there comes a time to do service. so i ask what is required to change oil automatic (2004)transmission? what is the preferred replacement oil? synthic? how /where to check the oil level? any info is appreciated
thanks

 

Jack up the car just as you would to change to oil and filter (make level as possible) there is a plug on the side of the pan Remove this plug and the oil level should be just coming out or very near to the bottom of the hole. To change place large pan under trans pan and start removing the bolts leaving a few to hold the pan. Oil will start coming out all around.
Finish removing the pan when the driping stops or slows down. Dump the pan and wipe it out. replace the filter and put a new gasket on the pan and reinstall. Get your trans oil (about 4 1/2 quarts) I used Amsoil, under the car with a air hose and a smaller hose (3/8" clear plastic should do) put the smaller hose through the plug hole and into a quart of trans fluid slowly use your air hose to pressurize the trans oil bottle to force the oin up inside the pan. Hold the air pressure to about 10 psi and just bleed it in using a rag to help hold pressure and also the keep from over pressuring. Continue with this process until oil starts to run out of the hole. install the plug and fire the engine, run the gears and shut it off. Pull the plug and top off is required. I do this about every 2 years, or 60,000 miles. job is realy quite simple.

 

Amsoil type/grade?? in your procedure when draining does it also drain the torque converter?..:o

 

No, the only way to get the fluid out of the converter is to have the transmission flushed.
I do all of my own work except replacing transmission fluid and installing windshields and the only reason is I don't have the tools to do the jobs properly (plus windshields are a PIA).

 

 

Believe GM states you need to check the A4 transmission fluid level, when warm, and with engine running and transmission in Park position. If you check it with the engine not running, you may run the risk of not having enough fluid in the transmission.

 

Actually, I thought it was too much in the pan. With the engine running its pumping fluid through the cooler and torque converter. With the engine off the cooler, at least, will drian back to the pan. Same if its too cool, its not pumping to the cooler. But, the temp is fairly low like 130.

Its best to have someone with the tools do it. They can pump out the old and put some new in. Any Dextron VI will be good. Its should be pretty inexpensive to do, except for the new trans fluid

 

Both of the below AMSOIL transmission fluids are suitable for the Dexron III requirement of your car. The ATF also is suitable for the Dexron VI specification for the C6 automatic.

AMSOIL ATF (stock code ATFQT)
AMSOIL Torque-Drive Synthetic Transmission Fluid (stock code ATD)

 

Lengthy Explaination

Changing ATF in a C5 is no more difficult that it's been in Corvettes of the past. Support the car safely, place a drain pan under the transmission and remove the fill plug. With the engine not running, the trans pump is not circulating fluid so there will be significant drainage out the fill plug hole. Once that stops, support the trans pan and remove its bolts. Carefully remove the pan and drain the remaining ATF. You may need to tap the pan with a soft hammer to break it loose.

Once the pan is off, carefully inspect its bottom. There may be a silver or gray residue there. A tiny bit of residue is normal, however, a significant amount means the transmission has a problem.

If there is no residue or a just tiny bit, set the pan aside. Note the position of the filter to aid in installing the new unit. Then, remove it by gripping it firmly and pulling down while twisting a bit. Discard both filter and filter seal. If the seal is stuck up in the valve body, pliers will usually pull it out. Remove all traces of the old gasket from the transmission case and pan. Because of the threat of gasket and abrasive particles getting into the transmission, do not use a grinder/sander to remove gasket material from the transmission case. That you will have to do with a scraper.

Obtain an ACDelco trans filter kit (p/n TF306). Install its new filter seal in the valve body then push the new filter in place. Clean out the trans pan and look closely at its bolt washers. Their flat sides go towards the pan. If they are reversed, get new bolts. If they are not reversed, reuse the bolts. Apply the new gasket to the pan. Install the pan and torque the bolts to 8 ft/lbs.

Add fluid until it leaks out, then install the fill plug. Perform the fluid check procedure(below) if necessary, add more fluid. Since 1994, the factory-fill fluid in Corvette automatics has been an organic-based ATF meeting the Dexron III specification. A suitable performance upgrade would be a switch to or Red Line Oil's D4 Synthetic ATF, Amsoil or Mobil 1 synthetic fluid.

If you are going to check the trans with the car on stands, make sure it is high enough for you to safely move and work while the exhaust system is at operating temperature. Start the engine and, using the "gauges" button on the driver information center (DIC), put transmission temperature on the IPC display. Run the engine until the trans temp is between 86o and 122oF. Apply the brakes and shift into each gear for a few seconds, then shift back to park.

Set the parking brake, leave the engine running and crawl under the car. Position a drain pan under the fill plug area and remove the plug. If fluid dribbles out or is right at the bottom of the fill hole, your transmission is full. If fluid leaks profusely, it was overfull and you should allow the excess ATF to drain into the pan. If no fluid comes out you will need to add more.

If you need more fluid, add enough to bring the level up even with the bottom of the fill plug hole, replace the transmission fluid fill plug and shut off the engine. Your fluid check is complete.

Good Luck

 

Thanks for the instructions. My 02 has 71k on the clock and the tranny has been doing some strange stuff lately. Like, if backing out of a parking spot then shifting into drive, it takes a few seconds to shift, and when I give it some gas it seems to slip and pop into gear. Or if I am sitting at a stop light waiting for it to change, sometimes when its time to go I hit the gas and it seems to slip a little before engaging.

It never does these things when the car is cold, only after I have been driving for a while. Do you think a tranny fluid/filter swap will help these things, or is it getting close for trip to RPM transmissions?

I called the dealership for a quote on the charge to flush the tranny fluid. He said "on that car we do not flush the transmission, we just change the fluid." I asked about a new filter, and he said "if it needs it" -- why would it not need a filter? At a cost of $139.99. I was planning on doing it myself anyways.

 

Not sure what would be causing those symptoms. Have you ever had the trans fluid temp over 230 degrees? Check your fluid level as described above before dropping the pan and look for the gray metal material in the pan sticking to the magnet near the filler hole. Too much metal material is not good.



If you go to the trouble of pulling the pan off of the transmission, it only makes sense to replace the filter. You don't change your engine oil without changing the oil filter. (I don't understand the dealership's reasoning) After that many miles it only makes sense to change the filter.
Corvette is said to have a 100,000 mile, ATF and filter change interval, however, there is an exception to that, noted in the Service Manual. If your C5 is: regularly operated in heavy traffic when the ambient temperature is above 90oF (temperature near the road surface on just a warm day may reach that), operated in hilly or mountainous areas or operated in a high-performance duty cycle, the fluid/filter change interval drops to 50,000 miles. Seems that the "normal" duty cycles of many C5s precludes the 100,000 mile change interval.

 

Temp levels are usually under 200 (cooler weather 150-175, warmer weather 175-195) only in stop n go traffic do I get around 200-210 .. I dont think I have ever seen above 210. I went to the local chevy dealer today and bought the filter kit, p/n 24208574, going to change the filter and fill it up with Mobil 1 .. Since I am not flushing, will having old GM fluid and new M1 fluid be OK together?