Hi everyone,
I just purchased a used, white '06 Durango SLT 4.7 last night and I love it! I was looking through the owner's manual and noticed in the maintenance schedules, there is no mention of changing the automatic tranny fluid... [:-] I have never heard of "lifetime tranny fluid"... Is this an error???

TIA

 

Wow, 36 hits and no replies??? [:-] Do I have everyone stumped? Are there any '06 owners out there that have noticed this?

 

I'd definately get it changed. Can't recommend how often though. I've got an 04 with 121k miles and just had it done. Doesn't shift great still, but vastly improved it (but then again this is the first Auto I've had in a while). I'm probably going to do it every year to 18 months, just b/c of Dodge rep on truck transmissions.

 

It should be every 36,000 miles officially. I'd stretch it to 50K if you ALWAYS stay on top of it at 50K.

DO NOT FLUSH the transmission. Have the pan dropped and a replacement filter added each time. This is also a good time to service the differentials. The dealer will charge upwards of $600+ for the complete service. A transmission shop should be less than $200. Use ATF+4 fluid only in the tranny, no 'shop blends that are just as good'. Not. If your setup/trans has adjustable bands, have them adjusted during the drop and fill.

As for the guy going 112K and now has problems, no wonder.

If one takes care of the motor and the trans, they will last a VERY VERY long time. Almost always can you point to neglect as the issue that caused the problem or shortened the life of the motor/trans on the Dodge products in our trucks.

IndyDurango

 

I just got it from my dad's company, and had it done as soon as I got it as I didn't know when it was last done. It was properly maintained, so I'm sure it wasn't the first time. And like I mentioned, I haven't had an automatic truck in 5+ yrs, so I don't remember what "normal" is. That, and the fact I have the v6 which up/down shifts a lot, could exacerabte it.

 

IndyDurango, why do you recommend against flushing the transmission? While I agree with you that the pan should be dropped and the filter changed, I have always heard that a transmission flush, either before or after you drop the pan, is the best way to do a tranny fluid service. The reason being that by simply dropping the pan you only replace the fluid that was in the pan, while leaving a large amount of dirty fluid inside the tranny. Unlike the engine, the tranny fluid apparently doesn't all drain down to the pan when shut down.
No transmission expert, just what I've always heard. Anyone else care to share their expertise on the subject?

Flea

 

Some people are agaisnt the flush because of the pressure and all of the seals. I believe in the flush just as much as the filter change. My recommendation is to drop the pan, change the filter and then have the flush done. Dropping the pan is good because you are able to change the filter, but just dropping the pan alone only lets you change the fluid in the pan. There is quite a bit of fluid in the torque convertor that needs to be dealt with as well. Thanks to modern building we do not have the drain plug option on the newer torque convertors to drain out the old fluid, this is where the flush comes in play. It will cost a little extra to do both at the same time but you have to ask yourself the question should I spend a little more now or alot more later? I also like to have a plug welded into the transmission pan once I have dropped it for the first time to make it easier to drop the pan the next time. Cleaner job when the fluid is already out!!!!!. Well this is just my 2 cents worth, thought I would share.