Just do a drop 'n' drain and change the filters. If you want, do that again in 10 or 12K. It's a messy job, but not too bad. Make sure you get the right flat filter.

There are no bands in the 545.

 

i would think its better now than with a fluid and filter change.
reason is that transmission fluid soaks into the clutch packs in the transmission.
if you change the fluid to a new fluid your clutch packs will have all the old contaminants still absorbed in the clutches. and it will try and mix and could eventually cause slipping.
thats why transmission services are so important right off the bat, because if you wait till the fluid is dark its too late.

 

Right, so the question is... what does a person do if they purchase a truck that has 95K on it and has never been serviced?

 

really depends how dark/contaminated your fluid really is.
if its still bright red i would say go for it.
and make sure you use the required fluid as in atf+4
if the fluid is dark i would just leave it till you start feeling symptoms of slipping and so on.

its really your own call... if you want it serviced, do it, but if you dont feel like taking the chance, leave it alone

 

im in the same boat. i bought the truck with 120k on it. is there anyway to find out if the owner did the service? he didnt keep receipts but i bought it from a dealer... maybe they know?

 

If your engine has 120k on it and the original oil from the manufacture would you leave it or change it? So what is the difference with the transmission? They are both mechanical and require lubrication.

 

RIGHT! That's my logic too. Almost everybody is in the "DON'T DO IT" camp. I don't get it. I'm gonna change mine soon... we'll see if they are right LOL.

 

The difference is the transmission has clutches in it that absorb the tranny fluid like was previously stated. The engine oil is simply a lubricant and doesn't have the responsibility of lubricating clutch packs, solenoids, and being pressurized to the extent that tranny fluid does. If a engine had 110k on it with the same oil in it, it would probably have worn cylinder walls, bearings, cam/crank shafts, sludge, etc... At that time, an oil change would likely lead to heavy oil burn off and possibly blocking oil ports with build up leading to internal damage.... Sorry for the ramble lol, but it's just a thought...

 

Trust me, that trans oil the manufacture put in your trans is NOT designed to go the lifetime of the truck. Change it.

 

At the very least do a pan drop and replace the filter. The pan only holds a few quarts of oil, so you don't have to do a flush. Of course I've heard a few mechanics tell me to never get a tranny flush in the first place. Places that do these flushes push fluid backward through the trans and can damage valves and such. I can personally say that 2 weeks after a flush, my tranny died. I didn't put it together at the time as the possible cause, but after what I've heard from some of these transmission guys, it could have been the cause.
Regardless, since then I just did pan drops with no problems. I base it on the color and smell of the oil instead of just the millage. My current car looks like it's about due, and it just rolled over 100K miles. Nice timing for that. My truck looks ok, but it's also about to roll over 100K miles, so I'll just do it. I know the previous owner did a couple of pan drops on it, so that's why it looks decent.

In addition to a pan drop, this is what I'm going to do to both vehicles. I don't fully understand why people think new fluid could cause slipping, but I do know from older cars that waiting until you have a problem is too late for a fluid change to fix.
DIY Trans fluid replacement:
Written instructions
http://www.60ateight.com/DodgeRam/
Demonstrational video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAadc9fY