100k mi LR4 fluid was absolutely SHOT at that mileage with no abnormal use, now the LR4 is a little heavier than the JT but no way I would go near 100k again.

No, hope folks don't take me wrong - not advocating for going 100K even ideal driving - I'm still in the 70K or so (depending) much of the time. I have no hard and fast rule - it depends on the transmission, the use and more.
I did 50K on my 70 Chevy C20 - I towed a lot with it. Transmission was the best part of the truck when i traded it in at 100,000 miles (it literally rolled over as I entered the dealership lot to drop it off)

No need to flush if the fluid is not contaminated. Drain and refill is fine.

Bingo.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

They were talking about the drain and service. But they're saying I need to have it flushed to do the drain and service. Dealer says $1200 and a Jeep Mechanic that I trust says $700.

That is crazy… the fluid isn’t cheap….
Service kit is between $200-$250… and this really isn’t a difficult diy. Jscan isn’t an overly fancy tool and this would be a good excuse to pick one up…. Driveway job tops 2 hours- and that’s with beverages…. I truly would not rank this much higher than the transfer case or differential fluid swap… outside of reading temperatures.

I haven’t read of a non upsale need to flush a trans in a long time. Dump and fill… pressurized flushing I thought went away years ago.

^^^ I say this and there are a lot of folks that have more money than they do time. <- will never be a me problem… ???

 

[Mr._Bill]

They legally cannot deny warranty claims for a vehicle being serviced according to procedures. The burden is on them to prove it is the cause of the failure. That won't stop them in some cases but this is not common and it's a line dealers use to scare people. Any competent shop is more than capable of servicing them.

Also, "normal" is not normal. Most people fall under severe and normal is the minimum required for warranty support - not longevity. Do your oil every 5k and drain+fill the rest every 30k if you want long life. Generally avoid flushing the transmission unless there is a specific reason to do so.

That's the key, according to listed Service Requirements. Jeep says it does not need serviced. If you even open the fill port, that gives them the ability to deny warranty claims. The dealer is an authorized service provider, so they are allowed to service them, as long as they follow the Jeep service procedures.

 

[TheRealStreetcommander]

You guys could be right. You could win the lottery too. I have gone 200k miles on a lots of Mopar transmissions and never been in them. I’m talking about the Dodge mega-meme models too like the 4xTE, xxRFEs and a 68RFE behind a Cummins. I have ALWAYs viscuously abused them while everyone parroted that my transmission’s days are numbered. Magically, they never broke.

Did I win the lottery all those times? Maybe. Or, did clean fluid help preserve them?

I don’t play the lottery. I never win.

 

[ZoMojave]

They were talking about the drain and service. But they're saying I need to have it flushed to do the drain and service. Dealer says $1200 and a Jeep Mechanic that I trust says $700.

Wow.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Not sure how "most people fall under severe" use.

 

[Jefe1018]

They were talking about the drain and service. But they're saying I need to have it flushed to do the drain and service. Dealer says $1200 and a Jeep Mechanic that I trust says $700.

No way in hell you should ever cough up $1,200 a transmission fluid change. That's the most asinine thing I've heard in a long time. You can buy a kit that that includes a new reusable performance pan with all gaskets and fluid for under $700. They're going to charge you $500 (plus their markup on the pan and fluid) for a service that takes maybe, if it is your first time and you are slow, 2 hours?

I worked for software company that helped dealerships sell their services in the service department. We would call the customers who tried to upsell every flush out there the "Royal Flushers" because they would gamble that if the customer bit on any of their fear mongering they would win the flush, ie nearly 100% profit on an un-needed service.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

No way in hell you should ever cough up $1,200 a transmission fluid change. That's the most asinine thing I've heard in a long time. You can buy a kit that that includes a new reusable performance pan with all gaskets and fluid for under $700. They're going to charge you $500 (plus their markup on the pan and fluid) for a service that takes maybe, if it is your first time and you are slow, 2 hours?

I worked for software company that helped dealerships sell their services in the service department. We would call the customers who tried to upsell every flush out there the "Royal Flushers" because they would gamble that if the customer bit on any of their fear mongering they would win the flush, ie nearly 100% profit on an un-needed service.

While I agree - the dealer price is what it is - at least around here - because they charge almost 200/hour.
So say it's more like 180/hour and they charge some flat rate of 2 hours.
There's $360 labor.
Their price for fluid and so on........ yeah, it gets up there.
Would I ever pay that amount? No - even if for some reason I wasn't able to do it myself (and these days with even weirder health stuff going on, my working days are getting numbered) - but it's not something a real transmission shop can't do cheaper.

A flush? No way - never. I'd not do a flush or pay to have one done. I'm on the just say no to flush school.
Not necessary, more expensive and there's a small amount of risk.

And as many have said over and over already - at his miles? A flush? No. Even a change, that's early, IMO.

 

[Rusty PW]

$1,200 for a flush and fluid change. The dealer is really saying, bend over and grab your ankles, cause we are going in dry. You can bit the pillow if you want too.

New fluid and filter is all you need. Seen and read too many times of when a flush is done. Shortly after the transmission has failed. When they do a flush. The fluid is pushed backwards through the transmission. Little bits of whatever get stuck at the check valve balls in the valve body.

 

[LostWoods]

Not sure how "most people fall under severe" use.

Trips under 10 miles in cold winters, stop and go traffic, towing regularly, mountain roads, dirty/dusty conditions, and hot summers all specify using the severe maintenance schedule. The commuting and climate ones alone cover most drivers and given these are Jeep pickups I sincerely hope a couple others apply as well.

That's the key, according to listed Service Requirements. Jeep says it does not need serviced. If you even open the fill port, that gives them the ability to deny warranty claims. The dealer is an authorized service provider, so they are allowed to service them, as long as they follow the Jeep service procedures.

No... Just no. That's not how that works at all and whoever told you is a liar. "Jeep Authorized" just means they're paying for a factory scan tool and there is no other certification. I worked at such a shop and it was part of the purchase agreement for the DRB-III and starscan.

Anyone, including yourself, can service the transmission under warranty. There's literally a law saying as much.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Trips under 10 miles in cold winters, stop and go traffic, towing regularly, mountain roads, dirty/dusty conditions, and hot summers all specify using the severe maintenance schedule. The commuting and climate ones alone cover most drivers and given these are Jeep pickups I sincerely hope a couple others apply as well.

That's mostly engine maintenance. You don't have the same issues with the transmission on shorter drives. Beings they are all but sealed, dusty dirty conditions won't apply.

Transmissions have a totally different working environment. They aren't exposed to combustion process byproducts and so on.
Hot summers, unless extremes, don't matter as long as the transmission operating temperature is within limits.
Towing matters - but that depends on the towing and the load put on things. High torque loads, constant shifting, heat - those matter with a transmission. Not really the other stuff.
You mention a lot of things that "most" Jeep owners won't be putting these through.
And the rock-crawling lifted machines here are not indicative of a typical owner - it's the forum population, but not general population.

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