So spring is here and I decided to get a price on changing my transmission fluid. When I called the precision transmission, they suggested I flush the transmission.
The flush and fill with dexron 6 synthetic fluid and the cost is $438 for the service. I have a 2002 A4 with 86k for mileage and not that it matters 3.15 gears in the diff.

Is the price high and is it safe for the transmission to be flushed due to it's age. Currently the transmissions is working fine no issues at all.

or should I just save my money and make a mess at home and do a fluid exchange and install a new filter.

 

has it ever been flushed before? if not I would not let them power flush it. it will never be the same. I let someone talk me into it on a different vehicle with 60K on it. It took 4 months of daily driving for it to drive right for me. Just change the fluids and screens / filters

 

I vote for drain, change filter, and refill. If you dont have any drivability issues, I dont see why a flush is necessary.

 

 

The last thing you need is some untrained kid with high pressure equipment blasting through your transmission. Fluid and filter is all you need.

 

The main reason to do a flush is because if all you do is drain and fill, you're not replacing the additional fluid in the torque converter and that's a substantial amount of fluid that will only contaminate the new fluid you just put in.

 

I don't have any service history on the car other than the last owner replaced the oil presure sensor

 

All the more reason to do a flush. My 2000 that I bought with 44kmiles has had the coolant, brake, clutch and differential fluids all replaced. Now I at least know when this was done.....

 

I agree.

 

Too…

 

Actually thats a good reason NOT to flush. Keep some of the old fluid. Replace the filter. Only put a the necessary amount of new fluid to re-fill the pan. That is the ideal way for a trans with some mileage to be serviced. Bits of abrasive paper like materials circulate and yes they can lead to accumulated clogging for some of the small internal valve body filters and crud builds up in the valves and actuators (accumulators and other moving parts) But this crud is very difficult to remove without actually physically R&R the valve body and the clutches may benefit from some of the circulating abrasive clutch materials making a complete flush potentially cause transmission slippage given the adaption routines over time compensated for the present condition of the fluids and new fluid will be far from old fluid causing out of wack adaptions and in the time it takes to generate new adaptions could slip the trans a few times and thats now turned into a rebuild.

Its risky when a trans has very high mileage to swap fluids. The higher the mileage since last fluid filter service the more old fluid I would pour back in. Unless you can re-tune the transmission immediately for the new conditional using a trans pressure gauge and experience.

 

Any shooters here?

"Serviceably clean" is the phrase of the day. If you shoot often and maintain your equipment that means a lot of cleaning.

Lube it. Keep it happy. Don't go for their sales pitch or feel at all concerned about not doing the flush.

It will save you a lot of money to put towards a rebuild later when you add that A&A kit since it doesn't matter how often you flush fluids it is still a 4L60E.



From the T56 side of things. Man. You would not believe the horribl(y fun!) things I have done with that car supercharged and now NA again. I beat that thing so hard I sheared the bolts off the coupler. Not the coupler itself. The bolts. The BOLTS.

 

Last night I decided to buy a nice big tarp to put under the car and make the big mess, and spend my savings on a radar detector.
Thank you for all the responses.

 

Most places will tell you, a flush is pressirized and can dislodge small particles not currently causing a problem, but that could move into critical tiny passages causing blocks and operational problems. I've been told high mileage and unclear history of changes may suggest a drain and fill would be safe vs flush.

 

The only thing I can see flushing, would be the cooler. Lubeguard, ATP, and others make a pressurized can the just screws into the top port, and the old comes out the lower (open). It gets a little shellacked in there, reducing it's effectiveness, and easy enough to do at home.

 

I'm not familiar with home jobs only in a shop with professional equipment. Still what you described is pressure and pressure forcing through could move particles that could block up portals and cause shifting problems. Could is the operative word.

 

Smart! If you are concerned about leftover fluid being past its prime do a drain and refill next year. I'm not familiar with the C5 auto trans but if not previously installed now would be a good time to install a drain plug.

 

That's been my question since childhood... Should I? ... Well I have not and won't... I've a perfectly good operating A4 don't fix what ain't broke!

 

“Fix” is sometimes misused….

I prefer “upgrading”. Helps me rationalize draining my wallet.

 

My solution is to become capable of rebuilding the transmission yourself

This way you can do whatever you want and nothing can stop you and theres no down time, it only takes a day or two to build a trans

Then you know what parts go in it and how.
nothing quite like opening a brand new pack of Borg Warner clutches



knowing those bushing are replaced, straight, and loc-tite'd nicely



How deep is that case bushing? Did you remember to put it in backwards? Nice and straight?



How about all those crevaces and crevices, did somebody clean them properly? You blade bottle brush brake clean bandit?


Did someone use a torque wrench?


Tighten up that reaction carrier and rollerize the output shaft- somebody? Anybody?




Check End play or just slap it together?


If you want something done right- do it yourself.