Thread: Question about transmission fluid

I have a 98 GTP with 198k on it. I have no idea when or if the trans fluid has been changed. It looks very clear to me like too clear IMO. Anyways I am wanting to do a pan drop/drain and a filter change and I'm not sure if I should go with Dexron VI or if I'll be ok with Dexron III. I know they are backwards compatible but I wasnt sure if itll mess anything up if the previous owner put VI in it and I put III in. The cheapest I could find VI for is 40 dollars and thats using walmart brand fluid.

Just run dexron 3, its cheaper.

And thats what your dipstck says.

Alright. Thanks. I was just not clear on if it would mess the tranny up if its filled with dex VI right now and I went back to Dex III

Mine was red/orange when I changed mine. Pan was somewhat dirty. Put dex vi in and still good about 10k miles later. This was around 70k miles and I have 80k now. But if you can, dex 3 would prolly give you a pier of mind apposed to switching to the newer dex 6. Lets just hope your trans isn't already falling apart lol

at 200,000 miles a flush is a real bad idea.

dex 3 is what you want, get the walmart brand.

when you say the fluid looked clear. you mean light pinkish? better then dark brown or black any day.

Unless he means rustic orange? Cause that's more towards the side of the fluid color IIRC. But ya, I would say a flush isn't a good idea. Don't want it to clean out your entire system that could be holding your trans together lol. If you can, get Dex 3 for sure. Just do a simple pan drop n filter change and you're good to go.

I was told the transmission was supposedly rebuilt and "built" at 100K miles. There is no paperwork to back it up and the seller couldn't even tell me what "built" meant. There is however some sort of yellow paint marking on "band applicator pin cover" (I forget the proper name for it). So I assume something has been done with it. But weather it was rebuilt or is from a junkyard who knows.

The fluid is like a very clear color with a hint of pink if you look at it the right way or wipe it off on a white napkin you can tell it's pink. Its not even as dark as normal tranny fluid IMO. Its almost like its diluted with something clear.

And I know not to flush the system. The only way I would ever get a car flushed is is if I owned the car since under 30K and had it flushed every 30K miles or if I had a trans rebuilt. Most people ignore maintenance in their tranny on top of the fact that they abuse it and then wonder why its slipping after they decide to flush after 100k miles.

While on the subject of Fluid, I'm going to have only the pan dropped and filter and a refill of the fluid. My question is: how many quarts of DexIII should I buy for the refill? Also, should I go with the AC Delco Filter or will a Hastings or Purolator Brand be okay. I have 140k on the car and this will be the first time that I'll be dropping the pan. Don't know if the previous owner ever did it or not. Thanks.

I originally bought 2 gallons(8 quarts) of Valvoline Dex III which wasn't enough, so I went out and bought another gallon, and ended up using 8.5-9 quarts total. (Then used another quart for a "flush")

As long as it's compatible, the brand doesn't matter too much, just get a quality filter. I don't know who makes the OE off hand, but Purolator would be a good choice. I used Wix.

Originally Posted by 02NavyBlue

I originally bought 2 gallons(8 quarts) of Valvoline Dex III which wasn't enough, so I went out and bought another gallon, and ended up using 8.5-9 quarts total. (Then used another quart for a "flush")

As long as it's compatible, the brand doesn't matter too much, just get a quality filter. I don't know who makes the OE off hand, but Purolator would be a good choice. I used Wix.

Thanks Navy! Do you remember if your pan had a rubber gasket or cork? I haven't done this before so I want to be sure beforehand.

reuse the gasket if its the stock thick rubber one. i used a duralast filter. so far so good.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

reuse the gasket if its the stock thick rubber one. i used a duralast filter. so far so good.

Thanks Scotty! Sorry I've been away for a while. I've been trying to grab as many miles on the bike as I can while the weather behaves. I haven't put many miles on the GP except for moving it side to side for parking rules. AutoZone had the Duralast and Purolator Filters. They were both about the same price. I'll grab one of them tomorrow. Thanks again!