Transmission fluid change without filter replacement
- Thread starter LRopka
- Start date
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
Mazda recommends nothing. I personally would do drain-and-fill at 50K ~ 60K miles. May consider to drop the pan with filter cartridge replacement.
- :
- 2014 CX-5 Touring
Unless you're having shifting problems I don't really see a reason to do it before 100K miles. No matter when you do it, the first time will always show high levels of metals in the fluid during a UOA, and there will be lots of metal shavings on the magnet, but most of that is from the initial break-in when the gearbox was brand new.
I've tossed around the idea of using a syringe to pull a sample of fluid out of the dipstick hole, maybe a couple weeks after my 3rd drain and refill, just to see the difference in amount of metal shavings in the fluid, out of curiosity.
I've tossed around the idea of using a syringe to pull a sample of fluid out of the dipstick hole, maybe a couple weeks after my 3rd drain and refill, just to see the difference in amount of metal shavings in the fluid, out of curiosity.
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
Where in the US you can do that without getting speeding tickets?
area51Where in the US you can do that without getting speeding tickets?
- :
- 2016.5 CX-5 GT AWD titanium/black 2016 Miata Club ST MT white
You'll only get a ticket if you get caught.Where in the US you can do that without getting speeding tickets?
So, I realize this is a DIY thread, but is there any reason not to have a trusted shop do the transmission fluid every 50k or so? They can get all of it replaced including the converter. I know it will cost more and use more ATF, but in my situation it would be very difficult to do this job, so that’s what I’m thinking.
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
In Texas Interstates, especially on I-45 and I-35, you WILL get a speeding ticket by doing 100 mph for 15 ~ 20 minutes, especially doing it once or twice a week ⋯
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
Yes, you can have a trusted shop to do the ATF drain-and-fill for you. I believe the reason why we prefer DIY on this job is because there’re too many variables involved and it’s hard to verify the work after the job. For example, many shops will tell you you should do ATF flush which can replace entire fluid including those (more than half) in torque converter and valve body. In reality on SkyActiv-Drive automatic transmission there’s no ATF lines coming out to an external ATF cooler. The commercial ATF exchanger usually has to rely on these 2 ATF lines to intercept old fluid and feed the fresh ATF back into the transmission with engine running. This means there’s no way to do a flush replacing entire ATF unless those shops have hard-to-find special adapter to do the flush for our transmission. One way to prevent this is you buy your own Mazda OEM FZ ATF and take it to the shop, and ask them to leave all empty bottles in your trunk making sure they use the correct ATF with proper amount. If the shop says they need 4~5 quarts, they’re doing only drain-an-fill as the entire ATF capacity is 8.2 / 8.5 quarts.
The measurement of ATF level is tricky too. It has to be at the center mark of the dipstick at 122°F on fluid temperature. I doubt most indies would know this but the Mazda dealers do. And not like engine oil level, it’s hard for you to verify correct ATF level by yourself.
Lastly, if you ask Mazda dealer to do this, some dealers would insist Mazda’s recommendation and refuse to do the ATF drain-and-fill for you.
- :
- 2014 CX-5 Touring
Only way I would trust a shop to do it is if they specifically had prior experience with this gearbox, and could demonstrate the knowledge of the quirks (and features ) associated with it.
) associated with it.I don’t see why. a) it’s just a tad over the 1/2 way mark on the speedometer, and b) most of the wear on the transmission is during shifting. I’d have to think that for your prolonged 15 minutes at 100+ mph, you’d be in the highest gear the whole time. Just lubricated gears doing their thing.
Good points. I used to do two or three drain and fills on my Subarus, like what I'm reading here. I do trust this particular shop a lot, but I didn't realize they wouldn't be able to use their machine. So essentially, they would have to do the same thing as far as doing 2 or three drain and fills anyway. Do I have that right? One of the things I still don't understand about this is how to tell that you fluid is actually at 122 degrees exactly. Is it at least 122, or exactly 122. Just seems pretty fiddly. I'll have to read the how to thread, then if I have questions I'll ask. My car is only at 30k right now anyway.
They are fine with using the ATF I provide though. I used to bring in what I wanted for my BMW and they would use that.
Right. That’s because it’s “lifetime” fluid. But most people, especially those like me that want to put 2 to 3 hundred K on a car, want to change it often enough to keep the transmission healthy.
- :
- 2014 CX-5 Touring
You use a bluetooth or wifi OBD2 device that plugs into your car, and you monitor the ATF temp on your phone. I had mine plugged in with the engine idling, and had my phone on the front ledge of the car, watching the temp come up. When it got to 122 I pulled the dipstick out to check the fluid level.
- :
- 2014 CX-5 Touring
because the manual is geared towards people who buy the car new and most likely won't keep it past 100K miles.
