Thread: 05 GP GT, trans fluid/filter change questions

Hey everyone... Getting ready to drop the pan on my trans and do a fluid, filter change. I bought the vehicle a year ago with 89k on it, now getting ready to hit 100k. The trans fluid looks great; red, and no smell. There are no problems with the trans at all. Temps are good, shifts are good (but I'm putting in a TransGo kit anyway). The car was in great shape when I bought it, and the service seems to have been kept up on it throughout the previous owner's time with the vehicle (she bought it new and had it 9 years). Not sure if they did a "severe service" maintenance which would have had a trans fluid change at 50k.

I'm going to go with Dex VI on the fluid change because IF they changed the fluid at 50k that would have been what they used. If they didn't do a fluid change, then I'm moving it over to VI anyway, as that's the spec now and I don't trust any non-licensed Dex IIIs out there. I'm also not trying to save a buck or cheap out, so using the more expensive fluid isn't an issue for me, I just want the stuff I can trust. So that's that. Now to my question: I want to use Lubegard in it as well. Go with Red, or Platinum, or does it even matter? I'm only doing a pan drop, not a flush, so I'll only change out roughly half the fluid. Not sure if potentially mixing III with VI necessitates using the platinum or if red is the way to go no matter what fluids are in use.

Thanks for your help!

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

You should be able to use either.

Thanks! I'll probably go with the Lubegard red then.

I appreciate your help.

Originally Posted by Fivefingerdeathpunch

It doesnt matter what fluid you run in the transmission, it will accept either and not care. (It's different if the transmission is really old and has lots of miles though, a full syn fluid might be the death of it.)

They just went with the times when dexron 6 came out and that was the new standard for everything GM.

Your transmission dipstick will say what was ran from the factory at it's build date. Dexron 3 is half the cost but because you'll likely never have to replace the fluid again, just run the full syn dexron 6.

Well my question was really about using Lubegard red or platinum, but thanks anyway!

I usually get 200k-300k on my vehicles, so hopefully this won't be my last ATF change. Just pushed 200k on my 98 Firebird, so I'm in a maintenance loop with both vehicles hitting service intervals at the same time. Hopefully I wont do THAT again!