2000 accent auto tranny fluid question???

hi
we are thinking of purchasing a used 2000 accent with 85,000kms(canada)on
it.
the car is in good shape but i have a question.
when i checked the automatic transmission fluid it was brown,not the usual
red i am used to seeing in auto trannies.
is this the typical color fot auto tranny fluid in a 2000 accent?
it did not smell burnt,but i am concerned about the color.
a test drive did no show any shifting problems but it did seem to hang in
gear befor shifting.
no shuddering or slipping that i could detect.
thanks

 

I haven't seen the type of ATF that Hyundai specifies so I'm not sure
what color it is. Certainly red has been the traditional color for ATF
and if it turns brown that is a bad sign. That generally indicates that
the fluid has been overheated and/or contains a lot of clutch disk wear
material. With only a little more than 50,000 miles that isn't a good
sign. Did you smell the fluid? Red fluid that has turned brown will
almost always have a burnt smell to it rather than the somewhat sweet
smell of fresh ATF.

Then again, if the special Hyundai fluid is brown to start with, never
mind!


Matt

 

hi
it did not smell burnt at all.
i am familiar with normal red atf and this neither looked or smelled like
it.
just kind of an oily smell,not burned.
i am more concerned with it's appearance.
regards

 

Check the owner's manual for the type of tranny fluid.

If it calls for Diamond ATF SP-III, you probably don't need to fret much
(many Hyundais do, but I don't know about this one).

That fluid is far "browner" than typical fluids, especially if you have
gotten used to either Dexron or ATF+3.

Actually, your description of the smell is exactly what my experience is
with that Diamond ATF SP-III.

Still, it will not hurt to have it changed, especially with that number of
kilometers. But if you do have it changed, and it is the fluid mentioned
above, and you get it changed to that same fluid, don't expect the radiant
red you see in the others. There is red dye in the fluid, but in my
experience, not nearly as much as some others.

In this case, it doesn't mean its lesser-quality fluid.

Tom Wenndt

 

The ATF starts off pink or red: the usual color. The Accent's manual states
that the fluid will turn brown over time and that this is fine. My 2001
Accent's ATF was also brown before I had it changed recently.

Chris

 

On a used car with this many miles, you'll also
need to think about replacing the timing belt
around 60K.

Tom Welch

 

Interesting. The fluid that Chrysler uses stays red for at least 50,000
miles, which is when I change the fluid in my minivans. And these are
heavy vehicles that see pretty heavy use hauling kids and their friends
around. I've not seen fluid turn brown unless the vehicle towed often
or was used in the mountains in really hot weather.

Matt

 

Hyundai's use "Diamond ATF SP-III" only available at your Hyundai or
Mistsubishi dealer. MY 2002 accent has 110,000 miles. When I change the
ATF "which is red in color" it soon turns to a brown. I believe that what
is happening is that the fluid is becoming burnt and changes color as a
result. Because of this belief I've been changing the fluid quite
often much more frequently than recommended. Also, this last change I've
ordered online an ATF by Amsoil that they recommend for the Hyundai as an
equal to the Diamond ATF SP-III. The Amsoil product is a full synthetic.
My hope is that it will have a much higher tolerance for heat "as
synthetics typically due" and will not burn as readily as the mineral
based product by Hyundai.

 

Well, unfortunately, your belief that "...what is happening is that the
fluid is becoming burnt..." would be wrong. ATF in its natural, uncolored
state looks very much like thin motor oil. ATF SP-III, and for that matter
Chrysler ATF+4 are already synthetic based fluids. Both of them have just
enough dye in them to allow them to be identified for what they are. The
color of the dye does nothing.

Now, unless the "sort of brown" fluid smells burnt, it's not. If it smells
burnt, it's not the fluid's fault, it's a tranny problem, and no matter what
you put in there, there's still a tranny problem. Also, you've got an amount
of old fluid left in the tranny roughly the same as what you are replacing,
so brown + pink = lighter brown.

For the OP... brownish fluid means nothing for THAT type of fluid. "Hanging
in gear" would be considered a shifting problem, which might mean problems.
Do the smart thing - always a smart thing. Pay a mechanic that regularly
works on those vehicles - maybe even a transmission shop that comes right
out and says they use the genuine fluids for Honda, Chrysler, and Hyundai,
etc rather than the magic mix - to look at it.