A New Lease on Life for Transmission by Pat Gross -- reprinted by permission
Through the spotty fifty year history of the automatic transmission they've undergone a myriad of changes and improvements. Today's transmissions shift smoothly, deliver good fuel economy and exceptional durability. These advantages are not without cost however, because it can now run thousands to repair or replace some failed automatic transmissions.
With such high stakes, preventative maintenance has taken on an even more consequential role. Basic maintenance for automatic transmissions amounts to changing transmission fluid and the filter, if your car has one, on a regular basis. The broader issue is, what constitutes regular? Sometimes the answer to that question can be found between the covers of your owner's manual.
Unfortunately, you may be faced with an owner's manual which is overly optimistic about the life span of transmission fluid or completely mute on the subject. In that case generic wisdom says: change your fluid and filter every two years or twenty four thousand miles. This inexpensive service, in contrast to repair or replacement cost, could double your transmission's life.
One cardinal rule to transmission service frequently overlooked by the uninformed, states; never use any automatic transmission fluid that doesn't meet all the manufacturer's specifications. Due to the sophistication of this new breed of transmissions proper fluid is critical. Even small differences in formulation from one fluid type to another can bring about big performance problems and lead to reduced service life, OUCH!
In addition to regular fluid changes there is a new process on the horizon that will have far reaching effects on transmission life. This unique development is transmission flushing. Until now flushing has been largely impractical or impossible.
Transmission flushing is performed with a machine specifically designed to get rid of all the old fluid. This is important because transmission servicing usually only removes two to six quarts of fluid. The remaining fluid, anywhere from six to twelve quarts on average, is left in the transmission where it can continue to slowly deteriorate.
I am not suggesting that fluid changes without flushing aren't beneficial because they definitely art. What I am saying is, flushing is the next step up, a better way to do what must be done anyway. Transmission flushing can sometimes even cure seemingly horrendous automatic transmission problems without horrendous expense.
For several months I've been testing a transmission flush machine in my shop and have experienced some impressive results. Surprise number one came when I flushed my own car which, by the way, had been serviced in the conventional manner just a few months earlier. Looking at the fluid on the dipstick disclosed beautiful color, it looked clean and about the same as you would expect from a fresh container. When I started the process I was totally shocked by the dark, foul fluid being flushed from the innermost plumbing of my transmission. Could this mess be coming from my well-maintained transmission? It sure was and the stuff was ugly, dark brown, strong smelling and much thicker and viscous than it had appeared on the dipstick.
Surprises continued to show themselves when I drove the car. Shift quality was noticeably improved following the flush. Shift were more crisp, there was no hesitation and gear engagement was instantaneous, even at first start in the morning.
As of today these machines are not in wide use but you should begin seeing them in repair shops soon. When they are available and it comes time for your next automatic transmission service, a few extra dollars for a flush could be money well spent.
Dusty's Transmissions uses AutoTool's Total Transmission Service EZ.
This unique patented system adds only a short time to regular transmission service, yet it replaces 8 to 12 quarts of fluid that has never been changed before, without harming seals, gaskets, or connections. Most of the fluid in a transmission isn't in the oil pan. It's in the torque converter, clutch packs, valve body, the oil cooler and the oil cooler lines. The old method of transmission service would actually only replace about 30% of the fluid. As soon as you would start your engine you would mix 4 quarts of new fluid with about 8 quarts of old dirty fluid. Certainly not a system that is best for your transmission.
There are also other types of transmission flushing machines that do not require removal of the oil pan. These "line" machines fall short for two major reasons. First, since the oil pan is not removed the transmission filter is not replaced. How often do you change your motor oil but not the oil filter? The second shortfall is that since the oil pan is not removed dirty oil will remain in the system. The process basically tries to dilute dirty oil with clean oil. At Dusty's Transmissions (located in Central Point - the Rogue Valley), for 26 years, "our philosophy has been if something is worth doing ... it is worth doing right. Our Total Transmission Service is the best."
Key Benefits:
Increased Transmission Life - Improved Transmission Performance - Helps Avoid Expensive Transmission Replacement

Try this with your coffee pot
Notice how much water is required before the mixture becomes clear. This is what a cooler line flush does in the fluid pan, mixing new and old fluid togeether before being removed.
Visit Dusty's Transmissions in Central Point, Oregon, just North of Medford, located in the Rogue Valley, for quality, good value transmission repair work; a map of Southern Oregon, pinpointing Dusty's Central Point location, is accessible via the "map to location" link below.

Dusty's transmissions repair service (Central Point transmission repair; Medford transmission repair; Rogue Valley transmission repair; and Southern Oregon transmission repair) is specifically located at
250 N. Front Street (Highway 99) Central Point, Oregon 97502 (541) 664-6561 Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00 p.m.