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"Hello all, I seem to remember from somewhere that when performing a fluid change on the gearbox... (use 2 quarts of ATF after draining old fluid)... drive the car "ONLY" around the block (with the ATF being a "detergent"), drain out the ATF, then put in the new fluid. ????
Some say use Redline MTL. Some say use AMSOIL 80/90 (in the south).
Thoughts on the ATF?"
ATF is very high in chlorinated compounds that are great cleansers. Automatic transmissions require these and would not last as well without them.
In situations where cleaning is needed (apart from automatics), I think ATF can be useful but risky.
If you have a Saab transmission with no history of maintenance, maybe has been run at a low fluid level, or the drained fluid comes out really yucky, or grit when you stick your pinkie in the drain hole, you can try the ATF solution with little cost. I have never done this, but I would drive more than once around the block, maybe 3-5 miles to get things warmed up, unless noises or operational problems occur. Drain, observe, maybe even do it again.
HOWEVER, if the drained fluid comes out clear-to-darkened (darkened = brown, not black, swirled on the side of a glass jar), I think there is no benefit to the cleansing process and if there is a downside you don't need to risk it.
V4 transmissions are peculiar in their viscosity requirements. I do not recommend any fluid with a number higher than 80 in the viscosity spec. Redline MTL is most commonly recommended and is what I use. Amsoil 80-90 does not have the right numbers.
Check your transmission fluid level regularly. With MTL I think a change interval of 20-30K miles is fine for normal driving.
V4 transmissions have a bad reputation for failure. Many think this is due to poor lubricant maintenance (ie never changing it or topping off) or incorrect lubricant (ie 90W which is too heavy for the design). I think they are very sturdy if properly maintained. Currently available synthetic lubricants are far superior to what was available when the transmission was designed, so with good maintenance your transmission should last next to forever.
posted by 208.53.8...
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