Car owners need to change their transmission fluid at the intervals specified in their vehicle user manual. Do you need a fluid change or a transmission flush? The two terms aren’t interchangeable, and most auto repair services offer both. We’ll explain the difference.
Fluid Change
A fluid change is more generally known as a transmission service. Under this process, a mechanic replaces the filter and drains the pan. However, not all of the fluid drains out. Some still remain inside the cooler lines and torque converter. As such, the new replacement fluid mixes in with the old. A mix of new and old oil, though, is still better than running purely on the old fluid.
Nowadays, most auto services drain the fluid multiple times to remove as much of the old and contaminated fluid as possible.
Transmission Flush
In a transmission flush, a mechanic uses a pump inlet flush machine or a cooler line flush machine to remove ALL of the fluid. This way, no old oil remains to contaminate the new transmission oil.
While a flush is better than a fluid change, it won’t fix every problem. A flush alone will not correct common transmission symptoms, such as stalling and slipping. These are usually symptoms of more severe problems that require further inspections by a mechanic.
We recommend a transmission flush every 45,000-miles or three years. A reminder: you can select a flush in place of a fluid change but not the other way around.
We Perform Fluid Changes and Transmission Flushes
Bring your car to Premier Automotive Services. We’ll let you know if a simple fluid change will suffice or if a complete flush is in order. Both services are backed by our nationwide warranty. Both a fluid change and a transmission flush help maintain the health of your car.
Edited by Justin Vorhees
Transmission Services for all Car Make and Models
Serving Customers in Kent, SeaTac, Des Moines and Federal Way