I am a total DIY guy, why pay a dealer several hundred bucks and wait for 4 hours for a couple of hours work.

1. You need to put the car up on solid jack stands. I removed the left rear tire for better access.
Removing the bottom panel is not hard, just a lot of bolts, 39 total. A battery impact tool is essential. If you just have a ratchet, add an extra hour or two to remove, and to replace the panel.
To make it more confusing there are several bolts 7mm hex, several 10mm hex, several 13mm hex, and the rest are the low profile external torx. You need the right socket for those torx.
The socket keeps slipping off the torx. I replaced all of the low pro torx with 13 mm hex bolts to make life easy.


The trans filter is on the drivers side of the motor. Four little bolts, again external torx. Requires an E8 external torx socket.


With the bolts out you can remove the bottom cover. It has an O ring around the outside so it does not just fall out. I had a steel punch that was the same size as the holes. With that punch in a hole, I rotated the cover left and right while pulling down.
SPLASH: when the cover come off it dumps 3-4 ounces of oil. The GM filter comes with a new O-ring. I would not buy anything other than a GM filter.


Now you can see the filter. It has an o-ring up high on the outside, so it does not just fall out. I put a flat screwdriver into one of the curved slots, and after a few twists it dropped out. There is a small O-ring way up inside, I did not change that, too difficult, not important IMO.


My first filter was changed early so this is my second trans filter. This one only has 2200 miles on it, but it is black. So I am glad I changed it. Trans fluid looks clean so the filter must be doing a good job.
I only drive 3-4K per year fun miles. I am thinking that I will change the trans filter every year when I change the engine oil. A few hours work, and a hundred dollar filter: peace of mind; Priceless.

 

Great write-up.
What bolts, PN, did you use to replace he Torx?
I wish I could get a picture of where you placed your jack-stands!!

 

DYI Guy...Nice writeup...Being you like to do things yourself..how do or did you handle the 7500 mile service? That's a nice picture tutorial for everyone...

 

Nice! Since your a DIYer why not put in the famous V Vette access panel?



This is my version 2 that I like better than the $55.00 metal door. Why? Because it's only $10.00 (LOL) AND the panel comes out completely and this is 6"x9". The metal hinged doors get in the way one way or another and is smaller in size!

 

Anyone replace the 4 bolts on the filter housing? If so please advise type/size. Thanks

 

Hey Ron, Jack up one side at a time is the safe way to do it. Put the floor jack in the location shown and front and back will raise level. You still have room for the jack stands.
That's how everyone jacks up race cars at the track.

 

We bought the car new and drove 4000 miles from east coast to west in 10 days. I changed the engine oil after that trip.
I took the car to the dealer at 6800 for the free engine oil and filter and trans filter.

GM recommends changing the trans filter again before 8000.
Changing the filter again after 1200 miles did not make much sense so now I have 8800 = 2000 on the filter and am planning a 600 mile trip next weekend.
So time for a filter change if that makes sense.

V Vette: The GM filter comes with two o-rings and 4 new bolts that have Loctite.

I did not want to cut up the panel. That panel is highly stressed. It is an important part of the chassis structure and adds a lot of strength.
I have been thru too many engineering meetings between design engineering and stress analysis guys where they argue about the need for strength.

Will you ever notice any difference; I doubt it.

 

That's right! GM requires the filter to be changed between 7000-8000 miles, even if done earlier "If the canister filter is replaced more than 800 km (500 mi) prior to the initial 12 000 km (7,500 mi) break-in period, the filter still needs to be replaced again within 800 km (500 mi) +/- the 12 000 km (7,500 mi) service interval," and even sent a letter to nearly all owner's reiterating this requirement. Notice the reference to a 7,500 mile break-in period. This implies that there is still additional break--in debris being shed up to at least 7,500 miles, which I think is the reason for this requirement.

I agree that if changed at 6800 it does not appear to make technical sense that the filter would be at capacity again in 1200 miles, even though there probably is additional break-in debris being shed in that period. But from a warranty perspective, the case I would worry about myself is if I got to 9400 miles (for example), had a transmission failure, and I did not change the filter between 7000-8000 miles. If GM denied a warranty claim, one could challenge it and might prevail, but I prefer to avoid that. There has never (as far as I know) an instance of that reported on the forum.

 

C5racecar: Thanks for picts/write up many people here have been changing DCT filter/fluid for many years now.

My question was not does it come with (as I have replaced filter several times) but can the shitty bolts be replaced with stronger -common bolts?

Also, this topic was discussed over a year ago on cutting panel when I first did thisl. UNLESS you are racing or tracking it is not an issue. Many have done this since introduction and no concerns-Im sure I would hear it lol

 

I'm figuring you know the size (manual lists them as M5x0.8x20), so your question is can you use a different bolt of that size and what material and strength should be used.
I don't know. But I looked up available fasteners in that size on McMaster Carr here:
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/bo...-1/?s=m5+bolts

There's lots of options.

If you replaced with aftermarket, would you use a thread locker, and if so, what?

The three concerns, that I think you already know, would be compatibility of the material with the alloy in the filter housing, the potential to damage the housing threads with a stronger bolt instead of the bolt breaking and removal of the bolt if the thead locker used is too strong. The housing is separately replaceable component, as you know.

There may be one other consideration. The manual describes them in these exact words..."All fasteners/components listed in this table MUST BE DISCARDED and replaced with NEW after removal." Now, I have seen arguments that the procedure itself says to discard them as a matter of convenience, because its more expeditious to discard them and use new bolts already pretreated with proper thread locker, rather than clean them and apply new thread locker, and not because they are designed to "stretch" in use. But I'm not so sure. The table is pretty clear about the "single use terms" - the techs are not making that up.

 

Thanks Andy, good information I should re think this... Appreciate the help.. v

 

I thought this video from paragon re: DIY transmission fluid/filter change might help everyone. It shows the entire process to drain & refil transmission/filter. It's worth a look. It's what I followed to change mine. I used a transfer pump for the new fluid.

 

I like the video...the illustrations are superb.

It seems to skip (or not mention) the Hydraulic System Flush (which is part of the procedure but many DIYers choose to skip citing Josh Holders statement that you can), and also skips the Transmission Fluid Level Check and top off for the fluid lost when the filter is removed (about 6 oz and in my opinion should be done unless you use one of the overfill methods that some forum members choose), and the Hydraulic System Leak test. No-one seems to know that leak test does. Its executed with a scan tool and seems to test something internal to the transmission. I think until that test fails we are not going to know that it does. All three of these are part of the procedure that a dealer tech is supposed to follow.

 

Agreed....the real key to the DCT service is rhe flush procedure. The first step is to run the flush, THEN change filter to remove the particles. I think key if you have a trans failure under warranty, will be to prove the flush procedure was run, or the savings to do it yourself may be lost on a $22k trans replacement!

 

NOPE this is false information.

 

It IS the first step and runs about 45 min. Clutch crud collects in the valves, thus causing trans failure. The filter age or miles isnt the issue, it is keeping the valves cleaned out and collecting the crud. I guess my friend, a GM Corvette certified technician for years, is wrong. Believe those trained or a forum buddy.....lol....your choice.

 

Which scan tool is purchased to do all steps correctly?

 

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Everybody is an expert. Did you read the treads completely? (probably not).. Please see tread #13 OR have your friend call Josh. Let me know what he says. Thanks