Re: Is flushing your transmission a good thing?
Everyone knows that it in order to keep a car warranty valid (whether it is the original bumper-to-bumper or extended warranty), you need to perform certain minimal maintenance jobs listed in the service schedule booklet, like changing the engine oil every 3,000 miles and so forth. But the key word here is MINIMAL. I guess if you are only leasing the car or if you only plan to hold on to the car for 5 years or so, then yeah. The minimal maintenance will probably be good enough.
But if you plan to hold on to the car for the long term (5 years, 10 years or even longer), you should do more than the *minimal* maintenance, wherever possible and practical.
I'll give you an example. I have a couple of Ford vehicles currently: a 2006 Mustang GT and a '94 Mercury Cougar XR7, both with a 4.6L V8. In the owner's manual for both cars, they recommend using 87 octane unleaded gas. That's the minimal octane that is needed for those cars to operate properly,.... at least when they are new. But while I could probably get away with using the cheap, minimal octane gas for the first few years, what's going to happen later, when the Ford warranty expires? I'll tell you. You're eventually going to hear knocks and pings when you go uphill. The cylinder walls in your engine will turn wavy instead of being smooth. I hear the same sad story from so many car owners who thought they were doing the smart thing by following the minimal specifications from the manufacturer instead of exceeding it, like in the case of gasoline octane.
The same thing too with your transmission. Just because the factory maintenance schedule doesn't list flushes on the "to do" list doesn't mean your tranny doesn't need it. If you want to properly maintain it so that it will last over 100-200K+ miles without slipping and poor performance, you need to do the flush.
This brings up these questions: Why doesn't GM's maintenance schedule tell you to do tranny flushes on your Buick? Why does Ford tell me to fill my V8 Stang with 87 octane? It's the MONEY, my friend. Frankly speaking, the car manufacturers don't care what happens to their cars after the warranty expires. Those companies just want to keep selling cars. The more they sell, the more money they make. If the cars they sell break down after 5-10 years, they don't care. Ford doesn't make any money if I keep my Cougar and Stang running strong 20-30 years from now. Only way they make money off me again is if I buy another car from them. And GM is no different.
Are you starting to get the picture?
If you plan to keep your cars for the long term and you want to know a "better than minimal" maintenance routine that will keep your vehicle in tip-top shape, I would recommend talking to and developing a relationship with a knowledgeable and trusted mechanic.
Originally posted by 68-eldo
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But if you plan to hold on to the car for the long term (5 years, 10 years or even longer), you should do more than the *minimal* maintenance, wherever possible and practical.
I'll give you an example. I have a couple of Ford vehicles currently: a 2006 Mustang GT and a '94 Mercury Cougar XR7, both with a 4.6L V8. In the owner's manual for both cars, they recommend using 87 octane unleaded gas. That's the minimal octane that is needed for those cars to operate properly,.... at least when they are new. But while I could probably get away with using the cheap, minimal octane gas for the first few years, what's going to happen later, when the Ford warranty expires? I'll tell you. You're eventually going to hear knocks and pings when you go uphill. The cylinder walls in your engine will turn wavy instead of being smooth. I hear the same sad story from so many car owners who thought they were doing the smart thing by following the minimal specifications from the manufacturer instead of exceeding it, like in the case of gasoline octane.
The same thing too with your transmission. Just because the factory maintenance schedule doesn't list flushes on the "to do" list doesn't mean your tranny doesn't need it. If you want to properly maintain it so that it will last over 100-200K+ miles without slipping and poor performance, you need to do the flush.
This brings up these questions: Why doesn't GM's maintenance schedule tell you to do tranny flushes on your Buick? Why does Ford tell me to fill my V8 Stang with 87 octane? It's the MONEY, my friend. Frankly speaking, the car manufacturers don't care what happens to their cars after the warranty expires. Those companies just want to keep selling cars. The more they sell, the more money they make. If the cars they sell break down after 5-10 years, they don't care. Ford doesn't make any money if I keep my Cougar and Stang running strong 20-30 years from now. Only way they make money off me again is if I buy another car from them. And GM is no different.
Are you starting to get the picture?
If you plan to keep your cars for the long term and you want to know a "better than minimal" maintenance routine that will keep your vehicle in tip-top shape, I would recommend talking to and developing a relationship with a knowledgeable and trusted mechanic.
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