Bad Tranny fluid

BJDEALER1973 · #1 05-13-2008, 02:58 AM

I just recently bought a 2000 Grand Caravan 3.3 with 170000 miles on it. I really needed a vehicle so of course i missed some things. I seem to have brown/black tranny fluid. The van drives absolutely great. I dont seem to have any shifting problems yet. What should i do about the bad tranny fluid? I have heard mixed thoughts on this. Some people say flush it and some say leave it alone. Should i throw some Lucas tranny treatment in there? I am thinking since i dont have any problems right now it might be ok to flush. I am right? Please i dont know what to do. I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a slippage problem. I dropped the pan and changed the filter and 2 weeks later no second gear. I am really up in the air about this.

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chopper · #2 05-13-2008, 08:18 AM

I'd probably leave it alone.It goes against reason but sometimes changing really old tranny fluid brings new problems.The brown/black color says the fluid has been overheated by slipping clutches and a rebuild might be in the future anyway.
I don't use additives in anything but if you have a leaking transmission you could just keep it topped off,thereby changing the fluid one pint at a time.

master tech · #3 05-13-2008, 11:02 AM

If you are not having any problems with the trans, I would leave it along. Just because the fluid is brown doesn'tmeans you have a problem.

BJDEALER1973 · #4 05-13-2008, 11:07 PM

I am sure glad you guys replied THX!!

I was really worried about it. I was driving the van today though and i did notice that it shifts real hard when it downshifts from 2nd to 1st if you press on the gas pretty hard. It almost hesitates a little but not quite. I do not have any lack of power though the van is an ox. Is this the sign of problems to come?