PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

My bonne has a little over 196k and I'm not sure that it's ever been done. It still shifts pretty smoothly, and I'm not having any problems with it, the fluid is just brown-ish colored. I've been told if it wasn't done regularly then to not even bother because it will mess the transmission up. I feel that may be a bunch of hogwash, but just wanted to check...

Change it. Fresh Dex/Merc Fluid and a new filter. If your trans goes, it was on borrowed time anyways.

The computer at autozone says service change is 7 quarts of fluid. Does this sound right? I've been told 4 is sufficient..

I'd get 2 gallon jugs, to be safe. It's generally a bit over 7. Definitely not 4....

Ok, thanks Ed. I appreciate it.

I'm here to help.

When they say don't mess with it, they mean don't flush the transmission.

It seems a lot of people are under that impression even some older mechanic friends say if the fluid hasn't been changed regularly don't change it or it'll break the transmission.


Doesn't make sense though. Leaving that old crap in there will only burn it out quicker.....

I'm of the opposite camp.

I say leave well enough alone. If it's going to break anyway, then don't throw any money toward a fluid/filter change. Just let it run it's course and save the otherwise spent cash for a rebuild or new transmission.

How long have you had the car? It's likely been rebuilt once....

Change it. Unless it's showing signs of failure, the new fluid will do more good than bad.

200K on my truck and 216K on my Bonnie. Both original trannies and both have pretty much pitch black fluid.

Both seem to shift just fine...

They probably ought to be changed, but I'm not risking it and I wouldn't advise someone to do what I wouldn't...

When you're at the point you're at, then yeah I can see your point. When the fluid is just dark red or turning brown, there is no harm in changing it...

I've had the car for about 4 or 5 months now. It's at 196,200 miles.. I don't believe there is any problems with the transmission, it doesn't slam, bang, slip, grind, or anything bad that I know of. Unless it's unusual that 3rd gear happens around 30mph and the car drops to about 1100-1200 rpms. I had a guy from one of the transmission shops around here test drive it when I first got it and he said all that he thought was wrong was, "The transmission mount and it probably wouldn't hurt to have a service." I've already changed the mount with the notorious hockey puck mount. Although I'm considering going back to the stock hydraulic mount. The fluid is just brown. Not as dark as dirty oil, but a light brown color. I think it's fine.

edit: I bought the car from a friend of mine who's father owned it for a few years and used it for business travel. He bought it at 59k mileage and used it to travel from where I live to Cincinnati (about 3 hours) for years. He then passed it down to his son at around 175k who drove it as a DD around town for two years putting about 15k miles on it. I bought the car at 191800. Since then I've changed intake gaskets, cleaned supercharger housing and rotors, fresh s/c oil, tune up, oil pressure switch, fuel level sending unit yada yada yada...

done a lot of thought myself; I have a 97 SSEi and the fuild looked a little brown and had a weird smell. So changed it at 186k because it was missing shifts and would shift into the right gear. So i dropped the pan and filter, then put in MaxLife® DEX/MERC ATF. took it for a drive and it shifted perfectly. It has never shifted so well in 5 years, then changed it again at 190k.

Car wasnt miss behaving just did it be cause i was leaving for a while and i wouldnt be around to care for it somthing was a miss. Now i am at 200k and still shifts perfectly.

Was a little diss hearted when i found little shards of metal at the bottum of the pan at the first pan drop.