Re: [A/S] Transmission

["nickcrowhurst" <NickandSandra@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hunter, don't blame yourself for not changing the fluid. The problem 
is not the age of the fluid, but the fact that the fluid was over-
heated (cooked) at some point. Automatic transmission fluid contains 
additives which keep the internal seals in good condition. However, 
these additives are destroyed if the fluid is over-heated. You could 
change the fluid one day, overcook it the next, and you then have a 
problem. When the fluid is cooked, it canges color (like steak) from 
red to brown. It also smells different. The answer is to have a 
transmission temperature gauge fitted (you may already have one), and 
monitor it closely at vulnerable times. These times are when stopping 
and starting in city traffic, climbing grades in a high gear (maybe 
overdrive), and, worst of all, backing into an awkward camp-site. 
Your temperature sender needs to be in the output line from the 
tranny to the cooler, not in the pan, where the information may come 
too late. A good temperature is about 170, depending on the maker's 
recommendation, and I aim to keep below 200. If it goes above 260, 
it's probably cooked for ever. You now have new fluid, but you could 
cook it tomorrow. If the fluid gats over 200, lower the strain by 
changing down a gear (out of overdrive in an auto), accellerating 
only gently, or parking up up and letting the system tick over in 
Neutral, not Park, when the fluid does not circulate in many designs. 
Sorry about your problem, but a $50 gauge, or monitoring the one you 
may have, will prevent its recurrence. Best wishes. Nick.