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Question:

Do I need a transmission flush?

I was at the Ford Dealer yesterday to get the works, and they told me I should get a transmission flush. I have a 2009 Ford Focus SES with 35k miles on it. They said it should have been done at 30k. I have read and heard that you shouldnt get a transmission fllush because it ruins the tranny. Should I just have a mechanic drain and replace the fluid and filter instead of getting a flush? Thanks!

Answer:

Right O. The tranny industry has suggested to NOT flush a tranny system. Just do a basic tranny service which means drain the fluid and replace the filter and then put new fluid in. The reason for NOT flushing a tranny is that they were never designed to be flushed under pressure as this can booger up the internal parts and valves and put stuff in the channels that would normally never get there unless put there (dislodged) by force. You have a sizable donut shaped magnet in the tranny pan that captures the metal particles and this is why some service manuals tell you that you can go as long as 100K miles without service on the tranny. This is not a good idea and the old gold standard of two years 25K miles (2/25,000) is a good one for servicing the transmission. Many cars now have the catalytic converter in front of the engine and that massive heat producer creates abnormally high temperatures (heat) that passes the oil and transmission pans/housing while going under the engine and chassis. Never in the history of automotive engineering has this kind of heat been produced in front of the engine. The old-school position of the catalytic convertor under the car and behnd the engine is the most logical location. Catalytic converters will turn orange hot at highway speeds. One of those What the heck were they thinking? items on the list of bad engineering bloopers. Good Luck!
I have never had a transmission flush on any of 18 vehicles owned. What does that tell you. I have a lot of friends, and have known a whole bunch more, and none of them have ever had a transmission flush on any vehicle they ever owned? What does that tell you? Car manuals are written by the engineers and techs who design, engineer, manufacture, test and build cars. No car manual for any car anywhere in the world says one single word about transmission flush. What does that tell you? No warranty maintenance schedule for any car anywhere in the world says one single word about transmission flush. What does that tell you? Until a few years ago there was no such thing as a transmission flush and all those 100s of millions of car transmissions ran just as well as all the transmissions today. What does that tell you? Ask your Ford dealer if he will, in writing, give you a guarantee against any and all transmission problems you may have after the flush. When he says no, ask yourself What does that tell me?
This Site Might Help You. RE: Do I need a transmission flush? I was at the Ford Dealer yesterday to get the works, and they told me I should get a transmission flush. I have a 2009 Ford Focus SES with 35k miles on it. They said it should have been done at 30k. I have read and heard that you shouldnt get a transmission fllush because it ruins.

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