Changing Transmission Fluid

To maintain any transmission it is necessary to change the fluid as recommended. Manual transmissions have a drain and fill plug. Automatic transmissions commonly do not have a plug. The pan itself can be removed, but because of various internal transmission components it is not easy to extract all of the old transmission fluid. It is best to take the vehicle to a facility that has a special flushing machine for this purpose. When having the transmission flushed ask for the pan to be cleaned and the filter removed and replaced. This will incur added cost, but will ensure a completely clean system. Another approach would be to alternate service intervals between a transmission flush and a traditional filter and fluid change. Excessive metal shavings are often a sign that the transmission needs further repairs.