AT oil - servicable?

[NyackRob79]

Our 2018 Expy Platinum 4x4 MAX is just over 71,000 miles. Driving around town at slow speeds, I do begin to notice the transmission shifting harsher than usual. Does anyone know it the A/T fluid is servicable? The maintenance schedule says to "check A/T fluid level - if equipped with dipstick". No other information is available.

In the past, I'd usually replace automatic transmission oil around 75k mark. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with it here.

 

[Soliyou]

Our 2018 Expy Platinum 4x4 MAX is just over 71,000 miles. Driving around town at slow speeds, I do begin to notice the transmission shifting harsher than usual. Does anyone know it the A/T fluid is servicable? The maintenance schedule says to "check A/T fluid level - if equipped with dipstick". No other information is available.

In the past, I'd usually replace automatic transmission oil around 75k mark. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with it here.

Of course it is serviceable. The main issue is that it has no drain plug and that dropping the pan requires also disconnecting and lowering the heat exchanger and its lines. Probably a 2-hour job at least.

What I did at 30k miles is I used a fluid extractor to pull the fluid from the dipstick hole, then replaced what I pulled. 5.3 quarts out and new 5.3 quarts in. Was quite an easy job if you have the right tools (a vacuum extractor and a clean vacuum pump).

I am planning to drop the pan and replace the filter at 60-70k. Use Mercon ULV only!

Forgot to add that I did this exchange when the car sat overnight. So both new and old fluids are cold and at the same temperature.

 

[Deadman]

Cant you just pull a line and let it suck fluid out of the bottle and pump the dirty fluid into a drain pan? I did that on my older cars....

 

[NyackRob79]

Of course it is serviceable. The main issue is that it has no drain plug and that dropping the pan requires also disconnecting and lowering the heat exchanger and its lines. Probably a 2-hour job at least.

Ah, I remember something similar with my wife's old Jetta. I used a pump to extract the transmission oil and replace it. I might let a shop handle this.

 

[Soliyou]

If you take it to the shop, they have the machine that hooks to the cooler lines and can extract all fluid… like Deadman’s comment above.