To Diarmud387 - Car manufacturers do not make tranny fluids or motor oils.
Nor do they manufacturer filters. Stick with the standards they specify and
you'll be all right. At the level of the standards, tranny fluid is tranny
fluid, motor oil is motor oil, etc. Sure there are different grades above
the standards and they are not a bad option for those who want an extra
measure of security, but there is no such thing as Ford Tranny Fluid, or GM
Tranny Fluid, or Hyundai Tranny Fluid. What they sell in their private
label containers for inflated prices is the same stuff you can buy in the
aftermarket. Just be sure to know the specification of the fluid. It's
illegal for the auto manufacturer to hold your warranty hostage to using
their private label fluids. They can only hold you to the specified
standard.
Mine doesn't need any yet. I'm just looking forward to the point where I
will be changing it - part of it anyway. The point to me bringing this up is
the fact that the dealer - a Hyundai dealer - I bought the car from DOES NOT
use the SP III fluid when they do a transmission service. They use BG
universal synthetic fluid. I suppose if the tranny burns up under warranty,
they'll just point to the records saying that they did a fluid change at X
miles. No accountability as to what they changed it with.
You're probably right, for the very reasons I stated above to the previous
poster. Look at your Hyundai warranty - does it specifically state that you
must use Hyundai Transmission Fluid, or does it specify a standard? To be
honest I have not looked at mine, but it would really surprise me if they
tried to force their private label on consumers.
As to the fluid turning brown quickly, I suspect it's partly due to the lack
of a filter, and the normal wear particles having nowhere to go except to
get suspended in the fluid. Actually, the transmission has a "filter", but
it's really just a very fine mesh screen. I do plan on adding an external
filter
http://www.magnefine.com/ It can't hurt. Here's one that someone cut
open after 28,000 miles
http://www.v6performance.net/forums/showthread.php?t=60257
It also is not a requirement to flush the transmission.... From the manual:
REPLACEMENT
If you have a fluid changer, use this changer to replace the fluid. If you
do not, replace it using the following procedure.
1.. Disconnect the hose which connects the transmission and the oil cooler
which is within the radiator only in 2.4L engine(3.3L-the oil cooler is
separated).
2.. Start the engine and let the fluid drain out.
Running conditions : "N" range with engine idling.
CAUTION
The engine should be stopped within one minute after it is started. If the
fluid has all drained out before then, the engine should be stopped at that
point........
Here's my twist on what you describe above...
I service the tranny - drain it, install new filter, clean the pan to remove
filings, etc., replace the filter and close it up. Then to get the ATF out
of the torque converter and the intercooler, I remove the connection at the
intercooler and start the car. I let the tranny pump out fluid into a
bucket, and with a very scientific "best guess" rate of pour, I add fluid as
it pumps the remainder of the old fluid out. You can tell when you've
cycled all of the old fluid out by watching what pumps out. When you start
to see the nice, bright, new color pumping out, you've done it all. Put the
line back on the intercooler, double check your ATF level and call it a job
well done. You're typically within the one quart range, certainly within
two with this procedure. I suppose you could well argue that one quart of
used ATF won't really contaminate the new stuff, but it's a practice I
picked up years ago and it's stuck with me over time.
BTW - good link to those pics of the filter cut apart. The owner of that
car has some serious problems though, and that filter is not going to help
him much. That's one hell of a lot of metal filing for such a short driving
distance. He's got bigger problems than a filter.
