Transmission fluid change on 02 GA GT

[AznGA]

My 02 Grand Am GT got a trasmission flush done at 60k miles. It's at 100k right now. Do you guys suggest getting another flush or just a pan drop this time?

My transmission sometimes hunts for a gear, meaning that the RPM jumps up and down at shift points and when I give it some more gas, it finally shifts. I heard that this can be related to the comtaminated tranny fluid? This issue dissappeard after the first flush, but it recently came back.

[sharkey]

i would always recomend a pan drop service. the shop i work for will do a pan drop service and then do a flush. the main reason for dropping the pan is to change the filter and inspect the pan for clutch material or metal. it is recomended that you change the filter with every service. i mean, you wouldnt change your engine oil without changing the filter would you???

with electronic controlled transmissions, shifting is all controlled by the pcm, so i would be looking at a pcm input, like the tps.

[tractorman]

I always put a drain plug in the tranny pan the first time I do an oil/filter change. Makes life A LOT easier.

What do ya'll think about that new Dexron VI? I'm thinking about putting it in both my cars next time I change the tranny oil.

[prophiseer]

as for the DexVI - if you can find it, let me know! The dealerships 'round here don't even have access to it (including caddi).

I'm with sharkey on the pan drop, etc. Actually, all you should need is a new filter and fluid. If you religously change the filter and fluid about every 30k miles, a flush is usually never needed. As for fluid, my personal recommendation is Castrol DexIII - I've never had problems with this brand and have yet to burn their tranny fluid in 30k miles (as compared to Valvoline which I was able to toast). I'd also recommend installing a bottle of ProLong tranny additive, it's well worth the cost and really works per their claims.

On the GAGT trannies, there's a few TSB's floating around about gear slippage, rpm flutter, tranny fluid press, etc. If you didn't have a lot of crap removed in the flush, or a ton of shrapnel in the filter, you might want to investigate some TSB's.

[sharkey]

dextron VI is a replacment fluid for dextron III. it is an improved fluid and was designed specificly for the new gm 6 speeds (hence jumping from dex 3 to 6). dex 6 will eventualy replace dex 3 altogether.

[AznGA]

Yea, our trannys have some issue with the shift solinoid. But at this point, especially when I put 100k miles on this tranny, I don't think it's worth taking the tranny apart to replace the solinoid. I might as well get a whole used tranny from the junkyard. Besides the tranny hunting for a gear, the shifts are still crisp during WOT.

[sharkey]

putting a used tranny is it is the same as what you have now. it may be worse, or a bit better, but in the end those problems will come back to you again because you have another factory spec tranny without the updates that fix these known problems.

[sprucegagt]

Not unless he uses a transmission from a newer GA GT that has those updates already in it. Say like 04. It is a direct bolt in.

[prophiseer]

true, but really hard to find in the scrapyard.

So, then, anyone know where DexVI is available? Around here it's non-existant.

[tractorman]

It can't be THAT hard to find. The local chevy dealer out here in BFE Kansas has it. I haven't yet convinced myself to pay $6 a quart... maybe that's why they call it dexron $VI$.

[sprucegagt]

true, but really hard to find in the scrapyard.

Not really. You can get them for a decent price with low miles. Search of an 04 Grand AM GT with 3.29 FDR generated for 4 pages of scrapyards ready to sell.

http://car-part.com/

[prophiseer]

I guess you could do it that way. I meant if you actually go out to the yards looking, which is what I'd prefer to do. Around here, not all our srapyards can tell ya what vehicle a motor or tranny they'll send ya came out of (lazy bastards).