Skyactiv Transmission Fluid Analysis Thread

[SparkYellow]

Thanks for posting. I am going to change the filter / drop pan in my 150k fluid change. I haven't been doing any analysis oil or otherwise for many years now, but am probably going to send one off for this transmission fluid drain fill + filter replacement / pan drop.

To be honest I am not too familiar with the figures on the report. I just focused on "it seems fine." My next report will show the difference after 3 rounds of D/F with old filter. Have you found the instructions for the pan drop and etc.? There are so many threads here but ruthnj and yrwei52 led the most thorough discussions.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

To be honest I am not too familiar with the figures on the report. I just focused on "it seems fine." My next report will show the difference after 3 rounds of D/F with old filter. Have you found the instructions for the pan drop and etc.? There are so many threads here but ruthnj and yrwei52 led the most thorough discussions.

Not specifically, but my understanding is that the pan is secured with RTV, so will need to use non-marring scraper to remove it from the pan and transmission surface. And then of course, just need to take care removing the pan itself once the bolts are off / loose so as to not damage the mating surfaces. Seems some debate on whether to re-use RTV when reattaching or get a gasket. I haven't decided which path to go down. I've never done this before so the RTV seems kind of intimidating to me if honest.

The filter itself is secured to the bottom of the transmission with two bolts. I plan to pick up replacement bolts for the pan incase the old ones are in rough shape or have too much dried on RTV in the threads.

And then as usual, measure the fluid that came out so you know how much to put back in. If you've never checked levels, it's usually undefiled from the factory. I made sure to add a little bit more when I did my first round of drain and fills so I know it is at the correct level now.

 

[SparkYellow]

Not specifically, but my understanding is that the pan is secured with RTV, so will need to use non-marring scraper to remove it from the pan and transmission surface. And then of course, just need to take care removing the pan itself once the bolts are off / loose so as to not damage the mating surfaces. Seems some debate on whether to re-use RTV when reattaching or get a gasket. I haven't decided which path to go down. I've never done this before so the RTV seems kind of intimidating to me if honest.

The filter itself is secured to the bottom of the transmission with two bolts. I plan to pick up replacement bolts for the pan incase the old ones are in rough shape or have too much dried on RTV in the threads.

And then as usual, measure the fluid that came out so you know how much to put back in. If you've never checked levels, it's usually undefiled from the factory. I made sure to add a little bit more when I did my first round of drain and fills so I know it is at the correct level now.

The Ravenol retailer sells a kit that includes RTV and a rubber gasket. If my research had been thorough, I would have ordered the kit for the job. I read in a different thread that the gasket may or may not be a good fit depending on the year of your car, but you can call their rep to confirm. Having both guarantees you that you can finish the job.

If you go with RTV, there is a pic posted by yrwei52 to show how thick the line should be. Again, I found that thread after the job. My line was thinner but adequate per the spec on the RTV packaging. It looks ridiculous so I didn't post the picture. What I should have done, is to play with the RTV for a few days before the job, just smear some on any flat metal surface and see how fast it hardens or how sticky it is. Also practice drawing a line and circles. Maybe slap some random bracket on to see how long it takes to form a strong bond.

And you know how we're supposed to make one continuous line of RTV on the pan and around bolt holes? It doesn't mean non-stop. Continuous so that every point of the surface is covered by RTV. I had to pause when my hand got tired and felt like a failure.

 

[RokkuAni]

Thanks for posting. I am going to change the filter / drop pan in my 150k fluid change. I haven't been doing any analysis oil or otherwise for many years now, but am probably going to send one off for this transmission fluid drain fill + filter replacement / pan drop.

Great, be nice to see how well fluids at. Since Mazda been using the sky active from 2014 to 2025