I have a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport with a 3.8 Liter engine and auto transmission. I bought the van new and had the transmission flushed at 30K and 60K miles at the local Dodge dealer (no filter change) and now have nearly 93K on it. Approximately 75K of the 93K are highway miles. The current trans-fluid is somewhat discolored with no smell. The local Dodge dealer service rep recommends a combination transmission filter replacement and flush = $250.00

If I likely will drive this van for another 50K miles and beyond, my question is three fold as follows:

1. Since I'm not wild about spending $250.00 for the combo service mentioned above and recently hearing horror stories about flushing higher mileage transmissions, would it be better to simply drain and change the fluid and filter leaving much of the old fluid in the transmission?
2. Would just a flush be adequate or advisable without the filter change?
3. Am I taking on added risk with future transmission problems if a combination filter replacement and flush is not done.

Any shared experience with caravan tranmissions will be appreciated.

Thank You

 

Welcome to DF
Here is what I with my 41TE/A604 transmission, 0 to 15k replace the filter. 30k flush the transmission and at 45k replace the filter and 60k flush. I think I have been lucky doing this way. The car just hit 60k for a 1996.

 

Me personally, I wont waste money doing a transmission flush period! Why because even though you flush the fluid all the dirty particles are still in your transmission in the filter. Only thing I ever recommend and do on my own and customer's vehicles is transmission filter, gasket and fluid. Make sure you get good quality fluid, honestly prefer dealer for that atf-4.... Done it that way on many different makes and never have had problems. What is even better is when you drop the pan you can visually see if there is any strange or broken material in the magnets or filter..

 

Ditto. Filter and fluid. No flush. Especially since it's already been flushed once.

 

Thanks for the responses on the 99 Caravan fluid/filter change and/or flush question.

Since I don't plan on doing any of the work myself will just need to decide which maintenance approach to take and how the money is best spent. Am leaning toward a filter change and flush but need to talk directly to the mechanics to get the procedure details before making a final decision.

 

dont need to talk to a mechanic when you have specialized technicians here to help. Here are the procedures to both;

Transmission filter and gasket; remove transmission pan, drain fluid in pan, remove old filter, install new filter, install new pan gasket, fill with new transmission fluid. Some shops prior to draining run a approved transmission flush through the transmission before draining the fluid then they add a conditioner when adding the new fluid.

Transmission fluid flush; attach a machine to the inlet and outlet lines of the transmission, fill the machine with the 15 quarts or specs. they start the vehicle, run the machine. While one line and reservoir catches the old fluid the machine fills with new fluid in the other end. All this is done and your filter is never changed.

You can also do both. My recommendation do a transmission pan drop and gasket change.

 

I remember when we never touched an automatic.
You just drove it till it failed.

Seems like as soon as someone invented the flush machine, then it became a must do.

I changed my fluid and filter before a long road trip and my trans died 1000 miles from home. But that's a whole other story.
From now on, I'll just run it till it fails!

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