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Need To Have My Transmission Fluid Changed

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Ben_Hecht, Jun 26, 2009.

  1. Unibomber

    Unibomber Member

    Those kind will rip you off, too, if you aren't careful!
     
  2. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    Kind of funny that with all this talk of trannys (trannies?), the ad at the top of the pafge is for an Eddie Murphy movie.
     
  3. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    Actually, many new cars suggest never changing it, and some don't even allow you to check the fluid. Which is unfortunate, because it's something that should be checked and changed at regular intervals. There's no such thing as a lifetime fluid, especially if you expect your car to last a long time.
     
  4. Sleeper

    Sleeper Member

    Interesting. I've been out of that business for a long time -- and now have a journalist's salary -- so I don't know squat about new cars. I wonder what the manufacturers' rationale is for not changing it?
     
  5. SoCalScribe

    SoCalScribe Member

    I personally follow manufacturer guidelines when it comes to fluids, but that's just me. As far as transmission fluid goes, as long as you don't run dry, most car owners will be fine.

    Most quick-lube places can and will lie to you to get you to spend more money...stand in view of your vehicle the entire time to see what they are doing and if they tell you your air filter/XYZ fluid is dirty, nicely ask to see evidence thereof. They're not always wrong when they say you need a new filter or fluid, but if they're are wrong, they'll often lie in hopes of selling you one anyway.

    The simplest advice I can give about auto maintenance: stand around. Make sure you watch everything they're doing, even if they try to shoo you away. The dishonest ones will be pissed, but they'll let you watch before they tell you to take your business and leave. I know people who owned nice, new luxury cars that thought they were getting service done regularly only to find out years later that they were being charged for services never, ever performed.

    Another fun tactic is to go to the best mechanic in town and insist upon bringing your own parts from the pick-a-part. It's always a lot of fun to watch their reactions when they realize they can't charge you $130 and make you wait a week for a $10 part.
     
  6. Beef03

    Beef03 Active Member

    I always figured at the cost of a new transmission, I have no qualms with spending the money to get my transmission fluid changed when recommended by the owner's manual, anything to put off getting a new one. Getting proper maintenance done on your car is never a bad thing, and of course always be on the lookout for those trying to hose you.
     
  7. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    Depends on the manufacturer. BMW, for instance, drastically changed recommended service intervals when they started offering free maintenance (geez, wonder why). For others, it's probably a perceived cost-of-ownership issue -- makes it seem like you never have to do any maintenance, along the lines of 100,000-mile spark plugs.
     
  8. dooley_womack1

    dooley_womack1 Well-Known Member

    Is this thread title a euphemism, Ben?
     
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